Preview Newsletter

MALM Day 17, July 13, 2016 - 3:30 PM

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Blame For Delayed Ikea Recall In China Falls on Local Regulators
Jul 13, 2016 | Fortune
By Scott Cendrowski

Syndicated coverage: Follow News - http://www.follownews.com/blame-for-delayed-ikea-recall-in-china-falls-on-local-regulators-1jtjq
Ikea extends dresser recall to China following outcry
Jul 13, 2016 | Retail Dive
By Daphne Howard
Business ethics forum opens in Shanghai today
Jul 13, 2016 | Shanghai Daily
By Wang Yanlin and Chen Mengbi
Government warns against purchase of secondhand recalled items
Jul 12, 2016 | KFVS
By Lorento Cruz
Ikea refuses to recall dressers in Korea after selling 100,000 units
Jul 13, 2016 | Korea Herald
By Lee Ji-yoon
Report: Ikea expands chest, dresser recall to China
Jul 13, 2016 | Furniture Today
By Thomas Russell
No, Dressers Don't Need To Be Anchored To A Wall
Jul 13, 2016 | Fast Co Design
By John Brownlee
Ikea to recall about 1.7 million drawers in China over safety risks
Jul 13, 2016 | Business Insurance
IKEA to Recall Controversial Dressers in China
Jul 13, 2016 | Beijing Kids
By Lily Zhao
IKEA to recall 1.7 mn chests, dressers in China
Jul 13, 2016 | Qatar Tribune
Ikea Malm drawers linked to deaths of US children subject to ACCC safety investigation
Jul 13, 2016 | Australian Broadcast Corporation
By Amy Bainbridge
IKEA recalls chests of drawers over child safety issues - but not in UK
Jul 13, 2016 | Birmingham Mail
By ZOE CHAMBERLAIN

Syndicated coverage: Francais Express - http://en.francais-express.com/news/uk-news/-36730-ikea-recalls-chests-of-drawers-over-child-safety-issues-but-not-in-uk/
IKEA announces product recall after outcry over ‘double standards’
Jul 13, 2016 | Global Times
IKEA sends out recall note for 1.66 million items in China
Jul 13, 2016 | Nano News
By Paul Benson
Ikea recalls furniture in China after North America move
Jul 13, 2016 | AFP

Syndicated coverage: The Malay Mail Online - http://www.themalaymailonline.com/money/article/ikea-recalls-furniture-in-china-after-north-america-move The Local Se - http://www.thelocal.se/20160713/ikea-recalls-another-million-drawers-after-deaths-malm-china-us-canada-sweden France 24 - http://www.france24.com/en/20160713-ikea-recalls-furniture-china-after-north-america-move Bangkok Post - http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/1034889/ikea-recalls-furniture-in-china-after-north-america-move
IKEA recalls 1.66m unsafe dressers
| Shenzhen Daily
By Zhang Yang
IKEA Gives in to Chinese Pressure, Plans to Issue Recall for Problematic Malm Dressers in China
Jul 13, 2016 | China Topix
By Girish Shetti
IKEA recalls drawers deemed dangerous
Jul 13, 2016 | China Daily
By Wang Xiaodong

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

IKEA Dresser Recall Widens To China
Jul 12, 2016 | Law360
By Cara Salvadore
Brand News: Taylor Swift, Adidas, AMC Entertainment and More
Jul 12, 2016 | brandchannel
By Shirley Brady

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Blame For Delayed Ikea Recall In China Falls on Local Regulators

Jul 13, 2016 | Fortune

By Scott Cendrowski

Was Ikea treating China with a double standard? It doesn’t appear so.
It took Ikea two weeks after announcing massive recalls of its Malm dressers in the U.S. and Canada to expand those recalls to China. Was Ikea treating China with a double standard? It doesn’t appear so.
Following two weeks of heated complaints on Chinese social media, the Swedish furniture brand on Tuesday extended its recall to 1.7 million products in China. “IKEA is finally recalling the killing furniture in China … Is it because no accidents happened in China so far or our life is not valuable?” Lao Zhang wrote yesterday on Weibo, China’s Twitter, in a typical comment.
China’s own weak regulators are to blame for the lack of pressure placed on Ikea and other brands. Product recalls are so rare in the country that many consumers can’t recall a single one. Instead of vehicle recalls, for example, online notices will appear warning customer not to buy certain models.
Ikea’s regulator in China, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ), was guarded in its language announcing the Ikea recall, saying yesterday that, “after the meeting with AQSIQ, Ikea China submitted their recall plan.”
It appears the regulator was reacting to angry online consumers—just as Ikea was—instead of proactively dealing with a dangerous product.
Products recalls are country-specific because of varying standards and laws. This was the case with Ikea’s dresser, which was linked to the deaths of three children in the U.S. who were crushed by the furniture. An Ikea China spokeswoman emphasized that product safety is important to the company, but the recall has not been extended to the European Union, for example.
IKEA launched a recall in North America based on a local standard called ASTM– F2057. “IKEA did not launch the recall in China due to the fact that there is mandatory standard available requiring big size furniture to be anchored to the wall,” said IKEA spokeswoman Linda Xu. Ikea’s fix for the toppling dressers in North America was to affix them to a wall.

