Regulators punish 3 top fashion firms

PRADA’S Shanghai company in Jing’an District has been fined 5,940 yuan (US$840) and profit of the same amount confiscated for false advertising.

The company was promoting down jackets on its website between January and April costing 10,500 yuan and 10,800 yuan, according to the district’s market regulator.

However, the jackets were 100 percent nylon, with no feather or down content, a violation of China’s consumer rights protection law.

One jacket had been sold when the case was brought to light. Prada was also ordered to correct the information on its website, which it has now done, the regulator said.

In a separate case, the Shanghai company of Ralph Lauren was fined more than 55,000 yuan with illegal profit of 30,964 yuan confiscated by the Yangpu District regulator for selling substandard suits.

The suits, bought from the brand’s Hong Kong company at 1,211 yuan each, were selling for 4,500 yuan at the Bailian Youyicheng shopping mall in Yangpu, the regulator said.

Thirteen of the suits had been sold when they were found to have failed quality tests late last year.

The remaining suits were confiscated and the company ordered to put things right.

In another case in Yangpu, the Shanghai unit of Under Armour was fined 133,933 yuan and had the same amount of illegal profit confiscated for selling substandard down jackets.

The 134 down jackets for women were manufactured in Indonesia and cost 684 yuan each. They were selling for 1,999 yuan. A total of 123 had been sold when jackets from the company’s Xiangyin store were found failing quality tests. The remainder were confiscated and the company ordered to fix the problem.