Retail Toy Industry Rampant with Recalls

It seems as though every day, we see news of another recall of some sort, especially in the area of toys. Whether it is because of lead paint, or easy breakability/choking hazards, for whatever reason, something is always being pulled off of the shelf. There is no specific company or retailer who is responsible for all of this - instead, it is happening to almost everyone across the board. This causes us to raise a number of questions about the situation.

First of all, why do so many recall stories get so much attention from the media? Is part of the reason why they seem so prominent because the media instills a fear in us, simply because of one blown up issue? Often, we see many retailers in a bad light, just because they carried the recalled product. But, is this really what we should do? Honestly, this judgement could go either way. On one hand, we could praise retailers for being responsible and concerned enough about the situation to forgo the opportunity to make a product in order to actually do something about the problem. On the other hand, we could blame them for allowing a certain process to occur, for example, permitting lead paint or shoddy designs to be used and sold in the first place. However, it seems as though the consumer always antagonizes the retailer, even if it is not always the fault of the retailer. This is mostly due to the fact that the media causes us to distrust everyone.

Another thing we must wonder about is whether or not consumer choice contributes to this matter. A child swallows a battery or a piece of a toy while his mother isn't looking, and suddenly, the toy must be recalled. Was this the company's fault, or the child/mother's? Was the toy recalled because it was dangerous, or because someone else made it appear to be so?

Companies and retailers must face situations like these all the time, even when they do not break any kind of ethical rule. Consumers will almost always react with fear and anger when faced with a faulty product, even if it is not always a threat to life. The best way for retailers to handle situations like these is to act responsibly, and show the consumer that they care - this usually means recalling the product and being more conscious of how the product is produced. The retailer must always fight to keep the consumer feeling safe and happy, even if it means that people involved in the production process will lose their jobs.

Catherine Reeves