In response to an investigation led by The Humane Society of the United States Kohl’s has stopped selling a men’s R&O parka with fur trim that was being marketed as faux fur.
Kohl’s said “No such authorization was given here. Once aware that the product was made with real fur, Kohl’s immediately removed the product from our website.”
This is the second time in a year that HSUS has claimed Kohl’s was selling real fur that was marketed as being fake. Last year HSUS issued a consumer warning against the retailer after another investigation in relation to rabbit fur accessories that were being sold through Kohl’s Web site.
The HSUS may refer the matter to the Federal Trade Commission for potentially further investigation. Selling real fur as “faux” on apparel items violates the Fur Products Labeling Act and can result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.
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“We take consumers’ rights under the Fur Products Labeling A t very seriously and are considering all options moving forward.” according to, the corporate outreach manager of the HSUS’ Fur-Free campaign PJ Smith.
He also said, “For a repeat offender, it doesn’t mean much. Kohl’s did the same thing last time they advertised real fur as “faux,” [the company] pulled the item and blamed the vendor. There are no indications of fixing their broken or nonexistent quality control system.”
The R&O parka was sold online and it was not exclusive to Kohl’s, according to a statement released by a Kohl’s spokeswoman. The retailer claimed the inventory for that item were shipped directly from the vendor to customers. “Fewer than 100 of these parkas have been purchased through Kohl’s,” the statement read. “We apologize to our customers who would not have otherwise purchased these parkas. Kohl’s will honor returns, no questions asked, for any customer who no longer wishes to keep them.”
The retailer also noted it requires that all merchandise must be free of any real animal fur unless expressly authorized in writing by Kohl’s, in accordance with its standard vendor terms.