Matalan controversies

Recall notice issued for hot water bottles sold by Matalan

Recall announced

Wiltshire Trading Standards issued a product recall notice for four hot water bottle products being sold by Matalan stores. The source does not specify the reason for the recall. The notice concerns four hot water bottle products sold by Matalan. No further details on the cause, affected batches, or outcomes are provided in the source.

Rana Plaza compensation dispute

Matalan was identified among retailers sourcing garments from the Rana Plaza factory complex in Bangladesh, whose collapse in April 2013 killed 1,134 people. In July 2014, 38 Degrees and Labour Behind the Label criticised the retailer for not initially contributing to the official compensation fund coordinated by the International Labour Organization. Matalan later announced an undisclosed payment, subsequently reported as £60,000. Labour-rights campaigners challenged the contribution as too small compared with payments made by some other retailers.