Kathmandu hits back at claims its deliberately destroying stock

  • 29/05/2016
Kathmandu hits back at claims its deliberately destroying stock

New Zealand's leading outdoor apparel brand, Kathmandu, says it is investigating claims its Takapuna store is deliberately destroying stock and sending it to landfill.

According to journalism student Nicole Barratt, who writes a blog called SixFootJournalism, staff at the Barrys Point Rd store have been slashing sleeping bags and slicing through clothing, before dumping the damaged goods into skips outside the store.

It contrasts the company's policy, stated on its website, says it is trying to limit waste generated from its products and is looking to achieve zero waste by 2018.

Newshub contacted Kathmandu over the allegations, and a spokesperson said it was investigating, but it understood "the items that were disposed of were faulty, unusable products."

The company added it sells seconds and leftover products to community groups, but doesn't donate faulty products where "usability is compromised".

According to Ms Barratt however, employees of neighbouring stores have seen the intentional destruction of goods on numerous occasions over the last year.

One of those witnesses, Jamie Giles, told the blog he has witnessed staff "wheel trolleys to the bins and often they'll set up tables. Then they slash everything with box cutters to the point where it's unusable.

"Last week they slashed two six-person tents in broad daylight," he said.

Kathmandu's 2015 sustainability report says it is an industry leader in sustainability, and that it passionately believes in operating an ethical, responsible business.

Its spokesperson said it would "continue to work on best practice ways to manage faulty product."

Newshub.