THE CONSUMER MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 'WHICH?' IN 1957. BY 1977 THE CONSUMERS' ASSOCIATION HAD ABOUT 650,000 MEMBERS AND 'WHICH?' WAS READ BY SEVERAL MILLIONS MORE. ORIGINALLY THE MAGAZINE'S MAIN PURPOSE WAS TO PUBLISH TEST RESULTS ON A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS. IN THIS RESPECT IT COMPETED WITH A GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED PUBLICATION CALLED 'SHOPPER'S GUIDE.' 'WHICH?' WAS PERCEIVED AS MORE INDEPENDENT, ITS CIRCULATION SHOT AHEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATION, AND BY THE 1960'S ITS REPORTS STRONGLY INFLUENCED MANY PURCHASING DECISIONS. ITS STRENGTH WAS THAT ITS TESTING SOMETIMES UNCOVERED FAULTS OF DESIGN, QUALITY, AND SAFETY WHICH WERE BROUGHT TO MANUFACTURERES' ATTENTION. ITS WEAKNESS WAS THAT THE REPORTS QUICKLY BECAME OUTDATED AS NEW MODELS WERE INTRODUCED AND NOT ALL MODELS OF A GIVEN ITEM COULD BE THOROUGHLY TESTED. THE 'BEST BUY' FEATURE WAS CHANGED TO A 'GOOD VALUE' RATING BECAUSE MANY CONSUMERS FAILED TO READ THE REPORT AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE RECOMMENDATION'S LIMITATIONS. BETWEEN 1967 AND 1977 'WHICH?' SUPPORTED A NUMBER OF CONSUMER LAWS. IT ALSO STARTED AN ANNUAL COMPARISON OF GROCERY PRICES, RAN A SERIES OF ARTICLES COMPARING THE COSTS OF VARIOUS RETAILING SERVICES, AND PUBLISHED A SERIES OF CONSUMER RIGHTS BOOKLETS. THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS PUBLICATION ARE CALLED AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BRITISH CONSUMER MOVEMENT. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)