This is just sorry

H&M and Wal-Mart destroy and trash unsold goods
Cynthia Magnus holds up unworn, destroyed clothing she found in the garbage. Photo by Suzanne DeChillo/New York Times
This week the New York Times reported a disheartening story about two of the largest retail chains. You see, instead of taking unsold items to sample sales or donating them to people in need, H&M and Wal-Mart have been throwing them out in giant trash bags. And in the case that someone may stumble on these bags and try to keep or re-sell the items, these companies have gone ahead and slashed up garments, cut off the sleeves of coats, and sliced holes in shoes so they are unwearable.

This unsettling discovery was made by graduate student Cynthia Magnus outside the back entrance of H&M on 35th street in New York City. Just a few doors down, she also found hundreds of Wal-Mart tagged items with holes made in them that were dumped by a contractor. On December 7, she spotted 20 bags of clothing outside of H&M including, "gloves with the fingers cut off, warm socks, cute patent leather Mary Jane school shoes, maybe for fourth graders, with the instep cut up with a scissor, men’s jackets, slashed across the body and the arms. The puffy fiber fill was coming out in big white cotton balls.”

The New York Times points out that one-third of the city's population is poor, which makes this behavior not only wasteful and sad, but downright irresponsible. Wal-Mart spokeswoman, Melissa Hill, acted surprised that these items were found, claiming they typically donate all unworn merchandise to charity. When reporters went around the corner from H&M to a collections drop-off for charity organization New York Cares, spokesperson Colleen Farrell said, “We’d be glad to take unworn coats, and companies often send them to us."

After several days of no response from H&M, the company made a statement today, promising to stop destroying the garments at the midtown Manhattan location. They said they will donate the items to charity. H&M spokeswoman Nicole Christie said, "It will not happen again," and that the company would make sure none of the other locations would do so either. Hopefully that's the final word

It says absolutely nothing about Walmart's "destroying or trashing unsold goods".

Well, who do these products belong to?

I would assume that some of the clothes mentioned do indeed belong to H&M (Swedish chain, absolutely no relation to Walmart) but I would point out that there is NO Walmart store in NYC. I suspect that some contractor for Walmart, as stated in the article, either overproduced or had an order rejected for some reason and chose to dump them. I'm not speaking for, or defending Walmart, but the idea that Walmart would HAUL what are obviously worthless clothes from someone's POV into downtown NY to dump them is ridiculous.

My point was that the owner of the clothing is free to do with it as they like.

I suppose it is more usual to see excess inventory handed off to a liquidator but there may have been contractual restrictions preventing that.

We might all handle things differently but these items are not public property.

Charles:

Sorry about that, I'm used to being picked apart, so took the "pit bull" reply route.

I actually had the same thought. I don't know much about H&M, but I think they're kind of a trendy youth oriented type store......regardless they are probably selling an "image" that they might not want to be seen on all the homeless people in NYC. I don't blame them. AFA Walmart is concerned, they are usually involved in local charities and, of course, they don't have a "brand" image of clothing to protect.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
My point was that the owner of the clothing is free to do with it as they like.

I suppose it is more usual to see excess inventory handed off to a liquidator but there may have been contractual restrictions preventing that.

We might all handle things differently but these items are not public property.

Yes it is their property and that is not the point. If you would actually agree with them on this then it is plain to see why America is going down the drain

quote:

Originally posted by Jarrod:
Yes it is their property and that is not the point. If you would actually agree with them on this then it is plain to see why America is going down the drain

So you agree that it is going down the drain because people want to dictate what others do with their money and property?

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

Originally posted by Jarrod:
Yes it is their property and that is not the point. If you would actually agree with them on this then it is plain to see why America is going down the drain

So you agree that it is going down the drain because people want to dictate what others do with their money and property?

Its people like you that is what is wrong with this country. Morals in this country just continue to keep sliding down hill. I take that back the morals in this country have fell in a deep pit.
And its the simple way of thinking like your statement "want to dictate what others do with their property" that is helping this country slide downhill more and more everyday

quote:

Originally posted by Jarrod:
Its people like you that is what is wrong with this country. Morals in this country just continue to keep sliding down hill. I take that back the morals in this country have fell in a deep pit.
And its the simple way of thinking like your statement "want to dictate what others do with their property" that is helping this country slide downhill more and more everyday

I don't think you know nearly enough about me to make that statement. I do not think it is my place to tell others what to do with what belings to them, and prefer they not tell me what to do with what is mine.

