The owner of House of Fraser, Flannels and Sports Direct has said it will stop buying fur products with immediate effect after lobbying from the Humane Society International.
Frasers Group said the change in policy meant it would no longer have new fur products on its shelves from next autumn. The company has not yet given a date from which consumers can be assured Frasers Group’s stores will be free of fur, however.
Michael Murray, the group’s new chief executive, said: “Frasers Group is committed to a future without fur. The group’s intention is to stop purchasing fur products from its partners starting with orders for the coming season. The business will be issuing letters to all of its suppliers requesting no fur products are supplied to the group.”
In a letter to suppliers, first reported by the trade journal Drapers, Murray said the change in policy came as part of a process of “engaging with external stakeholders, from investors to NGOs, to understand where we can make improvements”.
He added: “As a leading retailer, it is important that we remain committed to meeting the needs and demands of our consumers.”
Frasers Group, which is controlled by the former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley and has more than 1,500 stores globally, has held out in stocking fur as designer brands such as Versace, Burberry and Gucci have recently joined labels such as Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani which have avoided the material for some years.
Fur features as trim on the hoods of some jackets sold in the group’s outlets and the Flannels website advertises a bomber jacket with a “real raccoon fur-trim hood” and a gilet with a “fox fur front”.
House of Fraser had a fur-free policy as far back as 2010, but it is not clear if the retailer retained that after its buyout by Ashley’s retail group in 2018. High street retailers, including Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Topshop all pledged not to use fur in the early 00s.
Claire Bass, the Humane Society International’s executive director, said: “We are pleased to have been able to work alongside Frasers Group and applaud it for taking the important decision to stop purchasing fur. By making this commitment to a fur-free future, Frasers Group are showing that it is a company in tune with the vast majority of the British public who believe that animals should not suffer in the name of fashion.”
