[quote author=puddlepants link=topic=866.msg9861#msg9861 date=1199660075]
[quote author=Jacqui link=topic=866.msg9836#msg9836 date=1199576437]
Well - we originally asked the co-op, and the person on the phone was a bit unsure, then he arranged for a rep to come and visit.  The rep phoned and seemed very unethusiastic said he would have to find out more, as he had never dealt with CTFs, and then we never heard from him again!  So we decided to do it ourselves. 

I have had a few issues with the co-op locally anyway -  apart from their appalling customer service, I went in to the  food store one Friday afternoon to find a couple of staff members diligently filling up the chilled drinks cabinet with bottles of Buckfast tonic wine - (Scottish based users will know about this) - obviously all ready for the young weekend clientelle. It kind of negated their fair trade chocolate biscuit policy.  I complained to a member of the society, but it still happens.

The 2 co-ops are no longer the same business I believe.
annie

Yep thats correct- they aren't the same. I used to work in a local co-op store & it was one of the first things we were told on our staff training. We used to have a co-operative bank ATM  & people used to come in & complain it wasn't working & didn't 'get it' that it was nothing to do with us lol
But thats right they are 2 different companies.

Brenny xoxoxoxox

Hmm, am new here, but getting back to the original debate on buying from big business. Whenever have had this type of debate with people before, there seems to be a general perception that big business is bad and that small businesses are much better - ethically. Unfortunately in reality this is just not true.

I have sadly come to realise that many smaller, so called organic and fairtrade promoters are just as bad as the bad big business types, only the scale is different. Fairtrade logos are used by too many people who shouldn't be able to. There are "small niche independent" retailers blatantly doing illegal things, and deliberately trying to deceive the public about what they are actually selling (and I do mean local 'organic' store types too).

It is assumed that big business is 'greedy', but actually small business is equally so. The problem I guess comes down to people, and there are dodgy ones across the board. 

Hi Robyn, welcome to the forum
I agree with you that sometimes it can be too easy to label big business bad and small business good - one problem that I have with buying locally is that small businesses can't afford to stock premium items like fairtrade and organic and stock lots of cheap junk. Howver I'm not exactly sure what you're saying. There are rules about what can be labelled organic and fairtrade - are you saying that the Soil Association and the Fairtrade Foundation are dishonest or are you saying that businesses are by=passing the rules?

Hi Maysmum,

I'm basically saying that businesses both big and small by-pass the rules, at times knowingly. Lack of enforcement due to practicalities or resources is quite an issue, with the nature of the internet also not helping. And as with most sets of rules you get the grey areas around them, or the variations in standards and definitions among different bodies.