Consumers boycott firms over poor goods
One in two Greek consumers boycott firms whose products have received bad press for being substandard, according to research findings released yesterday. A total of 53 percent of consumers polled by Tradelink Reputation Research & Consultancy over the summer claimed to snub all goods produced by a company if a particular item had been blacklisted. Spoiled foodstuffs and defective electrical appliances have a particular tendency to linger in consumers’ memories, with 41 percent claiming to remember at least one such case. Most of the consumers polled (84 percent) said they would not buy dubious products until the particular crisis had blown over; 59 percent would advise acquaintances to do the same, and 61 percent said retailers should withdraw suspect goods from shelves before the responsible manufacturer recalls them. Consumers also displayed a tendency toward snubbing firms for mass staff firings or financial scandals.
