Although the damage may have been due to either party, ultimately it is the product company’s responsibility to fix the actual labeling as they are the manufacturers of the product, while the stores are the distributors. There is still some responsibility on store as they are the direct link between suppliers and customers; they are responsible for checking the labeling condition before putting it on the store floor, and reporting the issue to the supplier. Stores likely cannot resolve this issue independently. Fees may be covered by whichever party is responsible for the damage. There is shared responsibility between the two parties, with each having their own respective roles in the resolution. 

In the particular case presented, the product with the half legible labeling cannot continue to be sold. This is due to various regulations that set labeling requirements that must be followed to allow sale of products in the U.S.. The labeling must be in compliance with labeling regulations to ensure safe and informed distribution to customers. Half-legible labeling most likely is not in compliance as half of the information deemed important by the manufacturer is missing.

Its on the responsibility for both the store and manufacturer in respect to when it was damaged. Leaving a company, the manufacturer should ensure that labels are present and in good condition, accounting for how they will be packaged as well. Assuming this consistent factor, and if it gets damaged during transport the store should do its diligence to not put the item on the shelf. If it does, then it is the store's responsibility because they chose to put a damaged product's label for purchase. Furthermore if the label gets damaged over time by little to no control by the store (degradation etc. of the label peeling off) then I would redirect my attention to the manufacturer on the type of labels they are putting as well as the location of such labels to where it would be actively degrading. Regardless of the fault, the product should not be sold with the labels damaged and if the eyes of both the retailer and manufacture fail to see that hopefully the customer will. 

I'd like to add that it all depends on the traceability of this error. Is this product CONSTANTLY having a label error where the sticker with information is peeling/half-legible? Is it only one batch/material out of many received from multiple suppliers with this error? Is this the same supplier that is providing this product, but other suppliers that offer this product never have issues with labeling? Can we track the CONDITIONS of transportation that these parts are being shipped to the store in? This is definitely something the manufacturer should be informed about and cooperated with in order to prevent the error from occurring again. If you have a high stock of this material, replacing the product with one that has the correct readable label and removing the damaged one is very important (and is something the manufacturer should be aware of). From there, an investigation needs to be done on BOTH ends to determine the root cause of this error and how to address it. In the case of half legible labels, I would agree with jbh8 that if it is illegible to the point where we are not necessarily sure if the product is indeed what it should be, that could be very dangerous for the customer who is possibly purchasing it.

The responsibility of addressing a damaged label depends on several factors on how the damage occurred. For example, if the damage occurred during handling/shipment of the product then it would be the store’s responsibility to address the issue. However, if the damage occurred due to a defect in the product’s packaging/labeling when the product left the manufacturer’s facility, then it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to address the issue. On the other hand, products need to adhere to labeling regulations set by the government depending on the type of product and its use. If the damaged label results in the product not being compliant with the labeling regulations, then it is the responsibility of both the manufacturer and the store to address the issue. Additionally, if the damaged label results in liability concerns where it could cause harm to the consumer, then it is again the responsibility of both the manufacturer and the store to address the issue.

In the scenario of a damaged label on a product at a store, I believe that the responsibility for addressing the issue should involve both the store and the product's manufacturer. The main reason the store should be held responsible for the fixation of the label is because of the health/safety and experience of the consumer. Retailers have a duty to ensure that the products they sell meet labeling requirements, as they are the direct point of sale to consumers. Depending on the product's type, selling items with damaged or illegible labels could be seen as non-compliance with federal or local laws, especially if it's a regulated product. Furthermore, for items in which the label contains critical safety information, such as ingredients or warnings, the store should have to either fix the issue or remove the item from the shelf. Then, if this situation continues to happen they should contact the manufacturer for replacement labeling or clarification.

As for the manufacturer, they're responsible in ensuring that the product leaves the warehouse with proper labeling. However, once the product is in transit or in the retailer's hands, the manufacturer is typically not responsible for damages. The manufacturer might offer replacements or corrective action, but this is generally part of the store’s responsibility to address once they receive the goods. Therefore, when it comes to consumer safety and experience, the store should be proactive and ensure the issue is resolved, either by fixing the label through means of contacting the manufacturer or pulling the product from the shelf.

@dmf2 I respectfully disagree with the notion that the primary responsibility for addressing a damaged label should fall on the store. In my point of view, I believe that the manufacturer is 100% responsible for ensuring their product is properly labeled throughout the supply chain. This includes the responsibility for the product to have a label durable enough to withstand the reasonable rigors of transit and stocking. Label integrity is a large step of product design and quality control, especially for items in the medical device industry! I agree that the store serves as the final point of sale, however, expecting retail workers to actively monitor and fix damaged labels creates an unrealistic expectation. There are many responsibilities outside of label management that stores have to deal with and managing label quality would divert them from other core operations. The store's ultimate role is to facilitate sales, not act like a sector for product quality and control.

Again, the responsibility lies on the manufacturer to provide robust packaging and labeling that can withstand wear and tear during shipment. If the label is consistently being damaged, this reflects a flaw in the manufacturer's packaging and therefore they should take corrective actions to prevent this. Relying on stores to catch these issues is not a fair solution.

I do not agree that the label should fall onto the store, I would suggest maybe distributing a laminated label for all produce to put up in the store. This could be costly but would be beneficial to all that need the labels. I also believe there are numerous apps that scan the bar-code and can tell you what is in the item being purchased. If the bar-code is damaged, then one can look up the item and it should be on a database on the manufacturers website. If almost all labels are damaged in transport, then it may land on the manufacturer. Perhaps there should be a quality check of the packaging too.