Local-Washing?
Sep 24, 2009
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You've probably heard of the term "greenwashing": slapping labels such as organic, natural, sustainable, free range, etc., which leads us to think this product is good for us. It's easy to fall into the trap, and well, as consumer trends change, businesses try to adapt. But now it appears your favorite companies are going to convince us that entering their stores, eating at their restaurants, or buying their products are helping you to sustain your local economy. I suppose this would be . . . "local-washing"?Starbucks is one of the instigators of this trend. Once the darling of Wall Street, SBUX has fallen on tough times. It's too bad in a sense. I don't like their coffee (it tastes burnt to me), but they provide health insurance to employees, the shops are clean, and well, I'd rather see people OD on caffeine instead of Big Macs. Well, they've taken a hit, thanks to competitors such as McDonald's (full disclosure: I like McD's coffee and admit to drinking it!), and changing consumer habits. Suze Orman, I'm sure, had much to do with this--she railed against spending $3 twice a day on lattes in order to boost your savings account. Now Starbucks is closing hundreds of stores.
So what is Starbucks up to? They are opening high end cafes that purport to be "local." Replacing stores slated for closing, these cafes are taking on names that sounds local, and are selling beers, high quality coffee and teas, and pricey baked goods. Not a bad idea. But man, it is so easy to get suckered. I remember the one time I went to Minneapolis for business, I had time to kill, so I went to a steakhouse/brewing company that appeared to be locally owned. The meal was fine . . . and a few weeks later, I was in my old stomping grounds, Silicon Valley, and I passed by the same exact restaurant. Oops!
I admit I struggle with the term, "local." I've always thought buying local should trump "organic." I'll buy conventional peaches grown in California over "organic" ones processed in Chile. And as far as coffee shops go, Starbucks has increased, not diminished, the number of coffee shops worldwide. Plus, I can't tell you how many times I've entered a local coffee store, ordered a coffee, and then handed a cup, with the instructions to fill up my own cup with something in a thermos that tastes as if it's been there for days. Yuck!
So what is local? Am I slammed by the greenies if I go to Target? After all, the Target in West Hollywood, for example, is a great example of sustainable development: underground parking, in an urban (as urban as LA can get) area, and they sell my favorite Method products. Last night, when I went to Santa Monica for a meeting, I went to a "local" green products store, where I was completely ignored. Heck, if no one is going to smile or help me, I'll just go to Target. And by the way, Starbucks and Target are based in states that share my politics for the most part: so should I be upset if money is going to Seattle or Minneapolis? In my view, if I support nearby restaurants and shops, farmers markets, and local contractors, that's a good start. The reality is that not everything we need is produced locally. It's not PC to broadcast this, but international trade is the lifeblood of our economy, and I will not feel guilty about buying Korean products in Koreatown, Japanese products in Little Tokyo, and Dutch candy at the European deli in Santa Monica (that deli was much better than the event I attended, by the way!).
What I don't like is when there's a well-thought of plan to dupe consumers thinking they are buying locally when the reality is, it's the same shop, just different fixtures and the same management structure. And that's where Starbucks crosses the line. And in the end, we need to read that small print to see exactly what and from whom we're buying . . .