Would it have been better if they sold the items on QVC?

Did you really look into the story?

quote:

H&M defended itself, saying the company donated half a million pieces of clothes to charity last year, but that not all items qualified.

"We donate garments that do not meet our quality requirements to organizations such as Gifts In Kind, UNHCR, Caritas, the Red Cross and Helping Hands," the company said in a statement.

"However, we do not donate clothes that do not meet our safety requirements, chemical restrictions or are damaged.... We are currently looking into if we can further improve our routines."

They donate all these things, but because they do not give everything they are criticized.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

Originally posted by Jarrod:
Its people like you that is what is wrong with this country. Morals in this country just continue to keep sliding down hill. I take that back the morals in this country have fell in a deep pit.
And its the simple way of thinking like your statement "want to dictate what others do with their property" that is helping this country slide downhill more and more everyday

I don't think you know nearly enough about me to make that statement. I do not think it is my place to tell others what to do with what belings to them, and prefer they not tell me what to do with what is mine.

Would it have been better if they sold the items on QVC?

Did you really look into the story?

quote:

H&M defended itself, saying the company donated half a million pieces of clothes to charity last year, but that not all items qualified.

"We donate garments that do not meet our quality requirements to organizations such as Gifts In Kind, UNHCR, Caritas, the Red Cross and Helping Hands," the company said in a statement.

"However, we do not donate clothes that do not meet our safety requirements, chemical restrictions or are damaged.... We are currently looking into if we can further improve our routines."

They donate all these things, but because they do not give everything they are criticized.

I can already see this will be useless. Apparently it would be like talking to a wall

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
Sorry about that, I'm used to being picked apart.

At some point you'd think you'd figure out why.

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
Sorry about that, I'm used to being picked apart.

At some point you'd think you'd figure out why.

Yeah, because there are people like you around. It doesn't bother me, I'm always polite until the other person becomes less than polite. You're a fine example.

Gordo....

The problem with the internet is that you can't always determine someone's intent or tone by reading their words. I've seen you attack people for absolutely no reason under the guise of "I'm a Texas hardass". Whatever, if that's your persona, so be it.

For example, I found it funny that you had to temper your offer for a pig hunt on your land with a few statements about being ready to boot people off the property and so on for whatever reason.....I can't recall exactly but you know exactly what I mean. Relax man, not everyone is out to attack you just because you claim to be a fatcat.

Go ahead, call me a dickhead and whatever now.

quote:

I've seen you attack people for absolutely no reason under the guise of "I'm a Texas hardass". Whatever, if that's your persona, so be it.

You're a liar. Cite any passage where I attacked someone for no reason.

quote:

For example, I found it funny that you had to temper your offer for a pig hunt on your land with a few statements about being ready to boot people off the property and so on for whatever reason.....I can't recall exactly but you know exactly what I mean. Relax man, not everyone is out to attack you just because you claim to be a fatcat.

PS: You're twice a liar. You can't recall because I didn't say it.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

For example, I found it funny that you had to temper your offer for a pig hunt on your land with a few statements about being ready to boot people off the property and so on for whatever reason.....I can't recall exactly but you know exactly what I mean. Relax man, not everyone is out to attack you just because you claim to be a fatcat.

PS: You're twice a liar. You can't recall because I didn't say it.

"No one that I know calls me Mr. Congeniality so if you act like a horse's butt, don't expect me to smile and ignore it. OTOH I like to meet people who act like real people and would welcome you to my place."

I'm not a liar......let's just leave it at that. You're probably a good ol' boy in real life. I'm not known to suffer fools gladly either.

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

For example, I found it funny that you had to temper your offer for a pig hunt on your land with a few statements about being ready to boot people off the property and so on for whatever reason.....I can't recall exactly but you know exactly what I mean. Relax man, not everyone is out to attack you just because you claim to be a fatcat.

PS: You're twice a liar. You can't recall because I didn't say it.

"No one that I know calls me Mr. Congeniality so if you act like a horse's butt, don't expect me to smile and ignore it. OTOH I like to meet people who act like real people and would welcome you to my place."

I'm not a liar......let's just leave it at that. You're probably a good ol' boy in real life. I'm not known to suffer fools gladly either.

Ummmmmm.....where does it say anything about "booting someone off my property"? Yeah, you're not a liar according to you, you just can't find anything to prove your statements aren't lies. I'm also waiting for you to cite a post where I initiated an attack on someone without reason. You're a liar.