Harvey Nichols to stop selling fur by end of 2023

British department store Harvey Nichols has announced that it is planning to stop selling fur by the end of 2023.

The decision comes after an investigation into Chinese fur farms by animal protection organisation Humane Society International (HSI) UK in 2021 found “sickening” evidence of inhumane environments the animals were being kept in.

HSI/UK wrote to Harvey Nichols in 2022 outlining that its Animal Sourcing Policy, based on commitments to ethical treatment, was incompatible with the conditions for animals found at said farms.

On request for comment following the findings, a spokesperson for retailer told The Mirror: "As part of our ongoing review of these practices and continued sustainability initiatives, Harvey Nichols confirms that it will phase out the sale of fur or fur-trimmed products both online and in stores, to be completely fur-free by the end of 2023."

Harvey Nichols has repeatedly been under fire in recent years for its engagement in selling fur.

The retail chain initially introduced a fur-free policy in 2004, however u-turned the decision in 2013 and started selling fur products again.

As of December 2022, HSI said it was selling fur products from the likes of Yves Soloman, CP Company, Canada Goose and Moncler, the two latter of which had already stated their intentions to phase out fur in their own production.

With the move, Harvey Nichols joins an array of similar luxury department stores and brands cutting out the animal product, including Frasers Group, Farfetch, Net-a-Porter, Chanel and Burberry.