Question from Bohdan Lychacz
Staples is a large chain in Canada selling business supplies.
Just recently they started piping in fragrance throughout the store. Here is the response to my letter of concern.
I want your readers to know that yesterday I sent my husband into Staples ahead of me into the store to check for the fragrance they had vented in. He gave me the all clear.
The sickening fragrance was no longer in the air.
I hope this is a permanent decision on their part.
I am heartened by their decision to suspend the air fragrance.
Way to go Marta. This is the ony way we are going to have change. Waiting around for someone else to do it isn’t going to work. The more letters a business gets the better chance we have of change.
I have written many of letters over the years and have had some good results but most are never answered at all. If one letter makes a difference it is worth all the time.
Thanks for all your work and as always Debras!
This is wonderful and encouraging news. Not many stores yet realize how much business they lose by scenting their stores or simply selling fragranced products that drive away a percentage of would-be customers. Those of us who leave stores for this reason (and still suffer from the brief exposure) will be helping the rest of us by letting managers know why you could not shop in their stores. You can grab a “Tell us your opinion” card on the way out, or use a generic letter you’ve saved on your computer and easily modify it for your current letter to let stores know how they can please you and receive your business. (Money speaks pretty loudly.) Thanks for sharing this information! I’ll be putting it to use.
Marta,
Thank you so much for speaking up for us! I had NO idea that Staples was doing this. I really hope that the company did make a decision not to pump the fragrance through instead of you just happening to go during a “downtime.”
I really can’t believe that they thought this was a good idea. Scent-free workplaces are on the rise. What happens if the fragrance is absorbed into the office furniture and supplies and brought into these workplaces? Not good.
I am going to email Staples too to reaffirm the message. I will not shop at any store that does this.
Marta and Debra – what would we all do without those of us who speak out an up and are persistant!!!! I live in Canada and Staples is one of my favourite stores. I haven’t noticed any fragrance in the air at the one I go to most frequently but am so glad you alerted me to be on the lookout. I find the smells in the store from the new products are bad enough – I never stay very long.
The scary part for me is that this is probably the start of a new trend, with lots of stores coming on board. Shoppers Beware!!
Hi everyone,
I would re-think the victory… I e-mailed Staples Canada to find out if they did in fact stop using air fresheners in their stores and the service rep told me it is a trial they are continuing to do in a selection of stores.
Here’s the response I received:
Hi (name removed for privacy),
Thank you for sending us your email and for taking the time to inform us of your concerns with our Air Treatment.
It is feedback from our valued customers, such as yourself, that helps us improve on our business.
Please be advised, that before bringing air-treatment into the store, we conducted research to ensure that it was safe. Products and formulations used comply with the International Fragrance Association and Toxic Substances Control Act Standards as well as the workplace standards for inhalation.
Unlike traditional aerosol dispensers that use solvents and propellants containing potentially harmful volatile organic compounds, the air treatment product we use uses air as the propellant and generates no harmful volatile organic compounds.
This product does not create health hazards. The health hazard is eliminated by not using harmful or hazardous chemicals and complying with the OSHA workplace standards for inhalation in the formulation of all air treatment agents and their diffusion concentrations.
I hope this information helps to clarify that we would not choose to use any air treatment products that may potentially be hazardous to our associates or customers.
We are currently running this air treatment as a pilot program in some store locations. I have taken the opportunity to express your concerns to the management of the Corporate Customer Care department, as I am certain this information would be of interest.
Once again, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
Kind regards,
Ashley S.Corporate Customer Care RepresentativeStaples Canada
I would encourage everyone who shops at Staples stores in Canada to share their concerns – if enough people email them they may reconsider this, I hope. As of right now, they’ve lost a customer because I will not be shopping there or ordering their products online any longer.
FYI, here’s a link to a company that sells these dreadful store air fresheners (warning – this website might increase your stress level)http://www.scentair.com/
here’s a useful link
Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. Steinemann About Chemical Fragrances
August 16, 2012p
phttp://cleanerindoorair.org/fragrance-info/dr-mercola-interviews-dr-steinemann-chemical-fragrances/ p
Going into our local Bed, Bath & Beyond, the scented candles created a toxic stew of fragrances in the air. The Yankee Candles were all around the checkout areas. The young woman who checked me out has red watery eyes and when I mentioned that the scent was overpowering and made breathing difficult, she said yes, but what can I do. I need the work. I called the store. I called the central office. I contacted Yankee Candles. I did speak with very pleasant reps but really no one seemed to be in charge. The store manager said they have to sell the candles, that he doesn’t make the decisions about what is stocked and sold. The people in corporate office adviced that I talk with Yankee Candle. The Y. Candle rep said she would pass the information on to her supervisors. I didn’t persue it beyond that. When I went into the store a few months later, they had moved the candles away from the check out registers, so at least staff were a distance away from these candles. I gave each that I spoke with information on Dr. Steinemann’s research. I suggested to the manager that all the scented products go in a separate room. Of course, that would not be possible,but he did move them to the back area. They still create a cloud of fragrances all mixed together. It took so long to get ahead of each rep at the store, division office, corporate office, and at Yankee Candle that I can understand why folks don’t bother. One of my friends says she runs in and out of Bed Bath & Beyond b/c of the overpowering stew of fragrances.
Brava to all who contributed to this victory!!!
Agree. I get ill when exposed to scent. Tweeted: Scents hurt people, not only mcs/allergies/asthma “…chemical stores in bodies & brains which = disease later.” https://www.debralynndadd.com/_blog/greenlivingqa/post/Scent-free_Victory!
A link didn’t work in my previous post, here’s the fixed tweet:
@DrOz Segment Idea:Scents hurt peoplehttp://tinyurl.com/aedg3zy &@DebraLynnDadd toxic-freehttp://tinyurl.com/b99rtuo & my blog http://preview.tinyurl.com/ag24a72