London (Reuters) -Britain’s competition watchdog said on Friday that it will look into whether fashion brands ASOS (LON:ASOS), Boohoo, and George at Asda mislead customers about how environmentally friendly their clothes are.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said, “We won’t be afraid to go to court if we find that these companies are making false claims about their environmental impact.”
“This is only the beginning of our work in this area, and all fashion companies should take note: look at what you do and make sure it’s legal.”
It also said that the agency has not yet decided if any consumer protection laws have been broken.
It will look into the companies’ claims about how “green” their clothes, shoes, and other items are.
It will look at whether the language used to market some clothing is too broad or vague, and whether the criteria used by companies to label products as “environmentally sustainable” might be lower than what customers might expect.
Asos, an online store that sells clothes, said it would help the CMA with its investigation and would give clear and accurate information about its products.
Reps from Boohoo and Asda did not respond right away to requests for comment.
