Consumers with a Conscience: Will They Pay More by Kimeldorf - Essay Example

Being a consumer with conscience, avoiding products that came from sweatshops, and paying premium prices for those that did not is only hypothetical but not quite a reality.

With this said, should consumers choose to be practical buyers, buying within their means, or should they start being conscientious buyers, not promoting products or brands that come from sweatshops by paying at a higher price? In my own opinion, it is just common knowledge and behavior to abhor companies that are involved in inhuman working conditions for their employees just to be able to cut costs and be able to sell their products at a lower price to their customers. However, I strongly believe that being a “consumer with conscience” is very impractical especially when prices of goods that did not come from sweatshops are incrementally high. Also, conscientious buying would not stop these companies who are involved in sweatshop activities to stop their business. The least they would probably do if they do not reach a certain sale would be to sell a different product. Also, I don’t think the solution to put a stop to the proliferation of sweat goods is in promoting the campaign for conscientious buying, instead, should be more on the promotion of corporate social responsibility for these companies. I say so because consumers are not going to stop buying goods just because they come from sweatshops especially when it is a need needed to be satisfied. However, companies who are taught how to be “responsible” in doing business indeed can do a lot of great things to a company’s image and profitability, and being able to send this message across to them can stop many consumers from just saying what they say they will do in surveys, to pay a higher price for sweat-free goods.

Relating the concept or idea I got from this reading to my own life, I would say that I can liken this to my diet. There are a lot of videos and research about the importance of eating healthy, with emphasis on how unhealthy processed food and fast food are. However, it did not stop me from eating fast food not only because I love the taste of it but more importantly because I could not afford to eat healthy food, priced twice as high as fast food. Aside from that, I could also liken it to getting into an active and healthy lifestyle such as regularly being able to exercise. As much as I want to get in shape and be physically healthy, it can sometimes be hard to achieve because sessions at the gym or boxing which is what I am interested in takes up a big chunk of my daily wage. Indeed, as a consumer, I strongly believe that practicality is the strongest influencing factor on people’s purchase behavior.