Selfridges to ban sale of exotic animal skins

The luxury British retailer will no longer sell products made from crocodiles and snakes

The move follows similar bans on usage of exotic animal skins by fashion brands Chanel and Victoria Beckham

Selfridges has become the first major British department store to ban the sale of exotic skins including products made from crocodiles, lizards, snakes and alligators.

Beginning in February 2020, the luxury retailer, which has four department stores across Britain, will only sell skins from agricultural livestock.

Selfridges’ ban follows a similar move by fashion houses including Chanel and Victoria Beckham.

“As part of our commitment to Buying Better, Inspiring Change, we will phase out the sale of exotic skins completely by 2020. Ethics and sustainability are at the heart of all our decisions - to respect our planet and protect our future,” the retailer wrote on Twitter.

Selfridges, whose flagship store on Oxford Street is the second largest in the UK, banned the sale of fur in 2005.

Four years later, the retailer stopped selling foie gras following protests by campaigners and celebrities including the late Sir Roger Moore.

The decision was welcomed by animal protection group the Humane Society International, who described the ban as a “victory for animals”.

“This raises the bar in compassionate fashion & illustrates an industry shift towards innovative, animal-free fabrics. We look forward to seeing more retailers & designers leaving wild creatures in the wild where they belong,” the organisation said.