CASE STUDY WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE BEAUTY SHOP? A CRITICISM OF UNSUSTAINABLE CONSUMERISM The Beauty Shop has successfully manufactured the image of a caring organisation that is helping to protect the environment and indigenous peoples and prevent the suffering of animals whilst selling natural products. But behind the cuddly image lies the reality The Beauty Shops operations, like those of all multinationals, have a detrimental effect on the environment and the worlds poor. They do not help the plight of animals or indigenous peoples (and may be having a harmful effect), and their products are far from what they are cracked up to be. The Beauty Shop has put itself on a pedestal in order to exploit peoples idealism. Organisations like The Beauty Shop continually hype their products through advertising and marketing, often creating a demand for something where a real need for it does not exist. The message pushed is that the route to happiness is through buying more and more of their products. The increasing domination of multinationals and their standardised products is leading to global cultural conformity. The worlds problems will only be tackled by curbing such consumerism one of the fundamental causes of world poverty, environmental destruction and social alienation. Fuelling consumption at the earths expense The Beauty Shop has over 1 500 stores in 47 countries, and aggressive expansion plans. Their main purpose (like all multinationals) is making lots of money for their rich shareholders. In other words, they are driven by power and greed. But The Beauty Shop tries to conceal this reality by continually pushing the message that by shopping at their stores, rather than elsewhere, people will help solve some of the worlds problems. The truth is that nobody can make the world a better place by shopping. Twenty per cent of the worlds population consumes 80% of its resources. A high standard of living for some people means gross social inequalities and poverty around the world. Also, the mass production, packaging and transportation of huge quantities of goods is using up the worlds resources faster than they can be renewed and filling the land, sea and air with dangerous pollution and waste. Those who advocate an ever-increasing level of consumption, and equate such consumption with personal wellbeing, economic progress and social fulfilment, are creating a recipe for ecological disaster.

Rejecting consumerism does not mean also rejecting our basic needs, our stylishness, our real choices or our quality of life. It is about creating a just, stable and sustainable world, where resources are under the control of local communities and are distributed equally and sparingly it is about improving everyones quality of life. Consuming even more things is an unsatisfying and harmful way to try to be happy and fulfilled. Happiness is not related to what we buy, but to who we are and how we relate to each other. LETS CONSUME LESS AND LIVE MORE!

Misleading the public Natural products? The Beauty Shop gives the impression that its products are made from mostly natural ingredients. In fact, like all big cosmetic organisations it makes wide use of non-renewable petrochemicals, synthetic colours, fragrances and preservatives, and in many of its products it uses only tiny amounts of botanical-based ingredients. Some experts have warned about the potential adverse effects on the skin of some of the synthetic ingredients. The Beauty Shop also regularly irradiates certain products to try to kill microbes radiation is generated from dangerous non-renewable uranium which cannot be disposed of safely. Helping animals? Although The Beauty Shop maintains that it is against animal testing, it does not always make clear that many of the ingredients in its products have been tested on animals by other organisations, causing much pain and suffering to those animals. It accepts ingredients tested on animals before 1991, or those tested since then (if they were animal-tested for some purpose other than for cosmetics). There continue to be concerns about the enforcement of its policy. Also, some Beauty Shop items contain animal products such as gelatine (crushed bone). Caring for our bodies? The cosmetics industry, which includes The Beauty Shop, tries to make women and increasingly men feel inadequate and insecure about their bodies, and pushes the message that people need beautifying. Women especially are often put under pressure to conform to the impossible physical ideals set by money-oriented industries and the media. Let us appreciate everyones natural beauty and dignity. Low pay and against unions The Beauty Shop pays its store workers low wages at or near the expected minimum wage and well below the official European decency threshold for pay. The organisation is opposed to trade unions, ensuring that it keeps labour costs down and that employees are not able to organise to improve their working conditions. None of its workers are unionised so employees are forced to channel their grievances and demands through procedures completely controlled by the organisation. This isolates workers and denies them collective bargaining power. Exploiting indigenous people The Beauty Shop claims to be helping some third-world workers and indigenous peoples through so-called Trade Not Aid or Community Trade projects. In fact, these are largely a marketing ploy as less than 1% of sales go to Community Trade producers, and it has been shown that some of these products have been sourced from mainstream commercial markets. One such project, which has been the centrepiece of the organisations marketing strategy for years, is with the Kayapo Indians in Brazil. The Beauty Shop has claimed that by harvesting Brazil nut oil (used in hair conditioner), the Indians are able to make sustainable use of the forest thereby preventing its destruction by mining and logging organisations. But only a small number of the Kayapo are involved, creating resentment and internal divisions within the community. As The Beauty Shop is the sole buyer of the oil, it can set any price it likes. The project does nothing to safeguard the Indians future interests. Furthermore, the organisation has used them extensively for PR purposes for which they have not been compensated. Such projects take attention away from the need to oppose the threats to the survival of indigenous peoples. Rather than encouraging them to be tied into the market economy controlled by foreign organisations, people should be supporting their freedom to control their own land and resources and therefore their future. One recent Beauty Shop advertisement praised its commitment to indigenous peoples and the American Express card (the ultimate symbol of consumerism). At the time American Express was a major backer of a massive hydroelectric scheme due to flood vast areas of Cree Indian land in Quebec against Cree opposition. Censorship As The Beauty Shop relies so heavily on its caring image, it has threatened or brought legal action against some of those who have criticised it, trying to stifle legitimate public discussion. It is vital to stand up to intimidation and to defend free speech.

What can you do? Together we can fight back against the institutions and the people in power who dominate our lives and our planet. Workers can and do organise to fight for their rights and dignity. People are increasingly aware of the need to think seriously about the products we use, and to consume less. People in poor countries are organising themselves to stand up to multinationals and banks which dominate the worlds economy. Environmental and animal rights protests and campaigns are growing everywhere. Why not join in the struggle for a better world? London Greenpeace calls on people to create an anarchist society a society without oppression, exploitation and hierarchy, based on strong and free communities, the sharing of precious resources and respect for all life. Talk to friends and family, neighbours and workmates about these issues.

Write a report about Corporate Social Responsibility as it pertains to The Beauty Shop. Your report must cover the following: 1.1 Identify and discuss the key ethical issues in this case study. (10) 1.2 Make recommendations on how The Beauty Shop could be more stakeholder-focused than shareholder-focused. Your discussion must contain examples from the case study. (15)