Nordstrom’s changes, which were announced on Sept. 29, will apply to Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, and Last Chance stores and will include all digital sales and e-commerce, too. “As a leading fashion retailer, we’re committed to delivering the best possible service and merchandise for our customers. Delivering on that commitment means continually listening to customer feedback and evolving our product offering to ensure we’re meeting their needs,” Teri Bariquit, chief merchandising officer at Nordstrom, said in a statement. “Our private label brands haven’t used these materials for years, so extending this policy to all the brands we carry is a natural next step for our business.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb For the announcement, Nordstrom partnered with the Humane Society of the United States, which also felt the decision could have long-reaching consequences. “Nordstrom’s decision will surely have a ripple effect on other influential fashion leaders,” Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society, said in a statement. In reality, those ripples may be adding to a wave that’s crashing over the fashion industry. In 2018, Coach committed to stopping the use of real mink, fox, coyote, and rabbit fur in its products, CNN reports. And other major fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Chanel, Gucci, and Calvin Klein have made similar changes in recent years—with popular-yet-controversial jacket brand Canada Goose committing to stop using coyote fur by 2022, The New York Post reports. But furs and exotic skins are not the only products that have fallen out of favor lately. For more on products that will be banned from here on out, read on. And for another recent retail move, check out Walmart Will Finally Start Selling This in All 50 States. On Oct. 6, Petco announced that they will stop selling electric shock collars, suggesting they are harmful to dogs. “Shock collars have been shown to increase fear, anxiety, and stress in dogs, and we believe there’s a better way—positive reinforcement training,” Petco CEO Ron Coughlin said in a statement. After both Ikea and Target committed to stop selling window blinds with cords in 2016, other major retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart also stopped selling these blinds by the end of 2018. According to law firm Wagner Reese, this was after a 30-year legal battle to regulate corded blinds due to the fact that they had caused nearly 500 deaths and injuries. Up until May 2018, Lowe’s was still selling paint strippers containing methylene chloride—a toxic chemical that can be deadly, at worst, and that has been said to cause a host of ailments including liver toxicity, cancer, harm to the nervous system, and even trigger heart attacks. Lowe’s announced it would stop carrying these paint strippers just over two years ago.
