Homeware retailer Bed, Bath & Beyond has been fined $230,000 after being found guilty of breaching the Fair Trading Act by selling a record number of non-compliant children’s pyjamas and hot water bottles.

The Commerce Commission took legal action after discovering that between March and October 2023, the retailer sold 27,374 products that failed to meet mandatory safety requirements. This included at least 3,753 children’s pyjama sets that did not have the required fire hazard warnings in visible locations or in online descriptions, and 23,801 hot water bottles that lacked proper usage and storage instructions.

Commerce Commission General Manager of Competition, Fair Trading, and Credit Vanessa Horne said businesses must ensure their products comply with legal requirements, particularly those designed to prevent fire hazards and burns.

“It was important for us to take this case as this is the largest number of items that didn’t comply with product safety requirements the Commission has seen,” Horne said. “The failures in this case increased the risk of harm for the over 27,000 consumers who purchased these products.”

Judge Bonnar, in his sentencing decision at the Auckland District Court, described the case as serious offending due to the nationwide distribution and high volume of unsafe goods.

“The required fire hazard labels and hot water bottle instructions are there to inform consumers about the risks of products so they can keep themselves and their families safe,” Horne said.

The Commerce Commission is urging all businesses to strengthen their compliance processes to ensure they meet product safety and labelling obligations.