Surf retailer City Beach fined $14 million for button battery breaches
Australian surf shop City Beach has been fined $14 million for selling tens of thousands of non-compliant button battery products.
The retailer has admitted to selling products, including toys, keyrings, digital notepads and Croc accessories, that did not comply with safety standards between June 2022 and October 2024.
The products, which the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) noted were marketed towards children, could have "put more than 50,000 young children at risk of severe injury or death".
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City Beach Australia has been fined $14 million by the ACCC. City Beach
City Beach supplied non-compliant products which did not adhere to button battery safety standards 54,000 times and ones that didn't have proper warnings and labels on 56,000 occasions.
The watchdog described the retailer's lack of urgency in recalling the products as "condemnable".
"Today's penalty sends a clear message to businesses and suppliers that failing to meet safety standards for button batteries is unacceptable and can result in serious penalties," ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward said.
"Button batteries pose a significant risk to children, and can be fatal.
"The ACCC will not hesitate to take strong enforcement action against businesses that fail to comply with the button battery standards."
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The ACCC noted the non-compliant battery battery products were largely marketed to children. ACCC
City Beach was ordered to pay a $14 million fine for the safety breaches.
It was also ordered to implement a consumer law compliance program and to advertise a recall of the impacted products.
The list of product recalls has been posted on City Beach's website.
City Beach was also found to have breached consumer law earlier this month by selling novelty products that didn't meet mandatory button battery safety and information standards.
The retailer has stores in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin and the Gold Coast.
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