Ikea of course deserves blame for selling a dangerous product that killed three children in the U.S.
But in China, it was acting no different than the government by not proactively recalling a product.

Return to headline | Return to top
Ikea extends dresser recall to China following outcry

Jul 13, 2016 | Retail Dive

By Daphne Howard

Dive Brief:
Bowing to heavy criticism from Chinese consumers, Ikea has expanded its furniture recall to some 1.7 million dressers and chests sold across the mainland China market.
After multiple reports of injuries and fatalities in recent years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission pressured Ikea to agree to a voluntary North American recall of 29 million Malm dressers that the Swedish furniture maker says should be properly affixed to a wall to prevent mishaps.
Ikea said earlier this year that it has sold 65 million Malm dresser units worldwide over 13 years. Ikea hasn’t commented to news outlets on its new promise to issue refunds to Chinese customers who bought Malm units.Dive Insight:
While Ikea had maintained that its Malm dressers should be affixed to a wall, a step that helps them meet Chinese safety standards, many users fail to take that advice. The dressers were the subject of a less stringent U.S. recall last year that called for “repairs” and recommended anchoring kits; the Shenzhen Consumer Council, a government agency, earlier this month also called for investigations and protections to boost the safety of Ikea chests and dressers sold across China.
China’s official news agency, Xinhau, on Sunday published an editorial decrying Ikea’s “arrogance” and irresponsibility in limiting the recall to North America, according to Fortune.
The Consumer Federation of America and the National Center for Health Research applauded the U.S. recall. The organizations previously criticized Ikea's handling of the matter and called on the company to halt sales of the units.
“The July 2015 announcement by CPSC and Ikea also did not inform consumers that the Ikea dresser in question fails to meet a voluntary safety standard agreed to by the furniture industry, ASTM F2057-14,” the Consumer Federation of America/National Center for Health Research said in April. “While the voluntary standard is considered by many to be weak, it does require testing to ensure each drawer is able to withstand a 50-pound weight, while open, without the dresser tipping over. At less than 2 years old, it is unlikely the child in the most recent death weighed more than 50 pounds. Had the dresser complied with industry standards, he may have survived.”
Ikea also faces a series of lawsuits related to the recalled dressers. “There is no reason for Ikea furniture to be so unstable and prone to tip over that it threatens the very lives of small children who have these dressers in their bedrooms," said attorney Alan Friedman, whose firm Feldman Shepherd represents the families of three boys killed when Ikea Malm dressers tipped over. "Ikea knows how to design and build safer products, and it’s time for this company to get its act together.”Recommended Reading
Fortune: Ikea Is Recalling 1.7 Million More Dressers in China

Return to headline | Return to top
Business ethics forum opens in Shanghai today

Jul 13, 2016 | Shanghai Daily

By Wang Yanlin and Chen Mengbi

Business ethics is an important and integral part of business that should be put on parallel with laws or market rules, participants said at the 6th World Congress of the International Society of Business, Economics, and Ethics, which was opened in Shanghai today.
Dubbed as the “Olympics of Business Ethics,” it was the first time for the forum, which will last four days, to be held in China.
“Business ethics should be integrated into the life of business,” said Richard T. De George, a professor at University of Kansas in the United States. “In our school, it is taught as a humanities course because we hope to give ethics a human face.”
Cecilia Arruda from Hetica Business Training in Brazil, said the current weak global economy gives the development of business ethics both challenges and opportunities.
“Some schools withdraw programs or syllabi, and only give superficial information to students,” Arruda said. “But we have seen rising citizen awareness of business ethics in tandem of the global financial crisis in 2008.”
For many, business ethics is a vague idea that defines what is right or better to do in business. Su Yong, a management professor at Fudan University, said business ethics is to measure a business moral with one’s own shoes.
“If you want to use child labor, which is legal in some countries, ask yourself whether you are willing to send your own kid to work,” Su said, adding the recent case of IKEA in China was a perfect example of the importance of business ethics.
IKEA China has started recalling more than 1.66 million of chests of drawers, including the popular Malm line series that were found unsafe abroad but was in line with the Chinese standards. The furniture retailer earlier refused to recall the products in China while did so in North America after six children were crushed to death after the furniture toppled over them. IKEA was then criticized for double standards and eventually relented after the Shanghai Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau intervened.
“In this case, IKEA did not break any laws or rules, but it violated business ethics and had its reputation tarnished,” Su said.
Two thirds of the 350 participants of the congress came from overseas countries and regions, while the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences was the partner of the society to organize the congress, which is held every four years since 1996.
This year, the congress will host the first Asia sub-forum to give more coverage of the region.

