Urban Decay is backing out of China!

Have you heard the news? Urban Decay are changing their plans because of us. Protesting matters, people.

I can’t say that they’re excused for what they’ve done, but I’m at least able to let go of my breath now. Their number one priority is obviously money and not animal welfare, and even though I can’t look at them the same way as before at least no animal lives will be spilled for their products. I’m proud of the amazing protesters in the first hand. Urban Decay probably just didn’t want to lose money, if no one would have protested they would have happily proceeded with their China plan. That’s my thought on it.

Hmm. What do you think?

 

From the Urban Decay website:

UD Decides Not to Sell in China

After careful consideration of many issues, we have decided not to start selling Urban Decay products in China. While several factors were important in reaching this decision, ultimately we did not feel we could comply with current regulations in China and remain true to our core principles. We know there are many progressive consumers in China who would embrace an opportunity to purchase non-animal tested products – our hope remains that we have the chance to offer Urban Decay products to these consumers someday in the future.

Following our initial announcement, we realized that we needed to step back, carefully review our original plan, and talk to a number of individuals and organizations that were interested in our decision. We regret that we were unable to respond immediately to many of the questions we received, and appreciate the patience our customers have shown as we worked through this difficult issue.

Since our founding in 1996, we have been committed to ending animal testing in the cosmetics industry. As demonstrated by the renewed support we have received from organizations like PETA and the CCIC, this principle remains at our core. Urban Decay does not test its finished products on animals, nor do we allow others to test on our behalf, and we require our suppliers to certify that the raw materials used in the manufacture of our products are not tested on animals. Urban Decay is proud to be 100% cruelty-free.

_Viola, Killer Colours

29 Kommentarer

2012.07.06 21:45

29 Kommentarer på "Urban Decay is backing out of China!"

  1. Marina den 2012/07/06 21:56

    2. Det känns ju tyvärr fortfarande som att allt handlar om pengar. Först ser de en möjlighet att tjna pengar i Kina. Folk protesterar och Goodwillen de hade i och med sin “mot djurtester”-policy gick om intet. Så då backar de för att rädda det som räddas kan.. :( Sorgligt men inte förvånande…

  2. Viola, Killer Colours den 2012/07/06 21:58

    3. Marina: På så vis suger det verkligen och därmed ursäktar jag dem inte, men slutsatsen är att färre djur får lida och då är jag glad, oavsett huruvida jag kommer att fortsätta köpa produkterna eller ej. :)

  3. Veronica den 2012/07/06 22:09

    4. Mycket bra beslut av Urban Decay. Jag tappade helt respekten för dem när de försökte förklara orsaken till att de ville börja sälja smink i Kina. Jag tyckte däremot att de kunde sagt från början att det har med pengar att göra för det var ju det som var (är jag säker på iallafall) orsaken till att de villa expandera. Mer cred till dem att de faktiskt avstår pengarna för att hålla på sina principer.

  4. Baraneon den 2012/07/06 22:14

    5. YES!!!! Fast ja, fortfarande så har de ju förstört lite av sitt förut så goda rykte genom detta nudå :/

  5. lotta den 2012/07/06 22:16

    6. oh lord, good news. Som sagt hör ovan, det handlar om pengar men som du svarade så får färre djur lida = good news.

  6. Natasja den 2012/07/06 22:36

    7. This is FANTASTIC news, whát an amazing company! I’m sooo happy with their decision! Thanks for sharing.

  7. Umapuma den 2012/07/06 23:12

    8. They made the right choice, hooray! Now China needs to get right and chnage their requirements.

  8. Emi den 2012/07/06 23:21

    9. My question is.. how can we trust them now?

  9. Jen den 2012/07/07 00:21

    10. Wonderful news! It was such a shame to think that I’d have to cut UD out of my repertoire. You’re right, we can’t just forget that they were going to go ahead with their China sales, but I’m so glad that the protesting and complaints from dedicated and ethical consumers made them come to their senses!

  10. DandoLaTalla den 2012/07/07 01:17

    11. Actually they are not 100% cruelty free as not all their products are vegan, but they are certainly pushing hard.

  11. Ra den 2012/07/07 02:33

    12. I am proud of you!

  12. S. den 2012/07/07 05:06

    13. Urban Decay is probably cruelty free now? Sorry, my English is bad.

  13. Emelie den 2012/07/07 07:38

    14. Det är tydligt att de ändrat sig bara för att de inte vill förlora oss andra som kunder. Men som du säger, struntsamma vad orsaken är! De är cruelty free igen, djuren bryr sig inte om varför och därför tänker jag köpa deras produkter. Tyvärr tror jag att de flesta företag, hur djurvänliga de än verkar, bryr sig om pengarna i första hand. Det är synd men så ser världen ut.

  14. Elin den 2012/07/07 09:24

    15. Visst känns det ganska förjävligt att Urban Decay vill få det till att deras främsta intresse är djurens välmående när det uppenbarligen inte är fallet men som sagt för djuren spelar det ju ingen roll varför de inte testar bara att de inte gör det. Och jag kommer nog fortsätta köpa UD produkter för att visa dem och andra företag att ej djurtestat smink faktiskt är viktigt för många av oss.

