Should I boycott retailers with poor reputations?

There is some evidence to suggest that boycotts can help change company behaviour. However, there is a danger that boycotting may actually make the situation worse for workers. For example, if a factory or farm loses orders as a result of a consumer boycott, they may end up making people redundant. There are many countries where the state doesn't provide adequate welfare protection for the unemployed, so one person being laid off from work can mean a whole family is thrown into poverty. Often if you ask workers' representatives, they will ask that people carry on buying products from their countries, because first and foremost they want to keep their jobs.