They cite costs, politics and questionable effectiveness. Gap executives echo those worries when they assess the experience at Charter. Consumers make decisions on lots of factors, including price. There is no clear benefit in having invested in independent monitoring to a consumer and it is not clear if we were to make it more broad policy that consumers would get a benefit or care at all. As she shopped at the Gap flagship store at Herald Square in Manhattan, Claire Cosslett fingered an aqua cotton T-shirt made in El Salvador to check for quality.
American companies dread comments like that.
Yet for all their fears, they ultimately have to balance their concern over image, and any feelings they have about third-world workers, with customers' attitudes. Then there are the competitive pressures to keep costs low. Among several shoppers who were interviewed at the Manhattan store, Ms. Cosslett was the only one to say that reports of sweatshop conditions had stopped her from buying a particular brand. She said she would be willing to pay more for a garment made under better working conditions. But then she paused and hedged.