Bargain retailer PD Mart is being taken to court by the Commerce Commission over dozens of allegedly unsafe products found on its shelves in Christchurch and Auckland, including toys and baby walkers meant for young children.

The commission alleges the retailer, formerly known as Panda Mart, offered 57 different non-compliant products for sale, and claimed seven types of children’s car seats met an international safety standard when they did not.

PD Mart runs two variety stores, one in Christchurch and one in Auckland, selling a wide range of goods at low prices.

“Regardless of what something costs or what shop you buy it from, businesses must comply with the New Zealand product safety requirements that apply to the goods they sell,” commission general manager of competition and fair trading Rebecca McAtamney said.

The concerns did not come from a one off visit. Commission staff repeatedly went into both stores from October 2024 and allegedly found non-compliant goods on multiple occasions.

During the investigation, PD Mart recalled and removed potentially unsafe products, including children’s toys, baby rattles, bikes and baby walkers.

In September 2025 the commission issued the retailer a Stop Now letter over children’s car seats.

This year PD Mart gave court enforceable undertakings to withdraw certain products from sale and agreed not to sell goods in the categories the commission had flagged for at least six months.

“It’s the scale and recurring nature of the issues we identified that are a serious concern for the commission,” McAtamney said.

The commission alleges PD Mart did not have adequate systems, policies and processes to meet its legal obligations, and that its staff were not properly trained.

It will also allege the retailer misrepresented customers’ rights to return products under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

“When you walk into a shop and buy a product for your family, particularly a product designed for a child, you should be able to trust that the retailer has done the work needed to make sure it complies with New Zealand’s safety requirements,” McAtamney said.

Cheaper prices were no excuse for cutting corners on safety, she said.

Information on product safety standards, including those covering children’s products, is available on the Commerce Commission’s website.