U.S. Retail Industry News Roundup: Retailers Focus on Green and Healthy Practices By Choice or By Forced Legal Actions (DLTR, SKS, TGT, KSS, LOW, SWY)

Beyond the focus on numbers and forecasts in the earnings reporting season, the U.S. retail industry has also been focused on the business of retailing, which, by necessity, includes strategies that are both green and healthy. Consumers are expecting a greater commitment to green and healthy practices from major retail chains, and legal actions are demanding it. Here are the top six healthy and green retailing news stories that were recently under reported and overlooked by busy retail industry number-crunchers.

Dollar Tree (DLTR) is Banned from Bling in Vermont

Dollar Tree has been banned from selling any products "commonly understood to be jewelry" in the state of Vermont. This bling ban is not a result of the Vermont fashion police run amok, but rather is part of the settlement of a lawsuitsuit that was filed against the ultra discount chain because it was selling products containing high amounts of lead. Some of the cheap-chic jewelry sold at Dollar Tree had 1,600 times the legal limit of lead in them. Since presumably it is children who wear - and suck on - jewelry that can be purchased for a dollar, this high lead level was considered to be a health hazard and in violation of Vermont's Consumer Fraud Act.

I find it a little bit humorous that consumers don't seem to question why low-priced merchandise is so low-priced. Huge discounts are often health hazards and you often pay a big price for big bargains.

Saks (SKS) Sued For Carcinogenic Jewels and Faux Labels

Apparently buyers also need to beware when shopping in luxury stores as well. Saks is reportedly being sued by the Center for Environmental Health after the organization tested jewelry purchased at the luxury retailer and found dangerously high amounts of cadmium in those items. While the lead in the Dollar Tree jewelry can cause brain damage, the cadmium in the Saks jewelry has been identified as a carcinogen.

In other legal trouble, Saks settled a lawsuit filed against it by... more >>