Return to headline | Return to top
Government warns against purchase of secondhand recalled items

Jul 12, 2016 | KFVS

By Lorento Cruz

A government warning was recently issued to warn people about purchasing recalled items from secondhand consumers.
“Consumers shopping for used products should know that recalled products may be sold online without warning,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a recent news release. “It’s critical to check if an item has been recalled before making any second-hand purchase and learn what information or repairs may need to be made in order to ensure the item is safe in your home. Consumers can also contact my Recall Hotline for information on recalled products.”
The warning came after 29 million IKEA brand dressers or chests were recalled following the deaths of six toddlers from tip-over accidents.
For more information about the IKEA recall, you can contact its customer service at (866) 856-4532 or visit its website.
For a database of recent recalls, click here.
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission provides guidelines to secure furniture in homes:Anchor furniture to the wall or floor;Place televisions on sturdy, low-base stands, or anchor the furniture and the television on its base, and push the television as far back to the wall as possible;Keep remote controls, toys and other items of interest to children off of television or furnitureKeep television and cable cords out of reachEnsure that freestanding kitchen ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets?

Return to headline | Return to top
Ikea refuses to recall dressers in Korea after selling 100,000 units

Jul 13, 2016 | Korea Herald

By Lee Ji-yoon

Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant, has sold some 100,000 units of dressers that have been blamed for the deaths of at least six toddlers in falling accidents.
While the company is extending its recent recall to China, it is still reluctant to do so in Korea, citing local regulations.
Ikea’s recalled dressers
Rep. Kwack Dae-woon of the ruling Saenuri Party on July 13 urged the company to recall the Ikea dressers, saying all the products, about 36 million units, are recalled in the US.
Ikea currently offers refund, free anchoring to the wall and safety campaign but has no plan to carry out a voluntary recall.
“Korea is not exempt from similar accidents in the US. Authorities should take strict measures for preventing (accidents),” the lawmaker said.

Return to headline | Return to top
Report: Ikea expands chest, dresser recall to China

Jul 13, 2016 | Furniture Today

By Thomas Russell

In response to ongoing concerns over furniture tip-over injuries and deaths, home furnishings retailer Ikea has expanded its recall of dressers and chests to China, the New York Times reported.
The company agreed to recall 1.7 million dressers and chests sold in China, which are in addition to the 35.6 million recalled in the U.S. and Canada. According to the Daily Mail, the recalled pieces in China include items in the Malm line, which were linked to three child deaths in the U.S. since early 2014.
The Times reported that Ikea initially excluded China from the recall because its products sold there met local regulations. But the paper said that following criticism both online and in government-controlled media, the retailer decided to recall the additional pieces in China.
To view the full story, click here.

Return to headline | Return to top
No, Dressers Don't Need To Be Anchored To A Wall

