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Case study

A container of mould-affected stock, recovered in 18 days

A UK retailer received a container of imported footwear and clothing with mould on the goods and packaging. This is how we returned 99.89% of it to retail-ready condition.

units received
3,800
released retail-ready
99.89%
receipt to completion
18days
shoe boxes replaced
0

The situation

The consignment was 3,000 pairs of footwear and 800 garments. When the container was opened there was a pronounced musty smell, and mould was visible on a substantial proportion of the goods and their packaging.

Starting with samples

Before committing the full consignment, the retailer sent us nine pairs of footwear and three garments. We inspected them the day after they arrived, confirmed mould, and issued a quote. The retailer instructed us and the full consignment came to our Rossendale facility.

Why we treated all 3,800 units

The smell on opening and the extent of visible growth told us the whole consignment had been exposed. Contamination of this kind is uneven, so units that looked clean could still be carrying it. Repacking them untreated alongside remediated stock would have made recurrence much more likely, so every unit went through the full process.

The work

Every unit passed through all five stages: inspection and triage, treatment matched to the material, controlled drying, repackaging with new tissue, and final inspection.

A batch of around 68 heavily stained pairs did not come up to standard first time. We held them back and gave them a second, more intensive treatment. All but four of those pairs were recovered.

Every original box saved

No shoe boxes were replaced. Every outer and inner box was remediated, and some were repaired, so each pair went back in its own original box with its labels intact. For the retailer, that meant the stock could go straight back on sale with no repackaging cost, and the consignment could be reconciled against what had been sent.

Timeline

  1. Before day 0.Samples received and inspected the following day. Mould confirmed, quote issued and instructed.

  2. Day 0.Full consignment of 3,800 units received into our facility.

  3. Day 13.Interim report issued, with around 65% of the consignment processed.

  4. Day 18.Work complete. Completion statement issued.

The results

Footwear (pairs)ClothingTotal
Units received3,0008003,800
Released retail-ready2,9968003,796
Unable to remediate404
Proportion released99.87%100%99.89%

A unit of footwear is one pair. The four pairs that could not be remediated were sealed, labelled and recorded.

Before and after

Before: white mould along the stitching and suede toe of a navy and white trainer BEFORE
After: the same trainer with the mould removed from the toe and seams AFTER
Before: grey mould bloom across the black inner heel lining of a knit trainer BEFORE
After: the inner heel lining clean and dark again AFTER
Before: white mould spotting across the heel counter of a black knit trainer BEFORE
After: the heel counter clean AFTER
Before: white mould spots across the inside of a cardboard shoe box lid and walls BEFORE
After: the inside of the box after treatment, clean and dry AFTER
Before: white mould spots across the blue printed side of a shoe box BEFORE
After: the box side cleaned, with the print intact AFTER
Before: pale mould bloom across a printed shoe box lid BEFORE
After: the lid cleaned with the print intact AFTER

Brand marks have been obscured to protect our client’s confidentiality.

Treat the whole consignment, dry it properly, save the original packaging, and pass nothing that is not right.

Facing something similar?

Tell us how many units are affected and send a few photographs. We reply within 24 hours.

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