New business ethics

Paper, plastic, or that beat up thing dangling from your shoulder?

Though the furniture is usually cheap or gaudy or both and you have to put it together, I applaud Ikea—just not for its wares, for its big bag idea. Customers can purchase a reusable Ikea tote bag for 59 cents to fill up with Swiss goodies the next time. And who says you can’t use the bag at the grocery? Or the mall? Don’t wanna buy the bag? It’ll cost ya anyway. You still have to buy traditional shopping bags at their actual cost –a nickel apiece.

“All proceeds will go to American Forests, the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization.”
The Dallas Morning News

Perhaps other outlets will follow suit. In the modern marketplace we even have bags for our bags. Next time you buy a backpack and a bunch of junk, tell the scanner numb cashier not to waste any plastic bags because you can strap the pack on and fill it with your goods. For cryin’ out loud it’s a knapsack! Use it! And somehow I think I’ll manage transporting a Snickers without a shopping sack. Even on the off chance I’m not going to eat it immediately or I’m not wearing any pants and have no pockets, I’ll just carry it. It’s not that heavy. I have too many plastic receptacles with “Thank You” printed on them choking my cabinets as it is.

Is badmouth the new boycott?

McDonald’s may not be burger king forever. According to research consultant Karen Fraser the Arches and other corporations with questionable ethics are oblivious or think they’re immune to negative word of mouth. Just like when you were an invincible teenager and then your drunken friend learns a deadly physics lesson. When there’s no other option, an entire town patronizes Wall-Mart. They have no choice and the Mart knows it. They pray Target doesn’t decide it’d like to live in Nowheresville, USA too.

Companies ignore non-customers, it’s only logical, but what happens when their followers aren’t so loyal? Sound hypocritical? Yes and no. consumers aren’t just blissfully ignorant anymore. Stores can no longer count on an uninformed clientele; educated buyers are the chain’s worst nightmare. And there’s something intriguing about an American with a mouthful of McDonald’s blabbing about how Ronald’s selling the environment and kids short. A year from now when a fledgling burger joint where the only numbers on the menu are prices that buys locally, fresh cuts fries, recycles its packaging, and donates its food waste to homeless shelters moves in next to the fast food goliath. Sure, real ground beef makes new kid’s grub a little pricier, but Mr. America think it’s tastier, too. Suddenly McDonald’s has one less customer. And he’ll share the fresh ideas with friends. Sometimes change is good.