Saks Fifth Avenue To Stop Selling Fur Products By 2023 - Forbes

paksijenong.blogspot.com

Topline

Saks Fifth Avenue said Wednesday it will cease selling products both online and in stores that are made from animals raised for the use of their fur or those made with fur from wild animals by January 2023, citing “customer preferences” and “societal shifts,” echoing prior practices by Macys, Nordstrom’s.

Key Facts

Saks Fifth Avenue will close all of its 27 fur salons, including those located in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Beverly Hills, by the end of January 2022.

But Saks Fifth Avenue said it will continue to sell products made from sheepskin, goatskin, cattle hide, down, feathers, leather and faux fur.

Retailers Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman continue to sell furs.

Women’s Wear Daily reported the ban on fur is not expected to have a significant impact on Saks’ overall sales.

Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the U.S., told Forbes by email that Saks Fifth Avenue’s decision is a “game changer” and that consumers “no longer want animal cruelty in their wardrobes.”

Crucial Quote

“We recognize that trends constantly evolve, and that the sale of fur remains a significant social issue,” said Tracy Margolies, chief merchandising officer, Saks, in a statement. “As such, eliminating it from our assortment is the right step for us to take at this time."

Key Background

A number of other major retailers, including Nordstrom (in September) and Macy’s (October 2019) have also phased out selling fur products. Nordstrom and Macy’s said their decisions were partly based on customer feedback and following brand trends. Also, a large number of designer brands which offer products in Saks stores and other upscale retailers, including Gucci, Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Coach, Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney, Prada, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, have already pledged to stop using animal fur in their products. In October 2019, California became the first state to prohibit the sale and manufacture of fur products, starting in 2023. Similar fur bans are under consideration in New York, Rhode Island and Hawaii.

Tangent

Animal rights groups like PETA, Humane Society of the U.S. and others have long called for the end to fur farming and manufacturing, citing its cruelty and lack of ethics. The Fur-Free Alliance, an international coalition of more than 50 animal protection organizations, has asserted that the public opposition to fur is widespread in both North America and Europe – some 71% of the U.S. public and 81% of Canadians favor a fur ban. In Europe, Austria, the U.K., Belgium, Luxembourg, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Macedonia have prohibited fur farming. Netherlands and Norway will end fur farming by 2024 and 2025, respectively, while France will close its remaining four fur farms by 2025.

Chief Critic

Mark Oaten, CEO of the International Fur Federation, said in a statement: “The decision to stop selling Fur at Saks makes no sense at a time when the world of fashion is trying to become more sustainable and stop the endless use of chemical based cloths. Saks should continue to sell natural fur as it one of the few truly sustainable fashion items. Saks should listen to its customers and allow them the freedom of choice to buy what they want. Sadly they have decided to listen to animal activists who don’t represent the wider public. By following the activists’ agenda Saks will soon have to ban wool and leather and silk.”

Contra

But fur farming is big business in China. The country bred more than 14 million foxes, 13.5 million raccoon dogs, and 11.6 million mink in 2019 to provide fur for export, according to the Humane Society of the U.S.. China is not only the world’s biggest fur producer, but also the top exporter of fur apparel into the U.S. China’s fur industry is estimated to be worth $61 billion.