Month: September 2012

Have you ever made numerous trips to specialty stores just to buy green products? If so, you may want to check out the Terra20 store, which stock everything from environmentally friendly cleaning products and kitchen supplies to clothing, makeup, and even light fixtures!

According to the article, two entrepreneurs have planned to create a national retail chain, starting an eco-friendly store in west-end Ottawa. Terra20 aims to make it easier for people to find ecologically sensitive products, by stocking in more than 12,000 products from 400 brands in store. Terra20 even has eco-friendly cleaning supplies, and the products will be dispensed into containers that shoppers bring themselves, further cutting back on packing and waste.  Even though the whole concept is a ‘huge risk’, being the first eco-friendly department store will make them positioning as a leader in the market, and that they will not have any competitions yet. Terra20 aims to create a comfortable shopping experience for consumers as they sell a variety of products ranging from food and clothing to makeup, they also provides natural organic food and goods that promote personal health. According to a research, it shows that between 13 and 19% of all Americans are already consumers of green products. Even though the target market for the store is not a huge number yet, I believe that the number will grow overtime as green products are getting more popular nowadays. The name of the store Terra20 is also unique as it contains the meaning of the year 20-something will be a year we get it right, which I believe will get people excited about the store.

Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Startup+stop+store/7192706/story.html

Having good business ethics is beneficial to the company as it gives a good reputation, however, some major brands may not view business ethics as their top priority when it comes to making money.

According to the article “Apple and the Ethical Problems of Child Labour and Other Unsavory Practices”, two business ethical issues are raised regarding Apple and its suppliers. A report reveals that 11 minors were found in the factories that manufacture their products, and not only were these workers receiving less than the minimum wage, but were also on the job for longer than the maximum 60 hour work week. The other ethical issue in the article is the illegal use of chemical, n-hexane in Wintek Suzhou, a major supplier of components for Apple’s products. Apple had caused 49 workers into n-hexane poisoning, as the company illegally used hexane in place for alcohol for the workers to clean the mobile phone screens.

The business ethical issues in the article have definitely shock people as they discover the human cost that has been put in making an Apple product. Some ethical issues of a company may lead to a decrease in sales. However, with Apple, a major brand in the world, it seems like their constant new waves of products have drift away the public’s attention toward the actual costs of their innovative products.

Sources:
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/blogs/enderle/apple-and-the-ethicalbusiness-problems-of-child-labor-and-other-unsavory-practices/?cs=39724
http://gizmodo.com/5481832/child-workers-discovered-in-apple-factories
http://www.chinatechnews.com/2010/02/22/11610-n-hexane-poisoning-scare-at-apple-supplier-in-china

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