Ever decided against making a complaint on the grounds that it wouldn't make any difference? Well, think again - even one complaint can have an impact.
Polly Morgan was shopping in a London branch of French fashion retailer Kookai and noticed "Made in Myanmar" labels on clothes. She wrote to Kookai to protest its sourcing of clothes from Burma - and received a reply from Kookai's London buyer: "I agree with you that it is not ethical for us to produce our goods from Burma, I have stressed to Paris your concern and they have promised to eliminate the production in Burma for autumn/winter 2003."
Kookai confirmed its decision: "We took the issue up with our 'mother' company in Paris. They in turn have considered the situation and have terminated the production from Burma."
Extraordinary. "This must be one of the most dramatic examples of consumer power I have heard of," says Mark Farmaner of the Burma Campaign UK, which is calling for an economic boycott of Burma's brutal military regime.
"Kookai deserve credit for responding so quickly and for taking a principled stand against the regime in Burma." And hats off to Polly Morgan for complaining in the first place.