In the wake of the Bangladesh factory collapse, will you be more careful of the brands you buy?

Loblaw's Executive Chairman Galen Weston has vowed to keep producing Joe Fresh apparel in Bangladesh following the collapse of a clothing factory that killed more than 400 factory workers working on the Joe Fresh label.

Weston says the company "can do more good" by keeping its 47 Bangladesh facilities running with more stringent audits to ensure local building codes and suitable working conditions are maintained.

The vast majority of goods North Americans consume each year are produced in developing nations under inexpensive, often questionable working conditions. So we asked you: In the wake of Loblaw's connection to the Bangladesh factory collapse, will you be more careful of what brands you buy?

Here's what you said:

And here's what we said:

Thomas Bink: See, here’s the problem. I would LIKE to be an ethical shopper, but it’s pretty tough nowadays. I went through my wardrobe the other day and everything was from India, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Philippines … name a developing country and I’ve got a T-shirt that was manufactured there. And there’s a very good reason for that – because if one of those T-shirts was manufactured in Canada or the US, it would probably cost $30, instead of the $5 I paid for it. And do you think any company could stay in business if it charged $30 for an “ethically-produced” T-shirt? Not likely. So I’m all for supporting fair labour practices, but you’ve got to do a ton of homework before you shop for anything, which isn’t terribly practical.

Andy Radia: Same story here, Tom. I went through my labels yesterday while doing laundry and the vast majority of my clothes were made in developing countries as well. But I think this terrible event in Bangladesh should wake us all up to what's happening in these countries: Poor working conditions, child labour and dangerous factories. So yes, I will be a lot more careful with my shopping. I'm certain it will cost me a lot more and take more time, but I think it's the right thing to do. And I'd like to go a step further. I think it's also incumbent upon all of us to put pressure on our retailers and North American manufacturers to make sure they're auditing these factories. I'm all for boycotts, letter writing campaigns, political pressure or whatever. I think this is an important issue that we've ignored for too long.

[ Related: Bangladesh May Day crowds demand worker safety ]

Matthew Coutts: I do agree with where you guys are going with this, but I have to be a realist. I may hum and haw about ethical shopping and buying local, but I know me. I have had decades on this earth to become morally conscious about where my clothes come from, and it hasn’t stuck yet. Maybe this time it should, but really. I try to buy better-quality clothes, which may cost a bit more, but I have no concept of whether those manufacturers have better track records. Isn’t that funny? I sound like a smoker trying to rationalize my bad habit. Maybe we should force the clothing industry to be more open about their track records. Like forcing food to list its nutritional information, or warning labels on cigarette cartons. Maybe something like that would force people like me to take notice.

Bink: The lure of inexpensive goods is a powerful drug, my friends. Nikes are made in Vietnam, Levis are made in China and most of our iPhones were made in the Foxconn factory – all three companies that have been exposed for poor labour practices, yet there has been little to no impact on sales. Ethical options don’t fit in with companies focused on keeping costs low and profits high, and clearly most people willingly turn a blind eye when shopping for bargains or brands they want. Andy, your petition idea is nice in theory, but it’s completely impractical. Loblaw is talking about audits now that it got caught – but there are thousands of brands out there that follow the exact same practices, and they aren’t going to change.

[ Related: Loblaw profit rises, REIT IPO planned for July ]

Radia: You both make some good points. Tom – I didn't even think about where my iPhone comes from. But I think each of us has a choice to make: Do we look the other way because it's too hard, or do we try to be smarter consumers? I think I want to choose the latter. I'm sure I'll still end up with clothing or gadgets from developing countries but I choose to educate myself and do the right thing.

Coutts: I think we all agree that it would be great if the public took more notice and forced companies to be more ethical, but is that going to happen? Not likely. So what exactly do we do? It doesn’t happen overnight. But there are consumers who feel more strongly about this than I do, and they should lead the change. It isn’t impossible to buy Canadian-made or ethically-produced goods. The more people take that path, the lower the prices and the better the quality. From there, more will see it as a possible avenue. Eventually the industry will reach a tipping point, where it is beneficial to do things the right way. It is possible, but someone else is going to have to lead. I have a hard enough time just finding clothes that fit.

Bink: Right ... good luck finding those 38-inseam jeans in the “ethically-produced” bin there, Matt.

So what do you think? Will you seek out more "ethically-produced" brands to buy? Have your say in the comments area below.