Market watchdog finds 70% of children's furniture substandard
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Substandard children's furniture
Ti Gong
Over 70 percent of children's furniture sold online and inspected by local authorities was found to be substandard, Shanghai's market watchdog revealed on Friday.
The Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation conducted checks on 25 batches of children's furniture bought from three online shopping sites: Tmall, JD.com and yhd.com. In total, 18 batches, or 72 percent, fell short of various product quality and safety standards.
Three batches were substandard for having sharp edges which could cause injury, the administration said. A batch of chairs from Beijing Citylong Plastics Co and sold on JD.com was on this list.
Eleven batches failed due to holes and spaces between fittings, according to the administration. This includes two batches of desks from Shanghai Duoyi Furniture Co and sold on Tmall.
Holes and gaps are regulated to avoid children's hands from getting stuck in substandard furniture, the administration warned.
A batch of Gerade Sitzen brand children's furniture sold on JD.com failed static load-bearing tests, meaning that parts could fall off or collapse during use, the administration said.
Also, 11 batches failed due to substandard product warning labels. This includes a batch of SUNDVIK branded beds and a batch of PAHL branded desks from IKEA China. The products were sold on Tmall, say regulators.
Authorities have ordered the businesses involved to stop sales of substandard furniture immediately and inspect their stocks, the administration said.
Further investigation is ongoing.
