Electronic retailer entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan has launched TradeLeaks.com, a whistleblowing website that will make retail and trade open and transparent.
It encourages consumers to anonymously leak information about dodgy business practices of retail and trade by publicly posting information and evidence directly on to the site.
Speaking to Retailbiz, co-founder of TradeLeaks, Kogan said just like what WikiLeaks had done for politics; TradeLeaks will do the same for retailers.
“We were inspired by the WikiLeaks concept. It made us thing about decisions we make on a daily basis. We get to interact with governments once every three or four years, but we make decisions about how to spend our hard-earned money every single day. TradeLeaks means people around the world will be more informed when making these decisions,” he said.
According to Kogan, TradeLeaks will help empower consumers as the website will not be moderated unless they are defamatory without fact.
“Consumers are getting smarter and smarter everyday, we don't want to treat them like fools. We trust that people can analyse evidence and make their own informed decisions.”
At the same time, Kogan said the website will help improve the global retail environment.
“It will mean that the most honest retailers that offer their consumers the best value are able to shine through with greater ease than before,” He said.
“The only retailers and traders that need to worry about TradeLeaks are the dishonest ones. They shouldn't be around anyway.”