Is ditching Topshop really such a good idea?
With the scandal that has erupted over Sir Philip Green’s treatment of his employees, the notion that we, as the consumer, should avoid shopping in his retail brands has become a hot topic.
In her weekly ‘Ask Hadley’ column for the Guardian, Hadley Freeman expresses distrust with the Topshop/Topman franchise and calls for her readers to “hold off” shopping there. Due to Green’s incorrigible harassment against his employees, many young girls feel dismayed at the brand and so its reputation is being tarnished. Freeman certainly feels that way, although she saw Green’s wicked ways first hand when sent to interview him whilst working as a young reporter.
The consumer can collectively agree that what Green perpetrated was heinous. But we must not be shocked. The shamelessly seedy patriarchy is run riot with unctuous executives. What is more disconcerting is why it took so long for Green’s extremely inappropriate behaviours to be exposed. A year on from when the #MeToo sparked a genderquake, Green was left untouched until now. His use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to silence his victims were successful. His years of torrid manners were kept under wraps from world views. I’m sure Beyoncé, if aware of his ways, would have looked elsewhere to showcase her athletic wear line, Ivy Park.
Philip Green, the patriarchy and the subsequent #MeToo movement all highlight an unjust capitalist system. The problem is not with the workers on the front line though. The toxic dynamic comes from the top, but it results in a strain on the ones at the bottom.
If we all, like Freeman suggests, boycott this famous clothing brand, it’s not Green who will lose the most. Yes, he will lose money, but what about the many young girls he employs. When profits diminish and shares tumble, workers would be let off as there would be no use for them. They would be unemployed, scrambling for another job to make ends meet. The very people who have accused Green over the years of impropriety will suffer the consequences of his appalling actions. The sleazy Green would retire back to his enclave in Monaco and watch the chaos ensue from afar.
This topic reminds me of the boycotting of the Beverly Hills Hotel a few years prior. Hollywood royalty refused to give their millions to a hotel establishment that was owned by the Sultan of the Kingdom of Brunei. Famous faces in Ellen DeGeneres and Richard Branson led the resistance against the hotel once the Sultan adopted a sharia law in his homeland, making the persecution of homosexuals a lawful act. The so-called left-leaning Hollywood elite, by doing so, showed utter disregard of the exhausted hardworking employees working within the hotel. The chamber maids, the restaurant staff and cleaners were the ones who felt the backlash the hardest. The likes of Russell Crowe and Kim Kardashian revealed their disagreement with the boycott due to this issue. The Beverly Hills Hotel lost a total of $2million in profit during this controversy. Again, Brunei royalty didn’t suffer. The employees of the hotel, working tirelessly, did.
I do not stand with the many who are weighing up a boycott of Topshop. I myself will not stop shopping there in search of the latest deals. This is because is does not make sense. To avoid Topshop because of Philip Green would only directly impact the victims of his sexual and racial misconduct. Retail is not an easy job in itself. Working in that industry and losing money due to the boss unable to behave professionally is despicable.
To put your outrage to good use, punish the executives and not the brand. Look into the unfair NDAs system we have. Look at how Topshop can be transformed without Green. Encourage others to speak up, so a professional and independent body is put in place so victims are relieved when complaining about certain staff members.
Therefore, the answer is not to ditch, like many suggest. Instead, the answer is to change our noxious capitalistic ways that starts from the top.
