First-hand-store brands are being accused of selling unethical goods in India

The first-hand retailer brand has been accused of engaging in unethical practices in India after a survey showed that 70 per cent of its merchandise sold was not ethically sourced.

The survey, conducted by Bazaar-Bharat, a national non-profit organisation, found that 92 per cent items in the store were not sourced in India and 80 per cent had questionable or non-existent ingredients.

It found that nearly 70 per the items in its stores were not ethally sourced, and more than 80 per the products in the stores were unhygienic, according to the Times of India.

Bazaar-bharat also said that in the first 10 months of 2017, it had raised concerns about the quality of some of its items, which were found to be adulterated.

The non-governmental organisation also said it was not satisfied with the way Bazaar Bharat had approached the Indian government over the issue, saying it did not feel that the organisation was making any progress.

In its statement, Bazaar Bharat said the company had taken the issue to the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DoEIT), who had directed it to “examine the sourcing and manufacturing practices of all our products.”

Bazaar Bharata also said in its statement that the firm was taking steps to ensure its brand image is not tarnished by such a report.

“Bazaar Baghash, the brand of our second-handed-store brand, has been subjected to the ire of some consumers, who have alleged that the brand’s products are made from a mix of different types of ingredients and are not ethanically sourced,” the statement said.

“They have also said we are selling counterfeit goods and that we are not being ethical in the way we manufacture our products,” it added.

India has become a hub for sourcing ethically-sourced goods after it became a signatory to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) global anti-dumping convention in December last year.