The Retail Industry’s “Dirty Little Secret”

Tuesday, 26 April 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Ever wonder what Victoria’s Secret is? According to the Tampa Tribune, it’s a “dirty little secret” shared by several major retailers. Instead of donating returned clothes or putting them back on the rack, chains like H&M and Target take a pair of scissors to the returned duds, destroying them on the spot. The practice is to deter people from re-selling the clothes for a profit but critics say it’s a gross waste of resources. The Tribune starts its article interviewing a woman who had a pair of Victoria’s Secret sweatpants shredded in front of her by a store clerk. Horrified she contact the store’s manager to protest. Writes the paper: “Apparently, the clerk’s only mistake was to cut up the clothes in front of customers, and not in a back room out of sight.”