In June 2023, the Resource Centre asked Boohoo Group to respond to allegations of punitive purchasing practices towards its Leicester suppliers, revealed by Labour Behind the Label. Labour Behind the Label provided a rejoinder to Boohoo's response, to which Boohoo provided further comment. An extract from Boohoo's response is included below, and full response attached.

It is wholly inaccurate to suggest that we have not been paying increased prices to suppliers over the last 18 months. Indeed, our Annual Report & Accounts includes a detailed write up of how we have been absorbing these costs to help protect prices for customers and many other businesses have made similar public statements. It is also worth noting that transport costs are not ‘irrelevant’ to UK suppliers, given the volume of fabric they source from international markets.

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We know that other retailers and British businesses more broadly have also been negotiating lower prices with their suppliers, in line with the broader economic challenge the UK faces around persistent inflation. These are challenges faced by every industry at the moment, not just retail. We want to continue to deliver best value for our customers and the best way to do so is to identify where costs have fallen and ask our suppliers to reflect that.