On June 28, 2017, the ad watchdog truthinadvertising.org (TINA.org) said it had found 100 products on Target’s website whose specifications said Made in the USA, even though the products were made wholly or partly in other countries.
What TINA.org found
Some of the listings were for Target’s own brands. One example was up & up dry cleaning cloths for floor sweepers, which TINA.org said were made in China but listed as USA-made on the website. A later WFMY report said the flagged items ranged from a Target-brand mouthwash to a $200 children’s playhouse.
TINA.org filed a complaint asking the Federal Trade Commission to reopen its investigation of Target.
An inquiry already closed
Earlier in 2017, the FTC had looked into Target’s USA origin marketing and closed its inquiry. The National Law Journal reported that Target settled the agency’s concerns by pulling mislabeled Room Essentials pillows and making clear they were made in China.
TINA.org said the new examples appeared even though Target had told the FTC it had put a system in place to prevent false USA-origin claims.
“Consumers that want to buy Made in the USA products are being deceived by Target’s false origin representations,” said Bonnie Patten, the group’s executive director.
What happened next
WFMY reported in August 2017 that about three-quarters of the flagged items had been removed from Target’s website. According to TINA.org, Target said it was investigating and took the claims seriously.
TINA.org had made similar findings about Walmart’s website before. It said it was tracking more than 30 class actions over USA origin claims.
The FTC later gained civil penalty power over these claims. See our coverage of the 2021 Made in USA Labeling Rule.
FAQ
How many listings did TINA.org flag?
100 Target web listings that it said wrongly claimed Made in USA.
What did TINA.org ask for?
It asked the FTC to reopen the inquiry into Target that the agency had closed earlier in 2017.
Were the listings changed?
WFMY reported that about three-quarters of the flagged items had been removed from Target’s site by August 2017.
Source & credit
Source: TINA.org via GlobeNewswire: “Target Misses the Mark With ‘Made in USA’ Claims”, June 28, 2017.
Also: WFMY: “Group Says Target Misled You About Made In USA Claims”; National Law Journal: “11 Companies Flagged Over ‘Made in USA’ Claims So Far This Year”.