I agree this is a real effect - to some degree. But the degree to which it causes them to reform is the level of bad press/taking shortcuts which optimizes prof

I agree this is a real effect - to some degree. But the degree to which it causes them to reform is the level of bad press/taking shortcuts which optimizes profit. Not abusing their workers in factories, well, that's a lot of workers and a lot of money; so far they've found it more profitable to try to buy good press. How long will that continue? I'm not sure, but probably a long time. I would caution people to not rely on that given that Amazon has been known to be pretty bad for quite a while with little reform. Rather than finding some optimum on Amazon's terms, if its employees are sufficiently organized they can force their own terms, although their ability to do that does depend to some degree on public perception of it.