To buy or not to buy

“I’m not a shopaholic, I’m stimulating the economy” joked an influencer on Instagram as she showed off her latest online clothing order. Although a part of me could definitely relate (I can’t be the only one whose used this excuse before right?), what before would’ve passed me by without a second thought, really got me thinking about our shopping habits during the current COVID-19 pandemic. While we might not have holidays, parties or even days in the office to get dressed up for at the moment, many of us are continuing to buy clothes almost as often as we did pre Covid -19. From ‘much needed’ loungewear, to gym kit to support our new home workout routine, or yet another cute top for Zoom meetings… Social media and online stores are pushing us to buy, buy, buy. But the question I’ve been pondering is, if, from a moral standpoint, we should be. In the unprecedented times we’re all facing should we be supporting our favourite brands where we can, trying to maintain a semblance of normality, not to mention giving ourselves a much-needed treat? Or should we be avoiding shopping for non–essentials right now given the unnecessary risks to those that produce, pack and deliver these goods?

It’s certainly not an easy issue to separate right from wrong. As the Instagram post I mentioned said, if you are currently still online shopping, you are stimulating the economy. Your injection of cash is money that many online stores, however big or small, desperately need right now to keep paying their overheads and employees. Employees, who in turn are then able to buy groceries, pay their rent and expenses, and thus this cog in our economy is able to keep ticking over. Since clothing stores closed their brick and mortar outposts more than a month ago, online sales are needed now more than ever- without us continuing to shop, many of our our favourite stores may no longer exist in a post pandemic world. These are some compelling reasons why we should keep on shopping - but particularly when buying from big high street stores, I find myself asking if the risk to workers along the supply chain is too high.  

Recently the GMB Union has called out a large online retailer for their warehouse being ‘a cradle of disease’ that is ‘playing Russian roulette’ with worker’s lives. It isn’t hard to imagine that this could be the case in many shipment warehouses, particularly of large stores – they are under more pressure than ever to hold onto customers, and that means getting orders out as soon as possible. Social distancing and correct hygiene practices can easily take a back seat in this kind of environment, leaving those that select and pack up your (much needed, tenth) pair of trakkies, vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. Then there are the delivery drivers to consider – although they might be able to socially distance themselves, they also are handling hundreds of parcels a day . Considering most people I know (myself included) disinfect every piece of post received, these drivers are still placed at further risk, however small, for no essential reason.

Added to this moral conundrum is that when you follow even further down the supply chain, there are the garment workers in third-world countries like Bangladesh to consider. As the pandemic spread through the Western world and high street brands’ sales plummeted, over £2 billion worth of orders to garment factories in the country were cancelled by stores. In addition, many other brands began negotiating discounts on their orders or requesting late payments. And so, as we cut back on shopping, an industry that (rightly or wrongly) is built on our fast fashion shopping habits began crumbling; and most crucially, millions of garment workers were left without their wage. Most of them already live a hand-to-mouth existence, and without their income they face concerns that are more tangible than a virus – such as starvation and eviction. In recent days many factories in Dhaka are starting to reopen, despite the country still being under official lockdown. Whilst this will allow these workers to go back to supporting themselves and their families, there have been accusations that brands are pressuring these factories to do so - despite the obvious health risks that their workers will face.

Fortunately there are some well known brands doing the right thing in these difficult times. The WRC has highlighted that some big brands such as Adidas, H&M, Inditex and M&S have promised to pay for all orders to garment factories whether still in production or completed. Dealing with issues closer to home, Next are limiting the number of online orders they take a day. This allows them to stagger staff in the warehouse, ensuring better social distancing. These are the kind of brands who right now deserve our support. And then of course there are all the incredible small businesses, that now more than ever should be high up on your radar. With much smaller teams (in many cases shipping is a one-person operation), you can support these brands whilst putting a lot fewer people at risk.

Personally however, the question still remains - to buy or not to buy in these times? As with most of the issues we are currently faced with, there seems to be no clear cut, black and white, right or wrong answer. It’s at best a hazy grey that walks the tightrope between the lesser of two evils. It is however definitely something that’s given me pause for thought each time I’ve clicked to add to bag.