Why T.J. Maxx Is Being Fined $13M After Selling Product Linked To 30 Infants Deaths

TJX Companies (TJX), the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, has agreed to pay a $13 million fine for selling and distributing about 1,200 recalled products – one of which has been linked to at least 30 infant deaths.

The fine that was handed down by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was primarily for the sales of Kids II Rocking Sleepers, Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleepers, and Fisher-Price Inclined Sleeper Accessory for Ultra-Lite Day & Night Play Yards that were sold at its brick-and-mortar stores after they were recalled from March 2014 to October 2019.

Federal law prohibits the sale or distribution of recalled products that have been publicly announced.

In its 2019 recall announcement of Fisher-Price's Rock ’n Play Sleepers, the CPSC said the item had been linked to at least 30 infant deaths since 2009. NBC News reported last year that the Rock ’n Play Sleepers had been linked to over 50 infant deaths.

Back in November 2019, CPSC and TJX announced that 19 different recalled products were sold at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods stores. Following the news release, three additional recalled products were also discovered to have been sold at TJX stores.

Other recalled items sold at the time included swivel barstools with joints that could break, bistro chairs with seats that were defective, drawer knobs that could shatter when pulled, and hoverboards that had battery packs that could overheat and catch fire, WCVB, an ABC affiliate out of Boston, reported.

In a statement to NBC News, TJX said: “We deeply regret that in some instances between 2014 and 2019, recalled products were not properly removed from our sales floors despite the recall processes that we had in place. We have made a significant investment in people, processes, and technology to strengthen our processes, and have cooperated fully with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.”

TJX has also agreed to implement a compliance program for recalls.