Known for its superior quality and softness, Egyptian cotton has long been synonymous with luxury bedding. However, Business Insider is reporting that some — if not most — of the Egyptian cotton sold in the United States is fake.
Last week, Target announced they would be issuing more than $90 million dollars in customer refunds for falsely labeled linens from Welspun, one of India’s largest textile manufacturers. Following the announcement, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and J.C. Penny’s, all of which have contracted with Welspun in the past, launched investigations into the company’s supply chain.
Legally, “Egyptian cotton” means exactly what it says. But when you compare the market’s current saturation with the fact that Egypt’s cotton production has shrunk to just 1% of the world’s supply, the fake ‘sheet storm’ shouldn’t come as a total surprise.
What is surprising, however, is that Welspun wasn’t flagged in a DNA-based authentication program conducted last year by the Cotton Egypt Association, providing yet another example of the many challenges retailers face in managing global supply chains.
You can read more about the Egyptian cotton ‘sheet storm’ at Business Insider.