Jul 13, 2016 | Fast Co Design

By John Brownlee

After a third child's death in two years prompted the largest furniture recall in American history, Ikea USA president Lars Petersson told us that dressers tipping over aren't an Ikea problem, but an industry problem: "The only truly safe way to have a chest of drawers in your house is to secure to the wall."
Is that actually true? Last year, a team of Northwestern Engineering students at the university's Segal Institute of Design was tasked with modifying the design of a freestanding Ikea Malm dresser so that it couldn't tip over if a child climbed on it. The dressers were designed with the requirements that it not tip over when 50 pounds of downward pressure were applied to any given shelf, have similar storage size to standard dressers, have a low manufacturing cost (less than $200), and be capable of shipping flat—just like Ikea dressers.
These four designs suggest that what Ikea says is an "industry" problem to solve is actually something individual designers thinking outside of the box can solve on their own.
THE CHALLENGE
Every fall at Segal, as part of the Design Thinking and Communications course taught by Walter Herbst, students are assigned to tackle a real-world problem. "A lot of these students come to the school effectively having been told for 18 years there's only one design solution to every problem," Herbst says. "We try to break them out of it."
Many of the design thinking problems that Herbst's students work on are suggested by Nancy Cowles, the executive director of the children's product safety organization Kids In Danger. This time, her tragic inspiration was the news of a child dying after an Ikea dresser tipped over. Cowles felt like there had to be some way to make furniture tip-resistant—beyond attaching it to a wall.
Cowles made the suggestion to Herbst, who loved the idea, and told his students to design something that would cost less than $200 to build, but which could support 50 pounds of weight on each drawer. On hand to advise the students were Cowles and Lisa Siefert of Shane's Foundation, an advocacy group founded upon Siefert's two-year old son, Shane, who died in a tip-over accident.
Finally, Herbst told his students that aesthetically, each dresser needed to look like something Ikea might sell, and have the same emotional design language. "We're trying to get students ready for the real world," he says. "The idea was if they could design something that met Ikea's standards, they'd learn to understand other clients as well."
SAFESLANT
The first dresser produced by the students was the SafeSlant. Designed by Devon Buckingham, Arjun Jaykrishna, Maximillian Nelson, and Ximeng Zhao, the SafeSlant takes a shape-based approach to improving stability. It transfers the center of gravity of the Malm line so that it is closer to the wall, while also preventing the drawers from coming out as far as the base Malm design. The slant, meanwhile, makes the drawers harder for a kid to climb. The result is a dresser that should remain stable, even with a kid using the drawers as a ladder—albeit at the expense of slightly less drawer space.
THE TIPSTOP DRESSER
It might look from the front like a traditional Malm, but the TipStop Dresser has a clever trick up its drawers to prevent tipping. The top drawer has floor-length eaves on the side, which serve as a second set of legs when pulled out. It was designed by Cameron Averill, Blake Strebel, and David Oh, who found that the critical tipping point of a Malm dresser is when the top drawer is pulled out and has weight applied to it. "Basically the idea was to keep the dresser looking as close to a stock Malm as possible," Strebel says. "We thought of a design that made the drawers childproof, but then that discourages kids from dressing themselves, so we came up with an alternative that makes the dresser stable, even when a kid has pulled out all the drawer.
THE SAFE SHELVES
The largest departure from the Malm aesthetic, the Safe Shelves system is more like a lazy susan cupboard than a proper dresser. Designed by Austin Johnson, Jamie Zhang, Milan Samuel, and Noah Rosenthal, Safe Shelves prevents tipping by not allowing the furniture's center of gravity to be redistributed in the first place. "We didn't go the traditional dresser route, but instead came up with an idea of rotating shelves," says Samuel. Originally, the case of the dresser was round, like the shelves, but Samuel says her team found through testing that parents found the shape "too radical." Ultimately, they made the outside of the dresser rectangular, adding rounded corners and an extended base to guarantee children couldn't get hurt by falling on the Safe Shelves unit—or for that matter, having it fall on them.
STABLE SHORTAGE
Designed by Jethro Au, Katherine Hartman, Ethan Park, and Giovanna Varalta Ciavolella, the Stable Storage system is another one—like the TipStop Dresser—with built-in extensions to prevent the drawers from triggering a full-on dresser collapse. "We really didn't want our design to be too wild," says Hartman. "From interviewing parents, we heard what they really wanted was a bunch of different storage types." Instead of a bottom drawer, the TipStop has a built-in toy chest, which increases the unit's stability. This, in turn, is supplemented by replacing the second drawer with a couple of cubbies. This not only gives the TipStop fewer drawers which can be pulled out to create a tipping hazard, but Harman says it also encourages kids to put things away, since their research showed that kids were less likely to put toys away in drawers instead of cubbies.
CONCLUSION
None of these designs are production-ready yet, but they could be—something Ikea, as the world's largest furniture retailer, is perhaps better positioned to tackle than anyone else. Ikea has said in the wake of the recall that it will be making design changes to its dresser line, though it has not discussed specifics. (Kids In Danger passed Segal's tip-safe dresser designs along to Ikea. Ikea did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether or not they would be using them.)
"Ideally, everyone should be strapping their furniture to the wall, but that's not going to happen," Lisa Seifert of Shane's Foundation says, arguing instead the stability of furniture should be better regulated. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulates consumer goods in the U.S., has guidelines for designing chests that don't tip easily, but they're voluntary, so manufacturers decide whether or not to follow them. "The voluntary stability standard companies can choose whether or not to follow right now needs to be stronger," she says. "And after it's stronger, it should be mandatory."

Return to headline | Return to top
Ikea to recall about 1.7 million drawers in China over safety risks

Jul 13, 2016 | Business Insurance

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has said that Swedish furniture retailer Ikea A/S has extended a recall of its Malm chests of drawers to China, reported BBC News.
Ikea will recall about 1.7 million drawers made from 1999 to 2016 in the country over safety concerns.
Ikea had recalled 36 million dressers in the United States and Canada in June.

Return to headline | Return to top
IKEA to Recall Controversial Dressers in China

Jul 13, 2016 | Beijing Kids

By Lily Zhao

IKEA, or Yijia (宜家), recalled 29 million pieces of furniture in the United States two weeks ago after its products were blamed for accidents leading to the deaths of at least six toddlers.
Initially, IKEA did not extend the recall to Europe or China, claiming that their products fulfill current safety regulations in those regions already. However, after severe backlash on social media from Chinese consumers and harsh criticism published on multiple Chinese news and media outlets the Swedish furniture company agreed to negotiations for a potential recall in China as well.
In the past couple of years, scandals such as with the tainted baby formula and the concern over the sources of materials used by fast food chains like McDonald’s and KFC have made consumers increasingly wary and vigilant about product safety. As a response, the government has increased stringent product safety regulations, extending their implementation to the products of foreign companies as well. Government organizations in major Chinese cities including Shenzhen, Tianjin, and Nanjing all issued statements denouncing IKEA’s decision not to extend their recall to China.
On Tuesday, IKEA announced that it will extend its recall to China, but still not to Europe. IKEA will recall 1.7 million chests and dressers in China. Up to now, IKEA has enjoyed a strong and positive reputation in China, with many consumers visiting its stores to purchase products as well as to just sit in the restaurants to relax or eat. IKEA’s sales in China during the fiscal year ended in September totaled to a sum of $1.55 billion. This recent decision to extend its recall under pressure from consumers in China shows the growing strength and influence of the Chinese consumer market.
With the growth China has experienced in the past few decades, China’s consumers are becoming more selective with their purchases. Furthermore, through the widespread use of social media today, consumers have the power to exert significant amounts of pressure on companies with large incomes from retail like IKEA, as this case illustrates.

