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CCMI in the News
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Retailers Fall Foul of Cashmere Laws
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The following article is from the April 14, 2001 issue of "Drapers Record", a journal published in the United Kingdom:
Retailers Fall Foul Of Cashmere Laws
By Louise Foster
Cashmere
labelling regulations are being breached by 9 out of 14 high street retailers,
according to the Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute (CCMI).
The
retailers, which included mail order companies, were selling mislabelled
sweaters. One sweater labelled as 100 per cent cashmere was made of sheep’s
wool.
Under the Trade Description Act and Textile Products Regulations,
sales of mislabelled goods are a criminal offence, even if the retailer is
not aware of the mislabelling.
Regulations extend to external swing
tags and promotional material. When the word cashmere is used, it must be
for a 100% cashmere product, not a blend.
Karl Spilhaus, president
of CCMI, said: “The misinformation could originate anywhere down the supply
chain. Nevertheless, the retailer retains the responsibility for accurate
labelling.” Spilhaus said that the availability of wrongly labelled cashmere
was damaging the business of pure cashmere manufacturers.
He explained: “The retail buyer is driven by price so they don’t ask enough questions or get testing done.”
Keiron
Birch, head of design at Lawson Cashmere, which supplies Mulberry and The
Cashmere Company, agreed: “Stores want to have cashmere to entice customers,
but they have to reduce their margins to sell it at a commercial price.
Therefore there is pressure on the suppliers to produce it cheaply.”
Copyright Drapers Record, 2001
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