Yahoo Finance Mike Ashley’s House of Fraser faces backlash after overturning ban on fur
House of Fraser is facing a backlash from shoppers after new owner Mike Ashley was accused of reintroducing fur to the department store for the first time in more than a decade.
Less than two years after the chain reaffirmed its commitment to a “strict no fur” policy, its shelves have been stocked with jackets made using fur from wild, trapped coyote as well as factory farmed rabbit and raccoon dog from China, an animal welfare charity found.
Other products available on House of Fraser’s website contained raccoon, dog and fox fur from Finland. Humane Society International described the decision as a “PR disaster” for Mr Ashley’s company after shoppers voiced their anger on social media.
Joe Broad described it as “outrageous” that the company had chosen to start selling fur again. “Animals are skinned alive for fur products, even The Queen has stopped wearing fur,” he wrote.
A Twitter user called Robyn wrote: “@houseoffraser selling real rabbit fur as fur trim on coats. This was the Bluewater store. Shame on you. I’m boycotting House of Fraser this year now!”
Claire Bass, executive director at HSI UK, said: “The vast majority of shoppers want nothing to do with the cruelty of the fur trade, so it’s highly unlikely that House of Fraser will be helped by filling its shelves with fur products from rabbits, raccoon dogs and foxes who’ve suffered a life of misery on fur farms, and coyotes trapped and shot to death in the wild.”
Mr Ashley took over House of Fraser when his Sports Direct empire bought the chain last year, pledging to create a “Harrods of the High Street”.
Harrods itself has come under heavy criticism for continuing to stock real fur products for its upmarket clientele.
House of Fraser’s decision to actually reverse its policy is unusual and makes it one of a dwindling number of high street retailers to stock real fur as shoppers have grown more ethically conscious.
In May, luxury brand Prada announced plans to ban fur from its women’s fashion collections. It had been one of the last hold-outs before joining Gucci, Versace, DKNY, Burberry, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Burberry in announcing a fur-free policy.
Several cities in the United States, including San Francisco, West Hollywood and Los Angeles have all introduced fur sales bans and the state of California just passed a ban on the sale and manufacture of fur last week.
House of Fraser first banned all fur more than 10 years ago and reaffirmed its commitment to being fur-free as recently as 2018 when the company’s then-head of sustainability, Dr Dorothy Maxwell, provided evidence to an Environment Committee inquiry.
“We have genuinely been a fur-free retailer for many, many years and we do not want to have real fur in our stores,” Dr Maxwell said.
Mr Ashley’s retail empire has courted controversy before, with MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee criticising “Victorian workhouse” conditions at a Sports Direct warehouse in 2016. The company says it has since improved working conditions.
Sports Direct has been contacted for comment.
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