Return to headline | Return to top
IKEA to recall 1.7 mn chests, dressers in China

Jul 13, 2016 | Qatar Tribune

Swedish furniture company IKEA Group said it would recall 1.66 million chests and dressers in China over concerns the drawers could pose a danger to children if not properly fixed to walls, China's safety regulator said on Tuesday.
The recall covers MALM chests or dressers manufactured from 1999 to 2016, China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said in a statement posted on its website.
IKEA's decision comes after the official Xinhua news agency criticised it last week for showing"arrogance" and not taking responsibility for the problem.
The firm said last Thursday it would not extend a recall of 36 million dressers in North America to China, after the products were linked to six child deaths.
The company carried out a recall in North America because the products did not meet industry standards in the United States, IKEA said in a statement to Reuters. However, they complied with regulations in China, it said.
"But ... after communicating with AQSIQ and the China Consumers Association we have decided to carry out a recall on the MALM dressers," it said.

Return to headline | Return to top
Ikea Malm drawers linked to deaths of US children subject to ACCC safety investigation

Jul 13, 2016 | Australian Broadcast Corporation

By Amy Bainbridge

Australia's consumer watchdog has launched a safety investigation into a popular series of drawers by Swedish furniture retailer Ikea, after recalls in China and the United States.
Six children have been crushed to death in North America after chests tipped over.
The chests, known as the Malm, are sold with tip over restraints but were not anchored to the wall.
Ikea recalled 36 million dressers in the US and Canada last month and has since stopped selling the drawers.
In China, 1.7 million drawers made from 1999 to 2016 will be recalled over safety concerns.
A spokeswoman from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) told the ABC the regulator was aware of the overseas recalls.
"The ACCC can confirm there is a safety investigation underway in relation to the IKEA Malm dresser series available in Australia," the spokeswoman said.
"As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot speculate on the likely outcome at this time."
The ACCC previously said Australia was covered by a similar voluntary standard to the United States.Do you know more about this story? Email investigations@abc.net.au
As of this morning, the range of Malm drawers, including those covered by the US recall, were still advertised on the Australian website for Ikea.
The ACCC said Australian consumers could request tip-over restraints and wall anchoring instructions for all Ikea chests and dressers.
In an email to the ABC, IKEA Australia said it was "not undertaking a recall".
"The safety of our products is our highest priority," it said.
"IKEA chest of drawers are safe when attached to the wall, as directed in the assembly instructions.
"IKEA Australia offers customers who have misplaced the tip over restraints included with their chest of drawers additional free replacements."

Return to headline | Return to top
IKEA recalls chests of drawers over child safety issues - but not in UK

Jul 13, 2016 | Birmingham Mail

By ZOE CHAMBERLAIN

IKEA has said it will recall 1.66 million chest of drawers in China, following a 36 million recall in North America and Canada last month.
The decision comes after six children were crushed to death in the USA when the chests toppled on them.
The Swedish furniture retailer, which has a store at Wednesbury and soon to open a collect store in Birmingham, has launched a campaign called Secure It!
But, as yet, there is no recall in the UK.
READ MOREIKEA to open new store in Birmingham city centre
A sketch of how the new IKEA in Birmingham city centre could look.IKEA's advice to customers in the UK and Ireland
IKEA has launched a campaign to try to prevent accidents like the ones that have happened in America.
An IKEA spokeswoman said: “Accidents related to furniture tipping over is a serious home safety issue for the entire home furnishing industry.
“IKEA would never jeopardize people’s safety and that is why we have launched a global awareness campaign called ‘Secure It!’"
She added: “IKEA being a global company, understands and accepts that legislation and standards differ across countries. It is important to note that IKEA chests of drawers meet all mandatory stability requirements in all markets including the UK and Ireland.
“IKEA has agreed to perform a local recall of chests of drawers in North America due to non-compliance to a local voluntary standard (ASTM). In some countries in the Middle East and Asia there were suggestions from authorities for more actions to increase awareness of tip over hazards such as extra labelling or in-store communication.
“These authorities may refer to this as a recall, however the actions are more in line with our Secure it! campaign.
“IKEA urges all customers to check their chests of drawers are securely anchored to the wall."
Customers are welcome to contact IKEA on 0203 6450010 (UK) or 01 5413302 (ROI) to request a free replacement restraint kit if they haven’t already fixed their chest of drawers to the wall.
Alternatively, should any customer be unhappy with their IKEA furniture they can return the product to their local IKEA store.
READ MOREMothercare recalls baby bouncer over safety fears
IKEA’s decision to recall the chests of drawers in China comes after the official Xinhua news agency criticized it last week for not taking responsibility for the problem, according to Reuters.
The recalled MALM chests and dressers include the 3-drawer, 4-drawer, 5-drawer and 6-drawer models. Consumers in the US and China are being offered a full or partial refund or a free wall-anchoring repair kit.
For more information, visit the IKEA website.

