Canada Goose controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2021
China fines Canada Goose over alleged misleading material claims
Fine or penalty
China's National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System fined Canada Goose 450,000 yuan. A regulator-related report states that the company was accused of allegedly misleading consumers about the materials used in its products, including claims concerning Hutterite down.
Company response
Clarification — Canada Goose
In an emailed response to CBC News, the company said a technical error on a partner website was behind confusion about its products' materials.
Source excerpt
Earlier this year a misalignment of text was found on a partner site, Tmall, in our [Asia-Pacific] region. The error was corrected immediately,
The country's regulator, the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, fined the company 450,000 yuan, the equivalent of about $88,202.
The complaint centres on the company's claim it uses "Hutterite down," the warmest down available. It alleges the company uses other kinds of down in most of its products.
2021
Report on Canada Goose product-quality and return complaint
Issue disclosure
A consumer reported that a Canada Goose down jacket bought at a Shanghai store had a misembroidered trademark, rough stitching and a pungent odor, and that the store refused her return request. The article discusses the consumer's return rights under Chinese law.
Source excerpt
贾姓消费者前往门店要求退货时，品牌门店以“没有权利退货，需要总公司层面来解决”进行推脱。
该顾客在上海国金中心门店购买了一件11400元的羽绒服，但该商品存在商标绣错、缝线粗糙、面料有刺鼻异味等问题。
2020
Announcement of a transition away from fur
Canada Goose first announced that it would rely on reclaimed coyote fur and later amended its plan to state that it would stop using fur by 2022. Animal-rights organizations continued to challenge the company over down sourcing and implementation.
2019
Canada Goose partnership draws public criticism
Public backlash
In a controversy noted in November 2019, Kate Upton faced criticism for partnering with Canada Goose and Polar Bears International to raise awareness of polar bears. Critics called the partnership hypocritical because Canada Goose uses animal materials in its products.
Source excerpt
In response to the partnership, Upton has faced criticism for being “disingenuous” and “tone-deaf,” with many pointing out the irony of the model thanking the jacket brand for its kindness and support of animals.
However, fans of Upton took offence with the photo after the model revealed she had partnered with Canada Goose, which has previously been accused of animal cruelty by Peta, and Polar Bears International (PBI) to raise awareness of the animals.
2017
PETA shareholder campaign over fur and down
PETA purchased company shares to seek a shareholder resolution urging Canada Goose to stop using fur and feathers. The action kept animal-material sourcing at the center of public criticism.
2015
Animal-welfare complaint over coyote-fur sourcing
Animal Justice Canada filed a complaint with the Competition Bureau of Canada alleging that trapping methods used by suppliers of coyote fur for Canada Goose products were inhumane. The complaint formed part of a broader campaign against animal-derived materials in the brand’s apparel.