Threat of Wetherspoons Boycott Is Justified but Ultimately Pointless
Wetherspoons might have annoyed a lot of people at the start of the pandemic, but a boycott probably isn’t going to affect them when they try to reopen.
Despite protests, people will still likely flock to Wetherspoons. | Source: Tupungato / Shutterstock.com
- Wetherspoons is planning on re-opening again at some point in June.
- Many are calling for a boycott of the company after the owner’s actions at the start of the pandemic.
- As justified as this boycott may be, it probably won’t work all that well.
Once again, bad businesses are back in the internet’s scopes. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic Wetherspoons owner, Tim Martin did not endear himself to people. He failed to pay his workers properly and threatened to stay open when he shouldn’t have.
As it turns out, people have remembered that. Now it’s looking like Wetherspoons might be opening again in a month or two. As you might expect, outraged people are threatening to boycott the business.
While a boycott is certainly justified in this case, it probably won’t do anything.
Wetherspoons Is Unlikely to Be Seriously Affected by a Boycott
Boycotts often prove to be ineffectual. In some cases, people aren’t willing to turn words into action. Other times it’s merely a case that the people calling for a boycott aren’t the target’s regular customers anyway.
In the case of Wetherspoons, it’s probably a little bit of both. As much as the company might be deserving of a boycott, most of their hardcore customers are still very much on their side.
In all honestly, the boycott might have the opposite effect. People who like Wetherspoons will see the suggested boycott as a call to arms. They’ll go in to support Tim Martin because they agree with his viewpoints.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VQ4WvZa7WA
That Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Try
Just because this boycott probably won’t work doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. If you find what the company and their owner have done morally objectionable, then you should avoid spending your money there.
Even if it doesn’t hurt Wetherspoons that much you should stand by your principals. The only effect might be that you feel better about where your money is going. But that’s still a victory.
For now, it seems likely that as soon as pubs re-open, Wetherspoons is going to be as packed as everywhere else. Their cheap prices and half-way decent food are a bigger draw than their terrible, staff-unfriendly behavior is a deterrent.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.