This increased consumer awareness may quickly destroy the reputation of any business perceived
to be behaving unethically. Such was the case recently in Bangladesh,84 where an accident killed
1,129 apparel factory workers and injured more than 2,500. This tragic event exposed the
deficiencies in the ethical practices of many clothing companies and created a consumer backlash
against brands that dealt with Bangladeshi suppliers.85 In consumers’ eyes, many of these brands
have already lost their value.86 After the accident, nine out of 10 Canadians said they would pay
more for products guaranteed to be ethically made without child labour, up by 21 points since
2012.87 Moreover, Canadians surveyed “said they would pay on average 23% more to guarantee
a purchase is child-labour free; this is double the amount they said a year ago.”88