Chinese recalls make for wary customers

On Tuesday, Mattel recalled 18.2 million Chinese-made toys worldwide due to various defects, USA Today reported. On Aug. 2, the company recalled 967,000 toys because of a lead-paint hazard. Before Mattel’s problems surfaced, consumers dealt with recalls of Thomas the Tank Engine toys and several children’s jewelry lines.

It’s enough to make any parent take pause. Mark my words, when I start purchasing Christmas gifts for my 3-year-old I’ll certainly be looking at country-of-origin labels. And I won’t be the only one. My advice for retailers: Be prepared for questions.

Most parents will end up purchasing toys made in China. Boycotting Chinese products is just unrealistic. But we will be scrutinizing labels and perhaps even asking questions about suppliers, especially if it’s a company we’re unfamiliar with.

Richard Gottlieb, a business development consultant specializing in the toy industry, recommended that buyers talk with providers about what they’re doing to ensure toy safety. He also offered words of caution about painted wooden toys.

“I would recommend that buyers focus on this one area -- painted wooden toys -- and ask their manufacturers to supply proof that they have checked the actual product they will be shipping the retailer for lead paint,” he said.

Armed with that information, retailers can help allay customer concerns. To keep up with the latest recall information, check out U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site. You can sign up for RSS feeds that will deliver information directly to your desktop.

-- Sarah