Target class action over Clean beauty products moves forward

Update: 

• A California federal judge ruled Target must face claims the retailer misled consumers about the actual cleanliness of its Target Clean line of beauty products. 
• U.S. District Court Judge Katherine M. Menendez determined the complaint claimed the Target Clean program is “inherently deceptive” and not about any one claim about any one product. 
• Target argued the claims would need to assume what a consumer knew about the program as a whole.
• The class action lawsuit claims many beauty products sold under the Target Clean range contain harmful or unwanted ingredients, such as formaldehyde. 
• The complaint further argues Target labels beauty products as “Target Clean” that their manufacturers did not market as being clean or free from unwanted chemicals.

Target Clean class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: A group of consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Target Corp. 
• Why: The consumers claim Target misleads consumers about the actual cleanliness of many of the beauty products it sells that are labeled “Target Clean.” 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Minnesota federal court. 

(Sept. 04, 2023)

Target Corp. misleads consumers about the actual cleanliness of many beauty products it sells that are labeled as “Target Clean,” a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

A group of consumers claims many of the beauty products Target labeled as “Target Clean” contain “harmful or unwanted ingredients” that are “known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.” 

The consumers argue further that, in many cases, the actual manufacturers of beauty products labeled by Target as “Target Clean” do not themselves label, advertise or market them as being “clean” or “free from unwanted” chemicals. 

“Target has, intentionally and on its own, labeled certain products as ‘clean’ and free from ‘commonly unwanted’ chemicals or ingredients,” the Target class action states. 

The group of consumers wants to represent a nationwide class and subclass of consumers from Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma and Washington who have purchased a product labeled “Target Clean.” 

Target causes ‘significant harm’ to consumers looking to purchase cleaner beauty products, class action says

The consumers argue Target has caused “significant harm” to customers who are looking to purchase beauty products that are cleaner for both them and for the environment. 

“Target created and utilized the ‘Clean’ label for its own profit, marketing the Target Clean label as an easy way for consumers to identify purportedly cleaner products, without having to do any of their own analysis,” the Target class action states. 

The consumers claim Target is guilty of breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment, and of violating a number of state laws. 

The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial and requesting declaratory and injunctive relief, along with an award of damages for themselves and all class members. 

A consumer filed a separate class action lawsuit against Target in August, claiming the company falsely advertised that its Market Pantry-brand berry pomegranate flavored water enhancer contained only natural flavors. 

Have you purchased a product labeled ‘Target Clean’? Let us know in the comments. 

The plaintiffs are represented by Brian C. Gudmundson and Rachel K. Tack of Zimmerman Reed LLP, and Christopher D. Jennings and Tyler B. Ewigleben of Jennings PLLC. 

The Target Clean class action lawsuit is Boyd, et al. v. Target Corp., Case No. 0:23-cv-02668, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

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