ADVERTISEMENT
High-street store House of Fraser has made a dramatic U-turn on its fur-free policy following the company’s takeover by Sports Direct and is now selling real animal fur in stores and online.
UPDATED: 22.11.19 after House of Fraser removes fur from stores after being urged to reinstate its fur-free policy.
House of Fraser first banned sales of fur over a decade ago but has made the disappointing decision to once again sell real animal fur in store following its takeover by Sports Direct.
The store is now selling jackets made by Parajumpers, Pyrenex and Mackage which use fur from wild-trapped coyote, as well as fur factory-farmed rabbit and raccoon dog from China, and raccoon dog and fox from Finland.
#FurFreeBritain campaigners at Humane Society International/UK have confirmed the policy change with the company and have written to CEO Mike Ashley to voice their concerns over the decision to sell real animal fur.
In response to a 2017 HSI/UK investigation which found the retailer selling real fur as faux, a House of Fraser spokeswoman told reporters: “Our customers want assurances that House of Fraser is not be complicit in such unnecessary suffering of animals and we take this issue very seriously and have communicated this to the brand in question.”
Short-sighted
In a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living, Claire Bass, Executive Director at Humane Society International/UK said: “Mike Ashley’s decision to overturn House of Fraser’s long-standing fur-free policy feels like the desperate actions of company trying to make a quick buck to stop rapidly spiralling profits.
“But it’s a short-sighted and misguided strategy because against the backdrop of an ever-growing list of top designers dropping fur, House of Fraser’s decision to throw away its moral compass is painfully out of touch with the anti-fur zeitgeist.”
Disappointment
HSI/UK also tweeted its disappointment to House of Fraser, saying: “We’re extremely disappointed that @houseoffraser has u-turned on its #furfree policy since company bought by Mike Ashley. We wrote on Friday asking for urgent meeting. Please RT to show HOF cruel fur is firmly out of fashion, & these displays in Oxford St store make shoppers.”
House of Fraser removes fur from stores
Thanks to pressure from activists and the general public, #FurFreeBritain campaigners at Humane Society International UK confirmed that real fur items have been removed from the company’s website. Store managers at the company’s flagship Oxford Street site confirmed to HSI/UK’s Director this morning that all real fur has been removed and there is currently no real fur available on the shop floor at any House of Fraser sites nationwide.
