Boohoo could end up being a force for good after its Leicester factories scandal

Boohoo likes to point out that it was already dealing with its Leicester supply chain before the Sunday Times exposed its shocking failures.

That’s as may be, but it clearly wasn’t proceeding fast enough.  

The gruesome sight of Britain’s poorest workers earning just £3.50 an hour shook the country and scarred the reputation of British business.

Executive chairman Mahmud Kamani should have quit to let outsiders clean up the mess. His large founder’s stake in the company meant that didn’t happen.  

But thanks to the guidance of a sensible newish CEO in John Lyttle, Boohoo is running a textbook reputation recovery plan.

It hired not one but two respected QCs to investigate its behaviour; one to review its mistakes and another to make sure it puts them right.

It’s easy to be cynical about corporate change programmes after scandals occur, but the changes Boohoo is making to its business seem meaningful.  

The company is now crawling with auditors checking its complex network of suppliers don’t break the rules. 

It has invested heavily in monitoring  and finding better ones as the business expands and made a main board director responsible for ethical sourcing.