I thought I posted this here as well. This is the actual press release from Urban Decay yesterday. The section in bold and underlined is something I have take offense to.
What utter nonsense. I've been reading up on this and came across this from Cosmetics Design over a class action lawsuit against Avon, Mary Kay and Estee Lauder for having also been against animal testing before they began selling in China.URBAN DECAY & CHINA Urban Decay is going to sell our products in China. Because of China’s policies on animal testing, we know that this will not be a popular decision with some of our loyal customers. But the decision is a thoughtful one.
For 16 years, we have been committed to two key causes: women’s rights, and the fight against animal testing. Our dedication to those causes will not waver.
For those of you unfamiliar with China’s policies, the sticking point is this: the Chinese government reserves the right to conduct animal testing with cosmetic products before the products are approved for use by Chinese citizens. The government has not told us if they have exercised this right with our products. So, our brand does not test on animals, but the Chinese government might conduct a one-time test using our products. Do we like China’s policies? No…and that is really the point. Going into China was a huge decision for Urban Decay. But, we believe that change cannot and will not happen by outside pressure alone in a closed market. Change can only happen from within. When we enter the Chinese market, we will do our part to help make those changes.
When we were considering expanding into China, a group of marketing consultants told us to remove the section of our company history that describes our crusade against animal testing. “It doesn’t mean anything to the Chinese beauty customer,†they said. Of course, we refused. Our “no animal testing†policy is part of who we are, and has been since day one. The news that animal issues don’t even register with the average Chinese consumer was one of the biggest factors in our decision to go there. During Urban Decay’s infancy, we worked hard to inform consumers about animal rights in the United States and Europe. The battleground for animal rights is now in China, and we want to be there to encourage dialogue and provoke change.
We also hope to shed some light on women’s rights issues in China. As a company that caters to a female customer, this is extremely important to us. For one thing, going into China is a way for us to advance women into important professional positions. We will help grow the cosmetics industry, which primarily employs and creates career paths for women. Although workers’ employment rights are a relatively new concept there, progress has been made partially because of pressure from businesses, consumers, and advocacy groups from other countries. Based on this, our belief is that both an outside force and inside pressure for change can result in helping transform both the importance of women and animal testing policies in China. And more importantly, we hope to influence the perspective of the citizens on both of these issues.
If we don’t go to China, other companies without our beliefs will, and the culture will never change. We want to encourage a culture of consumers who care enough to buy cruelty-free products, and who view professional women as role models who influence their lives on a daily basis.
Yes, we are a for-profit company. And yes, we would eventually like to make money in China. But we don’t stand to turn a profit in China for quite a while, partially because the market isn’t quite ready to sustain an untraditional brand like ours. If it were only about the money, we would wait a few years. But our foray into this market is also about participating in an amazing time of change in China. We don’t like animal testing (and neither do the 13 dogs in our office), but we are trying to change the world… even if it is one eye shadow at a time! Sitting on the sidelines isn’t our style. We understand that you might not like our decision, but we hope you can respect it.
Any editors or advocacy groups interested in interviews with Urban Decay founding partner Wende Zomnir may contact us at [email protected].
For any advocates or Urban Decay fans interested, Urban Decay founding partner Wende Zomnir will host a live chat in 2 weeks to answer questions about our entry into China. Please click here if you would like to sign up to be notified.
That was earlier this year - in March 2012 - and so I think it's absurd for these companies to think that they can go into China and change China's government policies. For decades citizens have been fighting for change which has resulted in the arrested and/or deaths of countless Chinese citizens at the hands of their own governments. For decades human rights groups have been fighting to stop the practice of killing female fetuses in favor of boys yet that hasn't stopped. Human trafficking and even sweat shops continue to happen in China despite outside groups trying to stop it. Urban Decay and Mary Kay think they can change the Chinese government? Absolute nonsense! The ONLY way to force China to change is buy NOT SELLING IN CHINA! Don't do ANY business in China including obtaining raw ingredients or manufacture products in China. No money = HURTING CHINA!On the matter, Mary Kay representatives told CosmeticsDesign.com USA, “It’s our policy not to comment on pending litigation, [however] We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to do so on our behalf, except when absolutely required by law.â€
“There is only one country where we operate where we are required to submit our products for testing – China. We are working closely with the Chinese government to demonstrate that alternative testing methods ensure safe and effective products,†they added.