Bathu, the premium sneaker brand, and a Spar store were among many companies that received notices for non-compliance during inspections by the National Consumer Commission (NCC).
The countrywide blitz started in July last year and was completed this month, resulting in the issuing of notices to 62 non-compliant suppliers, which include supermarkets, electronics shops and furniture stores.
Some of the shops were selling expired food or products with damaged packaging, did not issue receipts to customers or had unfair refund policies.
The Bathu shop at the Pavilion Mall in Durban was slapped with a notice for importing 1,898 sneakers without labels or trade descriptions attached.
The shop was also flagged for displaying goods without showing their prices.
The Spar River City store in Upington, Northern Cape, was found to have issued a sales record that lacks a VAT number and an address.
Teye Hardware store in Musina, Limpopo, shortchanged its customers by subjecting them to a “no return of goods” policy.
Orbit Import and Export, a freight company in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, imported wedding dresses, clothes and scarfs without labels or trade descriptions attached.
Opi Draai Slaghuis, a butchery in Upington, committed various violations, including selling expired sauces.
Bipul Kumar, trading as Discount Supermarket in the Northern Cape, also sold expired items such as cooldrinks, sweets, teabags, and cereal, among others.
The NCC said the first phase of inspections resulted in 35 compliance notices, while the second phase led to additional notices across sectors, including retail, clothing, electronics, food, furniture, hardware, and various service industries.
The inspections uncovered widespread contraventions of the Consumer Protection Act, and non-compliant items and services identified ranged from cellular devices, clothing and footwear, furniture, household goods, and electrical and non-electrical appliances such as paraffin stoves and paraffin products.
They also included canned food, unlabelled goods, and unbranded sweets, as well as hardware supplies and service-related offerings operating under unfair contractual terms.
“In many instances, suppliers failed to display clear pricing, provided inadequate or misleading product information, sold unsafe or poor-quality goods, denied consumers the right to return defective or unsuitable products, and failed to maintain proper sales records,” said NCC’s acting commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu.
All affected suppliers have been directed to cease prohibited conduct, rectify the identified contraventions, and implement corrective measures within prescribed timeframes, failing which matters may be referred to the National Consumer Tribunal for further enforcement action, including the imposition of administrative fines.
“The scale and nature of non-compliance identified during these inspections are concerning,” the NCC said, adding that it “will not hesitate to take firm enforcement action against businesses that continue to disregard the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act. Suppliers are urged to review their practices and ensure full compliance, while consumers are encouraged to remain vigilant and report unfair business conduct.”
Meanwhile, the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud has warned consumers against using InnoFurn, a Johannesburg-based online furniture retailer.
It said it had received 10 complaints of non-compliance and non-performance by the company since August 2025. Only two of them were resolved. In many instances, customers would order and pay for items which the company would fail to deliver, said Jack Malatji from the ombud’s office.
