China accuses Canada Goose of ‘misleading’ consumers about goose down in ads

Shanghai’s market regulator says claims of using Hutterite goose down deceives shoppers as most of firm’s products are actually made with other material

Economic Daily says Canada Goose has not obeyed Chinese advertisement laws

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The flagship store of Canadian luxury parka maker Canada Goose in Beijing. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:00pm, 8 Sep 2021

High-end parka maker Canada Goose Holdings was fined by China and criticised by its state media for allegedly misleading consumers in some advertisements, becoming the latest foreign brand to be targeted by regulators amid political tensions between Beijing and the West.

Shanghai’s market regulator fined the retailer’s local unit 450,000 yuan (US$71,000) in June, according to the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, an official corporate information website. The regulator said Canada Goose’s claims of using “the warmest material from Hutterite”, referring to communities that produce some of the world’s most luxurious goose down, deceived shoppers as most of its products are actually made with other material.

A commentary on Wednesday in the Economic Daily newspaper, which is affiliated with China’s powerful State Council, cited the accusations about the ads as evidence that Canada Goose had not obeyed Chinese advertisement laws.

“Canada Goose probably hasn’t carefully studied China’s laws and ignores changes in the Chinese market,” the article said. “The moon isn’t rounder in foreign countries, and foreign down jackets aren’t warmer.”

The Toronto-based company’s Shanghai unit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the Chinese market has become a growth driver for global brands, political tensions with western countries over everything from trade to the coronavirus and human rights are fuelling nationalism among mainland Chinese shoppers.

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