We are closing in on the biggest consumer bonanza of the year in the United States.  I continue to be amazed at the resiliance of the American consumer, but I wonder how long it can really last. How long can we continue to ignore the patently obvious – the fact that fast and cheap is not in alignment with core humanitarian values.  While we delight in the great bargain, behind the curtain is a supply chain that is full of challenges.

Our hyper connected world is starting to provide a window in to the realities of cheap labor around the world. Companies should start now to examine the full cost of moving operations into undeveloped markets, including the ethical and human costs. As we’ve seen with Apple and others, transparency is coming, and the sooner corporations get ahead of it the better.