< 1 min read

New Patagonia initiative charges customers 25 cents for bag with purchase, with proceeds going to nebulous charity, and one columnist feels "fleeced".

"I was in Patagonia recently to buy a fleece neck warmer and the sales clerk asked if I’d like a bag, a reasonable question for an item I could easily stuff into my pocket. When I said yes he told me it would cost 25 cents, but that the money goes to an environmental charity – he couldn’t recall the name.A floor manager overheard and chimed in that the proceeds are sent to Waves for Water, a non-profit that helps people in impoverished areas gain access to clean drinking water. Of course, I support helping communities obtain safe drinking water and 25 cents hardly dents my wallet, especially after I’d just purchased a fabric accessory for $29. By attaching the contribution to a simple transaction, I added to the global good with nothing more than a nod. It probably helped Waves for Water that there were other people in line watching my response. And yet, I can’t help feeling I was double-fleeced by the exchange and that Patagonia had gotten the better of me. For starters, why make the request for a bag the basis of a charitable donation?" -- Allan Ripp, Forbes.com


Leave a Reply