The British clothing company Boohoo is once again being criticized. The company is now reportedly putting ‘Made in the UK’ labels on garments, but they were actually made in South Asia.
The allegations are based on the results of a covert research the British television channel BBC Panorama, which uncovered possible grievances in the fast fashion giant’s supply chain and operations last November.
According to recent BBC findings, original labels were removed from T-shirts and hoodies at the main factory, based in Leicester, UK, last year and replaced with labels claiming to be manufactured in the UK. It is estimated that one in 250 parts – 0.4 percent of products – produced between January and October 2023 are affected by the erroneous change.
Mislabeling due to ‘human error’
Although Boohoo claimed in a statement to the media that the incorrect labeling was an isolated incident, the BBC suspects it could involve “hundreds of thousands of mislabeled garments”. A representative for the company told the BBC that the error was due to “human error” and they had taken steps to ensure it did not happen again.
The accusation came just days after reports emerged that the company was considering closing its Leicester factory, which was reported by the BBC last year over alleged unfair labor practices and Supply chain discrepancies had been examined.
The site, which opened in January 2022, was initially marketed as the group’s ‘model farm’ – an attempt to increase its commitment to the local community and wider UK industry, after a series of investigations into working firms led to claims of poor conditions.
However, Boohoo is now said to be preparing to close its operations in order to increase the company’s efficiency. The retail group’s representative confirmed the speculation in a statement, saying it was in a phase of consultation.
This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.uk. Translated and edited by Heide Halama.