Cotton On Group controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2021
Cotton On faces backlash over sex-positive product promotion
Public backlash
Cotton On faced negative reactions after promoting its Self Love range of female sex toys on social media. Some commenters objected to the promotion, including parents concerned that children might see it. Cotton On said it understood that not all online customers would be interested and that customer emails about the category had been carefully segmented for people aged 18 and over.
Company response
Clarification — Cotton On
In response to the negative reaction, Cotton On told news.com.au that “they understand that our online customer is made up of all ages, and not everyone will be interested in the Self Love product range”.
Source excerpt
While most comments commended the brand for embracing female sexuality and de-stigmatising adult sex toys, there were some that called out Cotton On for taking this route.
In response to the negative reaction, Cotton On told news.com.au that “they understand that our online customer is made up of all ages, and not everyone will be interested in the Self Love product range”.
2019
Xinjiang cotton sourcing scrutiny
Investigative reporting raised concerns that Cotton On and other Australian brands may have sourced cotton from Xinjiang in connection with alleged forced labour. Following an internal investigation, Cotton On announced that it had stopped buying cotton from Xinjiang over human-rights concerns.
2012
Children’s sleepwear safety and labelling case
Cotton On was fined A$1 million after children’s nightdresses and pyjamas were found to breach Australian fire-safety standards. The company also received penalties for labels that described the products as low fire danger when that description was considered false or misleading.