An analysis of product recall data by consumer advocate CHOICE has found Big W has had to recall 23 children’s products since 2015, more than double the recall rate of their competitor Kmart (9 recalls).
Photo: Strollers being tested in the CHOICE labs
Target wasn’t far behind Big W, having recalled 17 children’s products.
Read the full investigation at CHOICE.com.au/ChildRecalls
“These products could be ticking time bombs in your home,” says CHOICE Editor Marg Rafferty.
“Product recalls from stores like Big W and Target are still just a band-aid solution to the core problem – it’s too easy to sell unsafe products in Australia. Generally, department stores and their manufacturers aren’t required by law to make sure their products are safe before sale and that’s disgraceful,” says Rafferty.
Embeddable infographic available at: https://infogram.com/kids-and-
Purveyor of quirky knick knacks Daiso also made an appearance high on the list with 11 recalls, concerningly all for toys, presenting a range of choking and injury risks.
A 2019 CHOICE survey found 93% of Australians incorrectly believe proactive product safety laws already exist.
“The product recall system in Australia is a perfect storm, especially when it comes to children’s products. We have very few mandatory safety standards in place. Most items in a store only have to be recalled if they’re later found to be unsafe rather than proactively checked before sale.”
“Australia needs a general safety provision so the onus is on retailers and manufacturers to sell safe products in the first place, not on families to track the hundreds of recalls that happen every year,” says Rafferty.
