National homeware retailer Bed, Bath and Beyond has been fined more than $200,000 for selling a “record number of unsafe products”.

From March to October 2023, Bed, Bath and Beyond sold 27,374 products that did not include the safety information as required by law.

Products included at least 3753 children’s pyjama sets that did not have fire cinformation in the required visible spot or in the online descriptions, and 23,801 hot water bottles that did not provide instructions about safe usage and storage.

“Businesses must ensure the products they supply comply with legal requirements and are safe for the intended user – especially requirements about fire safety and burns which help keep consumers safe,” said Vanessa Horne, the Commerce Commission’s general manager of competition, fair trading and credit.

“It was important for us to take this case as this is the largest number of items that didn’t comply with product safety requirements the Commission has seen.

“The failures in this case increased the risk of harm for the over 27,000 consumers who purchased these products.

“The required fire hazard labels and hot water bottle instructions are there to inform consumers about the risks of products so they can keep themselves and their families safe. It’s vital businesses have rigorous compliance processes to ensure they follow all labelling obligations,” Horne said.

Bed, Bath and Beyond was sentenced in the Auckland District Court and fined $230,000 for five breaches of the Fair Trading Act related to the sale of non-compliant children’s pyjamas and hot water bottles.

During sentencing, Judge Stephen Bonnar KC said, “by virtue of the number of non-compliant goods supplied by Bed, Bath and Beyond on a nationwide basis, and having regard to the duration of the offending, the offending must be considered as serious offending”.

Children’s pyjamas require permanent warning labels in specific locations – at the top of the garment and in online descriptions – to outline the level of potential fire risk.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.