- British online retailer Pretty Little Thing has been criticized for selling clothing for less than $1 in its Black Friday sale.
- Critics said the brand was promoting fast fashion and asked fellow shoppers to think of those who had made the clothing.
- A spokesperson for Pretty Little Thing told Insider: "After a bleak 2020 for most of us, we wanted to offer something competitive and understand people may be spending less in what is usually peak shopping season."
- Pretty Little Thing's Parent company, Boohoo plc, launched an internal investigation in July following a Sunday Times report that workers were being paid less than the UK minimum wage.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
British online retailer Pretty Little Thing (PLT) has come under fire for selling clothing for less than $1 during its Black Friday sale.
Critics said the sale, which the brand named Pink Friday, promoted fast fashion and "unethical" practices.
A spokesperson for PLT told Insider: "As part of our Black Friday campaign, we are offering customers in the UK 99% off selected lines while stock lasts. After a bleak 2020 for most of us, we wanted to offer something competitive and understand people may be spending less in what is usually peak shopping season."
Items on the website were listed for up to 99% off the original price, with pants selling for £0.25 ($0.23) and dresses for £0.55 ($0.46).
One Twitter user said she purchased a cream-colored aviator jacket for £0.55 ($0.73) that originally retailed for £55 ($73).
Many people were tempted by the low prices. In reply to a PLT tweet promoting the sale, one user said: "Guess who just got 56 items for £28 on PLT?? So happy. The best deal ever!!"
However, some people called into question the ethics behind selling clothing for extremely low prices.
Payzee Malika, a London-based campaigner and activist, quoted PLT's tweet and said: "Whilst this and all the other Black Friday deals look extremely appealing, please think before you buy into these fast fashion brands selling clothes under £1. Think about who, where, and how these items are made. These brands are not ethically operating!!!!!"
PLT's parent company Boohoo Plc launched an internal investigation in July after a report from The Sunday Times said that workers in an English factory were being paid as little as £3.50 ($4.37) an hour, far below the UK's national minimum wage of £8.72 ($10.89).
Boohoo released a statement saying that said they were "grateful" the conditions were highlighted "which, if as observed and reported by the undercover reporter, are totally unacceptable and fall woefully short of any standards acceptable in any workplace."
British organization Labour Behind the Label released a report in June that outlined that Leicester factories producing Boohoo clothing were "putting workers at risk of COVID-19 infection and fatality as some factories have remained open for production during the lockdown, whilst others are now re-opening."
The report said that workers were asked to work with "little to no" social distancing or personal protective equipment (PPE).
In response to the claims, Boohoo told Insider that it "does not tolerate any incidence of non-compliance especially in relation to the treatment of workers."
Although it makes clothing more affordable, fast fashion has its environmental impacts. Business Insider's Morgan McFall-Johnsen previously reported that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of humanity's carbon emissions, with 85% of textiles going to dumps yearly.
PLT's sale continued for Cyber Monday, offering its customers up to 80% off clothing, and a further 20% using a checkout code.
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