Boohoo boss John Lyttle has denied accusations the retailer went back on its promises to produce its clothes fairly and ethically following an investigation by BBC’s Panorama.
In a now published letter to the Environmental Audit Committee, the CEO said the accusations were “categorically untrue” and that the group had “absolutely not reneged on any of [its] commitments”.
The Panorama investigation, which aired in November, found evidence that staff at the fast fashion retailer’s Manchester HQ were pressuring suppliers to drive prices down even after deals had been agreed.
Lyttle claimed the documentary overlooked “crucial context” such as highlighting that the cost of raw materials, energy and transport had fallen after a spike in prices over the pandemic.
He said Boohoo had been “absorbing cost increases to shield customers from inflationary pressures”, but with the costs reducing, “it is only correct that our suppliers should reflect that in their pricing”.
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Secret filming by Panorama found that one of Boohoo’s suppliers – a factory called MM Leicester Clothing – had told staff on multiple occasions they may need to work late shifts with little notice to get the retailer’s orders completed.
Lyttle said that the retailer had launched an investigation into the supplier and has since conducted a “responsible exit for the supplier and have removed them from our published list of approved manufacturers”.
He added: “We do not tolerate non-compliance with our Boohoo group code of conduct and will take appropriate action, including conducting a responsible exit, where necessary.”
The investigation that aired in November was followed up another exposé in January, which found the retailer had added “Made in UK” labels on “thousands of clothes” made in South Asia at its flagship Thurmaston Lane factory in Leicester.
Environmental Audit Committee Chair Philip Dunne MP said: “Since BBC Panorama’s programme aired in November 2023, there has been subsequent reporting of evidence of incorrect labelling by the company at its Thurmaston Lane site, which the company does not contest.
“This evidence of incorrect labelling practices is concerning: when consumers see labels describing a garment’s country of origin, they expect them to be accurate.
“I trust that the company is taking urgent steps to ensure that correct labelling practices are in place across its UK operations.”
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