A positive approach to organized consumer action: The “buycott” as an alternative to the boycott

Purchase power: An examination of consumption as voting

“…This echoes Hertz's (2001, p.190) argument, that 'the most effective way to be political today is not to cast your vote at the ballot box but to do so at the supermarket'; as governments 'dithered' about GM foods and footballs sewn by child labour, supermarkets, faced with consumer concern, pulled these items off the shelves. Today, as governments are perceived to be failing in responding to the problems of a global economy, more recent examples of boycotting and buycotting (Friedman, 1996) illustrate the pressure exercised by consumer organisations or individual consumers directly on firms to modify their corporate behaviour. Arguably, the increased availability and convenience of ethical alternatives has had a major impact on the sales of such products in recent years (The Cooperative Bank, 2008), and the UK-based Ethical Consumer Magazine (2009) advocates such market-based voting: 'buying a gas guzzling 4X4, especially if you are a city dweller, is a vote for climate change'.…”

“…Further, given the dominance of market-based social relations, how effective are acts of consumer resistance and 'positive choice' (Friedman, 1996) that engage in this very market system? Power as a political and social force field Scanlon (2001) suggests an explanation, and argues that the currently witnessed citizen political discontent is due to the continuation of the 'consumerist model' adopted by the conservative governments of Thatcher and Regan, which in turn emphasised consumer citizenship.…”

Voluntary simplicity: an exploration of market interactions

“…Modified consumption behaviours still involve actual consumption, however, and these approaches may use modern technology to reduce material and energy use, for example, laundry balls to replace detergents, catalytic converts on cars, solar powered items and more energy efficient household goods. Buycotting (Friedman, 1996), that is, the deliberate patronage of positive consumer choices such as fair trade products, local stores and local produce, as well as recycling and refilling, is also employed.…”

“…Societal concerns are also to the fore. Many participants deliberately buycotted (Friedman, 1996) fair trade products, due to concerns about inequity and justice. Despite being in conflict with the principles of local production this was not considered an issue in this context, perhaps due to the inability to produce tea, coffee and sugar, the main purchase categories in this area, locally.…”

Enforcing Consumer Protection Laws

“…The enforcement capacity of NGOs is frequently more limited and may be more dependent on informal processes such as the promotion of boycotts of products they judge to be harmful (or of the producers who make them) or "buycotts" of products (or producers) perceived as particular worthy of support. 7 European Community legislation has sought to formalise the capacity of NGOs in enforcement of a number of consumer protection measures. In the UK distinct legislation empowers designated consumer bodies to make 'super complaints' concerning adverse effects of the operation of a market for the interests of consumers, both to the general competition authority and to certain sectoral regulators.…”