You can’t come in to our US stores today, says Patagonia, now go out and vote
A sustainable outdoor clothing retailer today shut the doors of its US outlets, telling customers to prioritise voting over shopping.
Patagonia, a company that has banged the drum of environmental causes since it started in 1973, said that it was imperative that Americans got down the polls to vote in the US Presidential election.
Voting was even more important, said Patagonia, given concerns of global climate change.
“During a time of catastrophic environmental crisis, when America needs strong leadership to confront the fundamental threat of climate change, voter turnout threatens to reach historic lows as people are turned off by the ugliness of politics,” said Patagonia chief exec Rose Marcario.
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The company pledges to donate the higher of one per cent of total sales or 10 per cent of profit towards environmental causes each year. Patagonia said that it has contributed over $78 million in grants and in-kind donations to date. Its ethos is to "build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis".
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Patagonia's clothing can be bought from 31 outlets and "environmental dealers" across the UK. Morning Wire understands that these stores were today open for business as usual.