CR praises CPSC for holding TJX accountable, urges Congress to remove the cap on fines
WASHINGTON D.C. – The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today announced that TJX Companies, the parent company of retailers including T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, would pay a $13 million civil penalty to settle charges that the company knowingly sold, offered for sale, and distributed numerous recalled products from March 2014 to October 2019. Most of the sales involving recalled products were of inclined sleep products linked to infant suffocation and death, including the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play.
In response to the settlement, Oriene Shin, policy counsel for product safety at Consumer Reports, said, “If the charges are true, then this company put people—including infants—at serious risk. It’s critical for the CPSC to hold companies accountable for safety, even though the fines currently allowed under the law are too low to deter misconduct by multibillion-dollar companies like TJX. Congress should remove the cap on civil penalties and allow the CPSC to levy fines that would more effectively fight back against corporate wrongdoing.”
In addition to paying the $13 million civil penalty, TJX agreed to maintain a compliance program and system of internal controls to ensure the company identifies, quarantines, and disposes of recalled products. The company also agreed to have its senior management take responsibility for safety compliance and to file annual reports with the CPSC for five years.
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Contact: Emily Akpan, emily.akpan@consumer.org