Dutch Watchdog Confirms Primark’s ‘Misleading’ Claims in Recent Ruling

The Dutch arm of Primark faced scrutiny earlier this year over various claims and statements, with the Advertising Code Committee initially labeling them as misleading in October.

Despite Primark’s appeal, the Board of Appeal has now upheld the ruling, declaring the investigated claims to be misleading. The inquiry focused on advertisements within Primark’s Dutch stores and on its Dutch website.

One of the scrutinized advertisements featured billboards with images of garment makers, accompanied by phrases like “training for equality” and “opportunities for all,” with a small disclaimer stating that Primark does not intend to address these goals until 2030.

The Board of Appeal found that Primark’s claims lacked sufficient substantiation, stating they were “insufficiently substantiated to assume that the ambition will be achieved (in time).” Additionally, the organization noted that other claims did not clearly communicate that Primark’s targets were ambitions rather than already achieved results.

In response to the ruling, a Primark spokesperson expressed satisfaction with certain aspects of the Primark Cares roadmaps but acknowledged the ongoing challenge of effectively communicating complex sustainability issues to consumers. The spokesperson stated, “We welcome this important discussion and will continue to think carefully about how to share Primark’s progress on sustainability with our customers.