After ‘modern slavery’ revelations in Leicester, is it Boohoo’s turn to cry?
- Boohoo investigates its supply chain after revelations suppliers in Leicester underpaid workers and failed to protect them from Covid-19
- The central England city is home to about 1,500 textile factories and 10,000 garment workers, many from South Asia
A Covid-19 outbreak in a central England city has thrust the spotlight on a popular online fast-fashion retailer whose clothes are made by UK suppliers in local factories allegedly rife with worker abuse.
“In recent days NCA officers have joined partners in attending a number of business premises in the Leicester area to assess some of the concerns that have been raised in respect of modern slavery,” the NCA said last week. “These visits are likely to continue.”
With names like Nasty Gal and PrettyLittleThing, Boohoo brands are based on the style of American celebrities like the Kardashian sisters, only at rock-bottom prices with immediate dispatch. The company promotes itself heavily on the hit reality TV show Love Island, where young people in skimpy swimwear attempt to match with potential partners. On the weekend, the site was selling red Lycra bodysuits for £4 (US$5) and clingy, black evening dresses for £10.
As the country stayed at home during the recent three-month lockdown, sales of Boohoo’s loungewear soared.
It has been alleged in various UK media and campaigner reports that the dilapidated factories around the city’s St Saviour’s Road district went into overdrive to meet the demand. But Covid-19 infections in the city spiked, prompting the government to put Leicester back into lockdown.