IKEA

[cumbria sue]

I wonder if EMM checks when he is buying shoes. clothes etc to see where they come from. I bought a pair of clarkes shoes last week, guess where they were made..........Portugal

[EMM]

We now buy most of our shoes in Portuguese shops in selling shoes made in Portugal.
Clarkes has had a long trading relationship with Portugal, The owners of the discount shoe shops ( now closed ) Shoe world had a franchise to sell Clarks shoes. We often met the owners on flights from Bristol to Faro.

[EMM]

I have been fortunate to have spent some time in the far east and seen these so called sustainable rescorce schemes. Putting aside the endemic corruption with false certificates being attached to wood products manufactured in Indonesia etc the timber companies strip virtually every tree that grows, That some of the land is protected , natural parks belonging to native peoples it does not matter again due to local corruption and criminal involvement.
Wild life much of it rare and endagered species is displaced, killed for food etc. The local climate is changed and fragile soil structures washed away as there are no longer any trees to keep it in place.
Yes some will plant new trees but have you any idea how many decades it takes for a teak or mahogany tree to reach maturity.
We were once taken to a furniture factory in thailand selling products that carried the " sustainable timber label ".
It turned out that much of the wood was being illegally scourced from Burma where there are no controls.

[James Faro]

A few months back the BBC did a news segment on a married couple who wanted to only buy British goods. A fair and noble gesture! But they found it very difficult because that it is now the way of the world - mass imports from low cost manufacturing companies. Economics ALWAYS rules.

At least in the EU, any imports into its territory from the member states or from outside must comply with the "CE" stamp of approval for health and safety regulations. Otherwise we'd have dangerous electrical appliances and in the case of shoes, nails sticking up or providing no protection.

[Bruce Wallis]

Have you been eating too many convenience meals containing drug contaminated horse meat products.

Is that really the best cutting put down ripost you can come up with??

Pretty pathetic old boy!

If you wish to insult me, or rubbish my opinions, at least attempt to come up with something scathing and vaguely witty.

In the meantime.....I welcome IKEA to the Algarve, and I do honestly believe that they will shake up several Portuguese furniture, crockery and fabrics retailers out of their complacency!...(Other than Gatao, who are good!)

[Aldo]

What and where is Gatao??

[ditzy]

It's also being built in an area that until very recently (funny that) was classified as a National Ecological Reserve

[keela]

EMM had a good "go" at Iceland and those who did and probably would shop there as it opened. Here he is again having a dig at IKEA and those who have shopped there in the Uk and those who would shop there when it opens in the Algarve. I presume from the self-righteous comments that he only buys furniture made in Portugal and only food produced here. Stop being so sanctimonious, get off your soap-box and let us shop where we want and buy which furniture we want without having the angel of doom sitting near us.

[James Faro]

Two blokes in a pub have a discussion about politics. It gets heated; the tables are thumped, vicious insults are made, they each thump each other, the pub then becomes a battle ground, glasses are smashed, windows are broken, furniture is destroyed, there is blood on the the floor, severe wounds are inflicted! Everybody is kicked out.

Guess what? The political parties they were discussing haven't changed and they never heard about the incident. All that energy and anger for nothing! A waste of time. It does not change a thing!

Whether you despise Ikea or would offer your life to save their reputation doesn't matter - they are coming to the Algarve!

I think the comments directed here at EMM are cruel. He stated two things. Firstly the founder of IKEA was a right-wing fascist. The evidence is that he was as opposed to he still is. I say 'was' because he apologised. Whether that was sincere or because it was a threat to IKEA's business interests is open to conjecture. Mr Kamprad said he was sorry it was a "folly of youth" in what what he did. We all make we mistakes in our youth(we all have the right to go wrong) but if his mistakes came to fruition he wouldn't be sorry but the Swedish people would!

EMM also stated that IKEA was instrumental in the destruction of the rain-forests. The evidence is that they were. Now they are participating in campaigns to presere certain rainforests. Whether this is because the issue is deeply political and thus good for business interests can be debated.

Maybe EMM should have written that Kamprad he was a fascist and that IKEA was destroying rain-forests. What he wrote was true.

I think we all remember EMM thoughts on Iceland but it was also a discussion on packaged processed foods. In the last few weeks stories about horse meat and goodness what other rubbish is in these foods has horrified people. That demonstrates a degree of foresight. There is good outcome of this horse meat scandal.People are becoming very weary of what they eat and butchers are doing much more business. At least you know what you are eating! Some people would prefer to drink rum rather than eating Red Rum! There is an obesity time-bomb in the UK and these processed foods are contributing to it. Unfortunately families on low income can only afford these meals. Its a lose-lose situation.

Anyway I am sure Kamprad no longer participates in the business as it is managed by probably young people in a modern young Europe. Out of bad comes good.

[widge]

Out of bad comes good.

Not always.................Gordon Brown, John Prescott, Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson, Ed Balls to name but 5 exceptions.

[EMM]

Some will call it progess but sadly Portugal is going the way of the UK and Ikea with their blue aircraft hangers are a symbol of this. In Portugal we can look forward to empty town centres and in town shopping centers as consumers desert them for the out of town sheds like Ikea.

it s not a prospect I look forward to but its sadly inevitable.

The only glimmer of hope is that Ikea's accountants will delay the build until the economy revives otherwise very Euro spent in Ikea is one less for those existing shops who struggle on day to day to survive.

[James Faro]

Out of bad comes good.

Not always.................Gordon Brown, John Prescott, Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson, Ed Balls to name but 5 exceptions.

Mr Widge, do you ever NOT talk politics?

As for EMMs comments - IKEA sheds do look like aircraft hangars which is why driving past the Wembley Branch is like a having a deja vu moment at Stansted or Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath

[widge]

Mr Faro,

I have been known to post non political topics. Thank you for taking the time to read my political rants - I find them to be therapeutic.

[Bruce Wallis]

The problem with you people that jump to damn and attack anything that doesn't fit into your comfortable, established and probably middle class view of things, is that you become predictable. Instead of listening to your possibly valid views, people just groan, and say,"Oh God! Here he goes again!!"

Many people, especially the younger, less wealthy, starting out in building their own homes, will look forward to IKEA, and the northern European style they might aspire to, brings.
The jobs that this new development brings, will be welcome in the local economy.

We are guests in this country.
It is arrogant for us to assume that we know what is best for Portugal, and the Portuguese people.

[James Faro]

Mr Faro,

I have been known to post non political topics. Thank you for taking the time to read my political rants - I find them to be therapeutic.

Yes, comedy has that effect Mr Widge!