Boxing Day Blues: The affects of Australia’s Boxing Day sales.

Hordes of people swarm shopping centers the day after Christmas, expecting to pick up bargains to satiate their consumerism thirst.

So, the Boxing Day sales have nearly finished and after witnessing cat fights over clothing items and lines for the toilets that snake around corners and down corridors, I think it’s fair to say that this boxing day sale was a doozy.

Many praise the Boxing Day sales, saying that it contributes to the overall economy of Australia, but the amount of wastage created by the Boxing Day sales (bags, paper, and plastic) makes it one of the most un-environmentally friendly days of the year.

This year billions of dollars have been spent by Australia alone, but at what real cost? Not so long ago Australia was shocked to learn that some of its top retailers were using factories in Bangladesh that employed underage workers that were overworked and underpaid. This shock came after the deaths of many employees. So if you shopped up a storm this Boxing Day, have you thought about where the products came from?

Its commonsense to know that majority of retailers, particularly fashion retailers, mark up their product by more than 1000%. For example, a pair of jeans that you pay $129 for in a high-end fashion retailer is purchased, shipped, and distributed for less than $15.

A simply math’s equation works out that the workers who that product are most likely getting less than a few dollars a week and are living in poverty, and yet Australia still loves to consume products that are over-priced and are made in factories that neglect human rights.

Taylor-Jayne Wilkshire

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