Decathlon and H&M were not clear to their customers about the sustainability claims they used to promote their products. The retail chains have promised to adjust their policy, and thus have not been fined by the ACM regulator.
Last year, ACM launched an investigation into sustainable claims in the apparel sector. Additional attention was paid to the clothing chain H&M and the sports series Decathlon. According to the regulator, the stores used terms such as “conscious” and “eco-design”, while they did not explain what this actually meant.
When companies with sustainable claims promote their products, customers should be able to see what they stand for. They must also be able to verify whether claims are justified. According to the ACM, Decathlon and H&M failed to do so and this is a matter of deception.
Companies are not fined. However, they promised to be clear about sustainable labels from now on. They also donate money to a number of sustainable causes: Decathlon gives €400,000 and H&M gives €500,000. In the coming years, ACM will monitor whether both concerns are actually improving their policies.
The regulator says it is also studying other sectors.