  15. Ellinor Landal den 2012/07/07 15:01

    16. HELL YEAH!!!!

  16. Barbvanth den 2012/07/07 15:47

    17. I´m so happy they heard us.

  17. Davinia den 2012/07/07 16:01

    18. I’m happy to hear this :)

    Although it’s obvious that their main interest is money (as every company) I would also want to believe that at least a minimum part of the company wanted to remain cruelty free as they were before and that they care about animals welfare :/ (although it’s hard to believe it).

    I only hope that with this rejection, China starts to rethink and change their policies and requirements.

  18. Louise/Colourspot den 2012/07/07 18:08

    19. Det är klart att det handlar om pengar och om att inte förlora kunder. Det är ett vinstdrivande företag vi talar om – dra in pengar eller gå i konkurs.. Men de lyssnade på vad deras kunder ville, vilket i detta fall innebär att de väljer att inte stödja djurförsök. Jag nöjer mig med det, åtminstone för nu. Vi får se åt vilket håll vindarna blåser i framtiden.

  19. nina den 2012/07/07 18:49

    20. ett annat sätt att se på detta (ud vs pengar vs moral) är att vara glad över att det uppenbarligen finns en så pass (köp)stark opinion mot djurtester av smink att U.D. landar i att det lönar sig att avstå från dessa. jag tycker nästan att det är mer hoppingivande än om dom vore strikt moraliska i sitt avståndstagande, inte för just U.D., men för markanden i stort. finns det tillräckligt stora ekonomiska (och kanske till viss del moraliska) incitament för dom att avstå så borde det betyda att andra företag kommer följa efter – även om dom enbart utgår från vinstintresse.
    hoppas jag.

  20. Jennifer den 2012/07/07 18:53

    21. The reality is, it was such a bad move. It really permanently (or at least semi-permanently) damaged their image for all of the people who buy their products because of their values. But in comparison, they told their customers before they did it unlike a lot of other cosmetics companies with similar values.

    To me, it’s just a display of short-term business thinking. Whether it was the management that runs UD or the holding company that owns them, someone decided they needed to expand their reach and potentially make more money, completely overlooking one of their core principles and a big backbone of their business model. I’m glad that they admitted they were wrong instead of stubbornly upholding their decision.

    So for the future, I think they’ll have to make up for it. And it will take time, but honestly it will probably be fine. Time always seems to heal bad PR. Lime Crime also had a huge controversy in the blogging community if you remember (repackaging mica and denying it, and then I guess some bad customer service experiences), and they seemed to have recovered just fine.

    I think we (at least me) are always looking for cosmetics/skin care companies who have great ethics and uphold their values every time. It becomes harder and harder to do that when the pressure is so much about making money. I think it’s also harder for big companies to do that — although I really believe it can be done. Anyway, that’s my two cents about the issue.

  21. Isabela (Fusels) den 2012/07/07 20:30

    22. Glad they have given up on proceeding with the tests, though am not 100% happy with the reasons. Wish MAC and NARS could do the same, even if it’s all about the money, it’s good for the animals in the end, one way or another…

  22. Anne den 2012/07/08 14:21

    23. Thanks for the update!

  23. Marilisa den 2012/07/08 22:24

    24. Altough it’s fantastic news that UD changed their mind, in fact persuaded by a very likely loss of customers AND gain, I believe, I feel I can’t put my trust in them again as in first place they did an opportunistic choice when they decided to expand to China, not caring at all about the mandatory animal testing required in that country, and in doing so so sharply contrasting with the very much remunerative and hyped company’s false principles.
    Also I think they just told their customers about their shady plans in the ridiculous flimsy attempt to save their face.
    I do not know whether I will start buying UD’s products again or not.
    I think I’ll wait and see what their marketing managers will be up to in the next months.
    I think time only will tell us whether or not they have just postponed their original plan and will go back to their previous decision to expand to China when public opinion calms down and lets its guard down or, better, when the company’s balance sheet will show very healthy figures so to inspire them to attempt a new moneygrubbing expansion to the Chinese market again.
    UD has actually lost any credibility with their customers showing us the true self-interested and venal company’s nature.
    Marilisa

  24. Gabrielle den 2012/07/09 05:44

    25. UD is not an 100% cruelty free company.

  25. Kristin den 2012/07/09 11:38

    26. Jag är glad att de backade ur eftersom jag älskar deras produkter. Däremot håller jag med de flesta, det känns inte som om djuren är prio ett, utan pengarna. Och jag förstår att de behöver pengar, men jag tvivlar ju starkt på att de behövde Kina för att överleva som företag.

  26. Sandra den 2012/07/11 01:02

    27. I´m so happy to read this…..Hellll Yeahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

    It´s better late than never, at least it’s a little step :)

  27. Amanda den 2012/08/21 03:36

    28. I’m really happy for this, but MAC tests on animals and people still buy from them, so it’s kind of hypocrite for them to be mad at UD, just saying.

  28. Viola, Killer Colours den 2012/08/21 08:55

    29. Amanda: I don’t buy MAC either, but I use what I have. I’ve said I would do the same if UD started testing, no more buying and using what I’ve got.

  29. Mandy den 2012/09/06 00:57

    30. It really matters, if we don’t buy, they don’t sell. I was checking PETA list and I’m very sad to know that MAC, Maybelline, L’Oreal, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, and many other tests in animals.

    http://www.mediapeta.com/peta/PDF/companiesdotest.pdf