Return to headline | Return to top
IKEA announces product recall after outcry over ‘double standards’

Jul 13, 2016 | Global Times

Following pressure from Chinese quality officials, Sweden-based furniture retailer IKEA will recall its Malm chests of drawers and dressers in the Chinese market.
Experts said the move is a warning to foreign enterprises not to follow "double standards" when it comes to quality issues in China.
According to a statement posted on the website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), starting from Tuesday, about 1.66 million IKEA chests and dressers of multiple sizes that were sold in China from 1999 to 2016 will be recalled.
The AQSIQ and the China Consumer Association held talks with IKEA over the weekend, during which they urged the company to take action.
In the US and Canada, the company announced plans in June to recall nearly 36 million chests and dressers of its Malm line, which were found to be prone to topple over and crush toddlers if not anchored to the wall. Those items have been linked to the deaths of six children, according to a statement posted last week on the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's website.
China was previously excluded from the recall plan. IKEA said last week that the chests and dressers conformed with China's local regulations and standards and had not caused any injuries in China.
IKEA's perceived double standards when it comes to the Chinese and North American markets led to an outcry from Chinese consumers.
To appease the public, IKEA announced a compromise on Thursday, described by domestic media as a "conditional return." The company said it would provide free screw sets for attaching the furniture items to the wall, with free home installation service on request. Furthermore, if consumers were unable to safely affix their furniture to the wall, they were able to return the items for a full refund, a post from the Shenzhen Consumer Council on Thursday noted.
Media reports suggested that the measures were merely modifications of the company's existing policies, which to date have proven ineffective, as consumers in certain cities either need to pick up the replacement screws themselves at IKEA stores or pay a separate fee for professional installation, the Xinhua News Agency reported Monday, citing local news reports.
Qiu Baochang, a partner at the Beijing-based Huijia Law Firm, compared IKEA's recent moves to the manner in which toothpaste comes from the tube only when it is squeezed.
"IKEA's action comes only after relevant government bodies got involved in the matter. The company is trying its best to avoid the cost of recalling this potentially fatal furniture," Qiu told the Global Times Tuesday, criticizing IKEA for failing to take responsibility for its products and its unfair treatment of Chinese consumers.
The company's initial stance has taken a toll on its reputation. A survey by domestic news portal sina.com found that more than half of the respondents said they'd lost trust in IKEA.
Experts noted that IKEA's case isn't unique. Some foreign brands have applied "double standards" in the Chinese market in the face of quality-related global recalls.
Global food and drug manufactures Johnson & Johnson has conducted 51 global product recalls since 2005, but China has been excluded 48 times, according to the People's Daily, which cited local media.
In October 2015, Japanese automobile giant Toyota recalled 6.5 million vehicles in North America, Europe and Japan for a defect in the power window switch, but the global recall was not extended to China.
Zhao Ping, the director at the global trade research institute of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, noted that IKEA's case serves as a warning to foreign brands.
"This is a milestone event for Chinese consumers. Foreign enterprises will realize implementing double standards in China won't work, as Chinese authorities are strengthening supervision over quality issues." Zhao said.
But she also pointed out that the root cause of this phenomenon is the absence of relevant laws in China specifically governing product recalls and regulators' inexperience in enforcing the laws that are in effect.
"Chinese regulators still need to improve in those two fields," Zhao noted.

Return to headline | Return to top
IKEA sends out recall note for 1.66 million items in China

Jul 13, 2016 | Nano News

By Paul Benson

Swedish furniture company IKEA will recall more than 1.66 million potentially hazardous chests and dressers that it sold on the Chinese mainland between 1999 and this year, China’s top quality authority announced on Tuesday.
“But. after communicating with AQSIQ and the China Consumers Association we have chose to carry out a recall on the MALM dressers”, it said.
“If they are not installed properly, it could fall and injure or even kill a child”, the AQSIQ said, according to a CNBC translation of a statement on its website.
If these products are not fixed to the wall they can tip over, and possibly cause injuries, according to the watchdog.
Last month, Ikea recalled nearly 36 million of the chests and drawers in the United States and Canada after six deaths.
Reuters reported that six children had died in accidents involving the Ikea furnishings tipping over.
IKEA defended its decision to limit the recall just to North America saying that its products met the safety standards in China, the European Union and other markets.
China’s official Xinhua news agency criticised Ikea last week for showing “arrogance” after it initially refused to extend the recall.
Following an online backlash in China over the issue, Ikea offered free home installation and an optional refund.
Nearly immediately after that recall was announced, consumers in China called for a similar remedy there.
The company came under fire in China, as the country was not included in the recall.

