Burberry destroys stock to stay trendy

 Burberry set fire to millions of pounds worth of clothes to prevent the less trendy from wearing its brand.

The British fashion company burnt the products, worth £28.6million, including £10.4million of beauty items, according to its annual report.

Destroying products has become a common practice across the luxury clothing and beauty industry, with retailers describing it as a measure to protect intellectual property and prevent illegal counterfeiting.

Burberry said it only destroyed items that carried its trademark and only worked with specialist companies who were able to recycle the energy used in the process. It said destroying cosmetic items was a one-off related to the licence that Burberry agreed with beauty company Coty last year.

A Burberry spokesman said: “On the occasions when disposal of products is necessary, we do so in a responsible manner.”

Burberry’s clothing is priced at the high end of fashion retail, with men’s polo shirts selling for as much as £250.