The retail trade of clothing sold in bulk will not be covered by the provisions of the rules of legal metrology (packaged goods), subject to a few details.
The government has issued a notification in this regard, which also has important points, which will improve the ease of doing business in the apparel and retail industry besides benefiting consumers.
The notice states that in the Legal Metrology (Packaged Goods) Rules, 2011, at Rule 26, after clause (e), the following clause should be inserted, namely: “Such goods being garments or hosiery are sold in bulk or opened at the point of sale so that the consumer can inspect the goods before purchasing: provided that such goods bear the following particulars, namely the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor or brand owner or importer with country of origin or manufacturer in case of imported products; email id and customer service phone number; sizes with internationally recognizable size indicators such as S, M, L , together with details in metric notation in terms of cm or m as appropriate; maximum sales price of the package inclusive of all taxes in Indian Currency.
He further added that the exemption under this clause only applies to the sale of finished products: also provided that the above information is displayed on the e-commerce website if this product is sold by the through e-commerce.
The notification takes effect on January 1, 2023.
Welcoming the move, the Federation of Hosiery Manufacturers Association (FOHMA) said in a statement that this notification was issued by the government following years of representations from the industry and, in particular, the Federation.
“By providing an accurate description of what constitutes a loose garment, the government has addressed a long-standing industry grievance and will hopefully minimize and even eliminate the scourge of inspector harassment,” said Sanjay K Jain, Vice President of FOHMA.
