Baltic Press - Baltic Transport Journal

Since the early 1990s consumers have been increasingly concerned about purchasing products that conform to ethical production criteria. Brand and retailers have come under pressure from consumer right initiatives and campaigning groups, in collaboration with the media. At the beginning of this process B2C companies were targeted, especially such with a high brand reputation, which are distributing products from labour intensive industries (e.g. garment, shoes, toys, etc.). Over the years more sectors, such as IT hardware and the automotive sector, have become challenged by sustainability requirements.

How did B2C (business-to-consumers) companies react to these new challenges, especially when it came to ensuring ethical principles in their supply chains? Classical consumer-related marketing tools were applied to: satisfy consumers’ expectations and delegate the challenges and the risks down the supply chain.