Consumer Affairs Victoria has been granted a court injunction to stop warehouse retail store Panda Mart from trading, after inspectors discovered hundreds of illegal items on the shelves of the Preston and Cranbourne stores.
The stores are ordered to close for 72 hours from Wednesday 10 December. They will reopen on Saturday 13 December.
Panda Mart sells toys, homewares, sporting goods and beauty products. The store’s scale, variety of products and low prices can attract large crowds, including families with young children.
In March, Consumer Affairs Victoria Director Nicole Rich issued a public warning to consumers after thousands of products being sold at the Cranbourne store failed to meet mandatory product safety and information standards.
An inspection of both stores last week identified several items of concern. These included banned candles with flammable contents next to the wick, toys with unsecured button batteries, choking hazards, and flotation devices without adequate warnings.
The injunction effectively closes both stores for 72 hours from 9am Wednesday 10 December, while product safety inspectors conduct a full compliance inspection to identify, seize and remove non-compliant products from the shelves.
Rich said most items sold at the Preston store during inspections in September this year – after the warning about the Cranbourne store – met Australia’s product safety standards. However, the recent inspections of Panda Mart’s Cranbourne and Preston stores found shelves re-filled with non-compliant items.
“It’s particularly disappointing that Panda Mart appears to have gone from meeting their obligations to restocking their shelves with products that pose a serious danger to the public,” she said.
“These items are banned or heavily regulated for a reason. Flammable candles, button batteries, and toys with small parts that can cause choking are all known killers.”
The injunction highlights that the regulator will continue to pursue a range of enforcement options to protect Victorians.
“Every business is responsible for ensuring that the products they sell are safe. Being ignorant is no excuse,” Ms Rich said.
