# Professor Tülin Erdem comments on the controversy surrounding Welspun's cotton sourcing

1 Faculty News November 19, 2016 ![Guardian logo ](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/con_030939.jpg?itok=g7FgVwid)>

Excerpt from [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/nov/19/egyptian-cotton-sheets-luxury-controversy-target-walmart) -- "Dishonesty hurts a brand’s reputation as well as sales, said [Tülin Erdem](http://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/tulin-erdem), a business and marketing professor who specializes in brand reputation management at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Welspun’s shares dropped by nearly 43% in the week following the announcement from Target, which was the manufacturer’s second largest customer and accounted for $90m, or 10% of the company’s business, in the fiscal year that ended in March. Retailers play a part in ensuring consumers get what they’re paying for. Although it can be difficult to track every manufacturer’s claim, retailers have a responsibility to take action promptly when they suspect dishonesty, said Erdem."

[Read more](https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/nov/19/egyptian-cotton-sheets-luxury-controversy-target-walmart)