Answer case study question - What actions could Mattel take to minimise product recalls in the future? MATTEL Mattel is one of the most successful toy manufacturers, whose range includes Barbie amongst other much‐loved toys like Doggie Day Care, Batman and Polly Pocket. Its policy of manufacturing two‐thirds of its toy range in China backfired badly when paint on some of its children’s toys was found to be lead‐based, as reported in the media. This resulted in over 21 million toys being recalled or returned in the busy run‐up to Christmas period in 2007. Another scare involved products with small magnets being recalled owing to the risk of children swallowing small component parts. The initial reaction was to blame poor manufacturing practices in Chinese sub‐contractors; however, later it was realised that more products were recalled for Mattel’s design mistakes than for lead paint. One of the factory managers in China hanged himself in his factory when his export licence was revoked. China protested to Mattel, which apologised in a prepared statement acknowledging that the design mistake for the magnets was its own rather than as a result of poor manufacturing practices in China. Mangan, John, and Chandra L. Lalwani. GLOBAL LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 3E, Wiley, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central,