Australia’s consumer watchdog has launched Federal Court action against retail giant Kmart.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleges that the retail heavyweight breached consumer laws by failing to meet strict safety and labeling standards.
At the centre of the lawsuit are millions of units of cosmetic nail glue sold both separately and alongside false nail packs.
The ACCC claims Kmart failed to provide adequate warnings regarding the severe risk of serious injury from chemical and contact burns.
They’ve also accused Kmart of failing to comply with mandatory button battery standards for popular watches and GPS tracking tags.
ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe slammed the oversight, declaring that major retailers have a responsibility to keep consumer safety front of mind.
“Kmart sold millions of units of some of these products, each posing a potential danger to consumers, including young children,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“We will allege Kmart’s conduct showed serious compliance failures which exposed the public to a significant risk of product safety harm.
“Button batteries are potentially deadly to young children if swallowed or inserted. We expect all businesses, especially large retailers like Kmart, to have consumer safety front of mind.”
The consumer watchdog is seeking penalties, declarations, costs and other orders against the Wesfarmers-owned retailer.
