IKEA announced Thursday that it has ceased to sell window blinds without cords in its U.S. stores due to the choking hazards they present to children.
Statistics presented by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission state that between 1996 and 2012, one child died a month on average, a fact that helped encourage IKEA to come to its decision, according to MarketWatch.
"Product safety is the highest priority for IKEA, which is why we have been working to develop alternative solutions to exposed cords in window coverings. In 2012, IKEA made the commitment to only offer window blinds and coverings with no or non-accessible cords by January of 2016, and we're pleased to be able to announce that we've met this commitment," IKEA U.S. Country Sales Manager Heather Spatz said. "IKEA is committed to working together with our customers to raise awareness of this important issue and to help families get the knowledge they need to ensure a safer everyday life at home."
The Swedish furniture retailer plans to make this change in its merchandise global by 2016, .
IKEA isn't the only company that has switched to selling cordless shades, as a spokeswoman for Target revealed this past spring that the company had stopped selling window blinds with cords, according to CNN.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission praised the companies for getting rid of the blinds.
"This a bold step by IKEA and Target," commission chairman Elliot Kaye said. "This is the exact kind of leadership and corporate responsibility that has been needed to end the decades of senseless and preventable deaths of children from window cord strangulations."
Lowe's is hot on IKEA and Target's heels as well. A spokesman for Lowe's said that the company intends to stop selling shades with cords by the end of 2018.
