Williams-Sonoma Subject of Class-Action Lawsuit
A class-action lawsuit worth more than $5 million has been filed against Williams-Sonoma, accusing the retailer and its subsidiaries, Pottery Barn and West Elm, of misleading customers. The lawsuit states that Williams-Sonoma had advertised sheets as “Signature 600- Thread-Count Sateen Bedding” made in Italy of Egyptian cotton. When the sheets were analyzed by experts, they were found to have only 291 thread count.
Total Retail's Take: Williams-Sonoma is the latest retailer to get caught up in a dispute over the quality of its sheets, joining Wal-Mart and Target. The lawsuit boils down to the fact that customers feel they're getting cheated. They're paying for a higher-end luxury sheet, but in reality it's not. There's little, if anything, worse than losing the trust of your customers. For Williams-Sonoma, that's something to lose sleep over.
- Companies:
- Williams-Sonoma
Joe Keenan is the executive editor of Total Retail. Joe has more than 10 years experience covering the retail industry, and enjoys profiling innovative companies and people in the space.