Return to headline | Return to top
Ikea recalls furniture in China after North America move

Jul 13, 2016 | AFP

Swedish furniture giant Ikea is recalling more than 1.6 million cabinets and other items in China over potential safety hazards, the government and the company said, following a similar move in North America.
The Chinese government said in a statement the furniture being recalled could fall over if not properly fixed to the wall, possibly causing injuries or death to children.
Ikea announced two weeks ago that it was recalling more than 35 million chests and dressers in the United States and Canada as regulators said six children had died in accidents.
China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine -- which issued the statement Monday -- did not say whether any accidents had occurred in mainland China involving the furniture being recalled.
The recall includes Ikea's "Malm" line, said the government agency, which published a detailed list of items, which were made between 1999 and 2016 and include imports.
In a statement on its website, Ikea apologised to Chinese consumers.
"Product safety, especially the safety of children, has all along been the focal point of Ikea's work without any compromise. We consistently hope consumers will be assured the Ikea products they buy are safe to use," it said.
The company is offering to provide free wall fittings and installation to customers with affected furniture or full refunds, its statement said.
Ikea's North America recall affects 29 million units sold in the United States and 6.6 million units sold in Canada, according to Ikea and safety regulators in the two countries.
Six children died in the United States when furniture toppled over, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. No fatal incidents have occurred in Canada, according to regulators.

Return to headline | Return to top
IKEA recalls 1.66m unsafe dressers

| Shenzhen Daily

By Zhang Yang

IKEA is recalling 1.66 million chests and dressers in China, including its hot-selling Malm dresser that was recalled in North America, according to a press release from the Chinese quality supervision authority.
    A total of 1.66 million IKEA dressers sold in China between 1999 and 2016 will be recalled, according to the recall plan that IKEA submitted to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China.
    IKEA posted a notification on its website recently, saying that customers can ask for free kits and door-to-door installation from the company to attach their Malm dressers to a wall. Customers can also get a full refund if they return involved dressers.
    IKEA has recalled 29 million chests and dressers in the U.S., including 8 million Malm dressers and over 20 million dressers of other types, while 6.6 million dressers are being recalled in Canada. The Swedish company has stopped selling its Malm chests and drawers in the U.S. and urged families who already own the chests to anchor them to a wall.
    IKEA’s dressers have resulted in the deaths of six children since 1989. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said all the children killed were under the age of 4, and the commission has received 36 reports of children who were injured by IKEA chests and dressers, according to ABC news.
    The Shenzhen Consumer Council issued an investigation letter to IKEA a week ago after the council staff found the Malm dressers available for sale in IKEA’s outlet in Nanshan District. The council prompted IKEA to recall its Malm dressers in China unconditionally as it did in North America.
    According to previous media reports, IKEA didn’t recall the Malm dressers in China because it said the dressers had met relevant safety standards in China. But an online survey on btime.com showed that over 76 percent of people believed IKEA “discriminated against Chinese customers” for not recalling its Malm dressers in China.

Return to headline | Return to top
IKEA Gives in to Chinese Pressure, Plans to Issue Recall for Problematic Malm Dressers in China

Jul 13, 2016 | China Topix

By Girish Shetti

After two weeks of unrelenting pressure from the Chinese government, Swedish furniture giant IKEA on Tuesday announced that it would recall its Malm series sets of drawers in China.
According to a statement published on official website of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ), IKEA would recall all its Malm dressers and chests that were sold between 1999 and 2016 in China.
According to CNBC, AQSIQ said on its official website that any Chinese customer who wishes to return IKEA's Malm dressers and chests will be offered complete compensation, or could demand IKEA to fit their existing Malm furniture to the wall. The installationwill be done completely free of charge.
The New York Times reported that Xian Jiaxin, IKEA's spokeswoman, said in an interview that Consumer safety is very important for the company, which is the reason why it made the decision to also issue the recall order in China.
Last month, the Swedish furniture maker announced that it would recall 36 million chests and dressers from US and Canada over safety concerns. The announcement came after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned that Malm-branded chests and dressers could topple from the wall if not installed properly, which could prove dangerous especially for young children.
IKEA's decision to recall the drawer set immediately resulted in a backlash in China, as the company had excluded the Chinese market from its recall. China's state-owned media news agency, Xinhua, criticized the Swedish company for its apparent double standard.
"The behavior shown contradicts the 'IKEA spirit' that founder Ingvar Kamprad talks about, being helpful and responsible," Xinhua wrote in its editorial. "China is a huge market, and should not be deprived of the high standards that the brand promises."
Chinese consumers had also expressed their frustration about the decision of the Swedish company to exclude China from the recall. Hordes of Chinese consumers criticized IKEA on Chinese social media Weibo, describing the company's decision to exclude China from recall decision as "discriminatory."
Experts have noted that IKEA's announcement on Tuesday to include China in its recall decision clearly shows growing power of Chinese consumers. China has helped many global multinational companies to keep a tab on their declining profits and revenues and the expectations of Chinese customers for safety and quality have increased.

