WHE Participates in National Retailer Survey
Date: 12/11/2012
How retailers respond to consumer demand for safe personal care products
Click here to read the full report!
Whole Foods Market is by far the leader, garnering nine out of a possible ten “kisses” in the ranking, because of its policy of screening out more than 400 chemicals of concern from its premium products; offering an extensive range of safer alternatives; and communicating its safety commitments and progress clearly to the public. At the other end of the spectrum, garnering only one kiss, is Macy’s, which stated that government regulations are adequate to address cosmetics safety and that it trusted its vendors to ensure the products the company sells are safe. The company has a very limited selection of safer alternatives, with some of its stores not offering any alternatives at all. CVS trailed Whole Foods with five kisses, followed by Walgreens and Target with four, and Walmart, Kroger and Costco with three.
The $50 billion personal care product industry in the United States is largely unregulated, meaning products you buy at your local retailer—from baby shampoo to lipstick to moisturizers—can contain chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, infertility and other chronic diseases.
This report provides vital information to consumers, including:
- which have addressed the safety of their private label brands
- which promote and expand the sale of safer alternatives; and
- which help customers understand their store’s commitment to health and safety.
The report reflects critical market trends, showing which retailers are responding to the growing demand for safer personal care products, which represent the fastest growing segment of the cosmetics market, which is expected to top $11 billion by 2016, due to rising consumer concern about hazardous chemicals in cosmetics.
The Campaign collected data for the report through direct communication with the companies, searches of their websites and corporate responsibility reports, and in-store shopper surveys conducted by volunteers from organizations in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
