France’s consumer watchdog has imposed an administrative fine of €224,950 ($261,828) on online fashion retailer Boohoo UK for failures to provide information on the environmental quality of its products.
The Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) said its National Investigation Service carried out an investigation last year into the websites Boohoo.com and boohooMan.com.
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It said the check was intended to verify compliance with obligations under the environmental code relating to information on the qualities and environmental characteristics of products that generate waste.
According to a translated version of the statement, the investigation found that information on the geographical indication of weaving, dyeing, printing and garment-making operations was missing for 1863 items offered for sale.
It also found that the “releases plastic microfibers into the environment during washing” label was absent for 773 textile products with a synthetic fibre content exceeding 50%.
The DGCCRF also said that a product sheet covering environmental qualities and characteristics had not been provided for 1863 products offered for sale.
The authority said these requirements apply to textiles that generate waste and are intended to provide consumers with clear and reliable information on the origin of production and the environmental impact of the products consumed.
The penalty follows another sanction issued to Boohoo in France last month, in which the DGCCRF imposed a €2.33m fine following an investigation into misleading commercial practices on the French version of its website.
That earlier investigation by the DGCCRF’s National Investigation Service reviewed prices, including sale prices, crossed-out prices and discount percentages, across several hundred products sold through Boohoo’s French site.
The investigation found that Boohoo UK, a subsidiary of the Boohoo group specialising in online ready-to-wear clothing, had misled consumers regarding the genuine nature of its price reductions.