Read more: http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/95133/20160713/ikea-gives-chinese-pressure-will-recall-problematic-malm-dressers-china.htm#ixzz4EJcKvGcu

Return to headline | Return to top
IKEA recalls drawers deemed dangerous

Jul 13, 2016 | China Daily

By Wang Xiaodong

Swedish home furnishings maker is recalling 1.66 million chests of drawers with potential safety risks that it sold on the Chinese mainland, China's top quality authority announced on Tuesday.
The drawer units were sold between 1999 and this year and involve a variety of types. According to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the drawers may tip over and cause death or injury to children if not properly fixed to the wall.
IKEA said on Tuesday it would help Chinese customers anchor the product to the wall. They can also return the furniture to IKEA for a full refund, it said.
The drawers are safe as long as they are properly fixed to the wall, the company said.
When the company initially recalled the drawers in North America, it said the decision was based on international standards applicable in that region and that the recall will not involve other markets, including China, where the same products were sold.
More than 35 million drawer units were recalled in the United States and Canada, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
After media reports that IKEA did not plan to recall the drawers it sold in China, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision and the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau had discussions with executives at IKEA China and demanded the company assume responsibility and ensure the safety and quality of its products in China.
The Shenzhen Consumers' Association in Guangdong province, said in early July that it demanded that IKEA's branch in Shenzhen cooperate in an investigation of the matter.
The association urged the company not to discriminate against Chinese consumers and to initiate a recall.
On Thursday, IKEA started notifying Chinese consumers who have bought Malm drawers of recall measures.

Return to headline | Return to top

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

IKEA Dresser Recall Widens To China

Jul 12, 2016 | Law360

By Cara Salvadore

IKEA confirmed Tuesday that it will add the China market to a massive recall of chests and dressers that began in the U.S., and Chinese safety regulators said the new recall would include 1.7 million pieces of furniture.
IKEA revealed in late June that it would recall roughly 29 million chests and dressers in the U.S. that have the propensity to tip over and trap children underneath. The move followed the deaths of six children and nearly 30 injuries, and prompted federal regulators to call for immediate consumer action.
The recall has now been enlarged to encompass dressers and chests in China, an IKEA spokeswoman and Chinese safety officials separately confirmed.
According to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in China, 1.66 million pieces of furniture will be included in the recall.
In addition to the tip-over risk, one of the units' primary dangers was that individual drawers can be pulled out, according to the Chinese regulator. The Chinese recall covers MALM products sold from 1999 to 2016, it said.
Meanwhile, IKEA said in June, at the time of the U.S. recall, that the chests and dressers "are unstable if they are not properly anchored to the wall, posing a tip-over and entrapment hazard that can result in death or injuries to children."
The U.S. recall includes about 8 million MALM chests and dressers, and another 21 million children's and adults' chests and dressers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
IKEA launched a repair program in July 2015 that included a free wall-anchoring repair kit for numerous chests and dressers, including the MALM units. That program was brought about by the death of two children in 2014: a 2-year-old from Pennsylvania and a 23-month-old from Washington.
However, in February, a 22-month-old child was killed in Minnesota when a six-drawer MALM unit fell on top of them, the CPSC said. None of the chests or dressers involved in those incidents had been anchored to the wall, the agency noted.
In addition to those three deaths, IKEA has received reports of 41 tip-over incidents involving its MALM dressers, resulting in 17 injuries to children between the ages of 19 months and 10 years, and another 41 reports of tip-overs involving dressers other than MALMs that pinned children underneath after toppling over, resulting in another three deaths and 19 injuries since 1989, the agency said in June.
The 29-million-unit recall affects nearly a hundred models of IKEA furniture "that do not meet the performance requirements of the U.S. voluntary industry standard," according to the company's website.

Return to headline | Return to top
Brand News: Taylor Swift, Adidas, AMC Entertainment and More

Jul 12, 2016 | brandchannel

By Shirley Brady

Taylor Swift named world’s top-grossing celebrityby Forbes thanks to world tour earnings as Beyonce and Jay Z named top-earning celebrity couple.
Adidas claims Skechers‘ Mega Flex shoe is a Springblade knockoff in trademark suit.
AMC Entertainment buys Europe’s Odeon and UCI cinemas.
BuzzFeed announces a film about China’s Brother Orange with Ellen DeGeneres.
Denny’s introduces new “simple and natural” pancake recipe.
FOX live-streams primetime as Twitter will live-stream the GOP and Democratic conventions.
IKEA extends product recall to China and promotes 2017 Haycollaboration.
Mercedes-Benz wins first-half 2016 global luxury auto sales, determined to take BMW‘s crown.
Microsoft Hololens helps the PGA Tour connect with fans.
Mr. Peanut turns 100 in search of younger “Peanut Pals.”
NBC executives are “cautiously optimistic” that Rio 2016 Olympics will attract a big audience.
Polaroid Swing app aims to make 3D moving images.
Starbucks raises workers’ pay — and prices on some drinks — asJPMorgan bumps up pay.
Thomson Reuters sells intellectual property and science unit for $3.5 billion.
Under Armour files $15 million trademark suit against China’s “Uncle Martian” brand.
Warner Bros. warned against paying YouTube influencers likePewDiePie.
CAMPAIGNS:
Ad Council PSA promotes Meals on Wheels:
Discover Cotton “Cooler in Cotton” campaign includes musical film set in sweaty New York:
Visit Norway gets sheepish in latest campaign, including@SheepWithAView Instagram account.

Return to headline | Return to top

Add recipients

Suggested