The firms that have turned Covid-19 crisis into a chance to serve

Each week my column is filled with reports of companies misbehaving. Now protest is turning to plaudits

I’ve spent the last 22 years delving into the murkier corners of big business for my Your Problems column. It can be dispiriting work. The daily laments from customers have persuaded me that if corporate Britain has a conscience, it’s been smothered by terms and conditions that stack the odds in favour of traders. When companies have bestirred themselves to right a wrong, it’s because the prospect of a headline persuaded them.

The coronavirus crisis has exposed the essence behind the glossy PR. While some firms – such as Sports Direct and Wetherspoons – may appear to have been ruthless in attempts to safeguard their profits, big-name brands from fashion labels to distilleries have diverted stocks and skills to helping combat the pandemic. And while insurance companies have raced to rewrite their terms and conditions to avoid payouts, small traders, whose income has dried up, are finding inventive ways to support local communities.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Us4hQ4