Primark fell foul of a tabloid frenzy last week when it was accused of selling a ‘paedo bikini’. How damaging was the controversy and what lessons can be learnt?

Why are we talking about this now?

Value fashion group Primark was embroiled in controversy last week after being accused of sexualising children by selling a padded bikini aimed at girls as young as seven. The issue was highlighted by The Sun, which splashed it on the front page and dubbed it a “paedo bikini”.

Was Primark the only retailer affected?

No. The controversy soon spread and The Sun attacked what it called a “paedo heaven on our high street”. A low-cut padded diamante bikini sold by Bhs, and padded bras sold in Next, Peacocks and Tesco all came under fire. Top politicians, including Conservative leader David Cameron and Prime Minster Gordon Brown also entered the fray. The Children’s Society director Penny Nicholls condemned “commercial pressure towards premature sexualisation and unprincipled advertising” that is “damaging children’s well-being”.

Are other product categories at risk of similar controversy?

While the current controversy concerns fashion, other categories have been affected in the past, notably a pole dancing kit for kids, which Tesco was forced to withdraw in 2006, and a Woolworths girls’ bedroom furniture range, which caused a storm in 2008.

How did the retailers caught up in the clothing row react?

All acted swiftly to defuse the rumpus. Primark stopped selling the product, apologised and said it would make a donation to a children’s charity. Other retailers followed suit and cleared their shelves of affected items. Peacocks chief executive Richard Kirk said: “We have started checking every product to make sure everything is appropriate.”

How can such controversies be avoided in future?

Kerry Gwyther, head of regulatory at law firm TLT, says: “Few retailers have systems to deal with ‘moral safety’ and it is normally only in the light of adverse press comment that a retailer takes a decision to voluntarily remove a product from shelves.

“Unlike product removal under the European standards, local Trading Standards do not have any power to compel the removal of product considered inappropriate, so it has to be voluntary. Retailers are reluctant to do this, because it gives rise to contractual claims and is not covered by product liability or force majeure.

“Manufacturers and retailers should incorporate additional risk assessment into the manufacturing and buying process. Without these additional safeguards there will be undoubtedly be further instances of ‘moral recalls’.”