Boycotters put money where morals are

Richelle Gott. Photo / Janna Dixon

When Richelle Gott needed bread last Sunday, she surprised her husband by driving past their local BP station. She told him, "I can't, I'm boycotting".

The owner of Ponsonby hair salon Kokomo said the Gulf of Mexico oil spill put an end to her shopping at BP.

She prefers the service at Shell anyway, where attendants fill up her car.

But she also feels it's important to take a stand.

"It's just so huge what's happened over there. I don't really feel like giving them my money. They don't seem to have handled the whole situation very well."

She said Shell's Kiwi ownership was also a factor for her. "I do try to support New Zealand companies."

Jonathan Dodd, research director at market research company Synovate, had also stopped frequenting BP's Wild Bean cafe, but said most people boycotting the chain "are not typical".

"There would be a difference, but I'm just a little dubious as to how much."

However, he's not convinced Shell can put any gains down to its new ownership. "To get changes of several per cent just on something that was briefly in the business pages I think is drawing a long bow."