I try to be a conscientious shopper. I know that my little bit of capital doesn’t make a company rich, but I also know that I’m not the only person out there who cares where their money goes. Together we most certainly can get the attention of businesses and let them know that we want our money to be going to something good, not something evil.
So, I thought I’d make a list of companies I try to avoid. I am not saying you should avoid the same companies automatically, but I would definitely encourage you to make your own list or at least think about where your money is going. I’m also inviting you to start a conversation with me. Let me know what companies you think should or should not be on my list.
Companies I avoid:
- Goya (added July 17, 2020)
This used to be a food distributor I liked because they have interesting and seemingly authentic food. But I just found out that their CEO thinks that Trump is doing good things for the country. In his defense, he also said that he prays for Trump, which always sounds like a good idea to me, but the fact that this brand thrives on a community that has been consistently mistreated and abused by Trump makes it very troubling that the company supports the very same person. On this one, I’m with Julián. - Facebook (added June, 2020)
At best, the company is guilty of serious indifference in the face of civil rights concerns. And depending on your perspective, it could be far worse. - McDonalds (added June, 2020)
They fired my friend because of his criminal background, despite the fact that he was a good worker whom they had been promoting, they knew about the background when they hired him (maybe they forgot?), and the crime had no bearing on his job duties. Boo. Also they use prison labor. - Amazon (added 2019)
I have mixed feelings about Amazon. They don’t have the best business practices, and they could treat their workers a lot better. On the other hand, they are leading the way on some issues, and they are just so darn convenient. Because of their business practices that abuse and strengthen their monopoly position in online retail, I prefer to buy things elsewhere. However, knowing that they are but a retailer, and if I’m buying a good product from a good manufacturer, I won’t sweat it if I can’t easily get it somewhere else. After all, Amazon only gets a small portion of my money anyway. - Walmart (since the beginning)
Terrible business practices. Really bad. Basically criminal. No respect for communities. And they use prison labor.
I’ll try to keep this list up to date as more information comes in. And please, send me your comments!
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