Consumer boycotts warn of trouble ahead for Western firms in China
Previous spats have blown over, but the split over Xinjiang is both more intractable and more expansive
BOYCOTTS OF FOREIGN brands are so common in China that managers have a ready-made playbook when caught in a storm of nationalist outrage. Start with an apology. Then stay mostly quiet, perhaps expressing respect for Chinese culture. Wait for the anger to subside. Over the past week the list of companies consulting the manual has grown. Chinese consumers, egged on by the ruling Communist Party, vowed to shun some of the world’s biggest clothing companies, from Adidas to Zara.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Swept up in a storm”
From the March 31st 2021 edition
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