sustainability report 2019 · 2019 sustainability highlights from our brands at bestseller selected...

SUSTA INA BILIT Y

R EPORT 2019

T h e f a s h i o n b u s i n e s s i s i n ‘ r e s e t ’ m o d e . I n

BESTSELLER we have endured severe losses, and

have had to say goodbye to many dear colleagues.

However, more than ever it is evident to us that

sustainabil ity is an absolute basic principle for

creating a resilient world with thriving businesses,

and we must provide products to our customers

with a continuously increasing inherent value.

The ongoing crisis has emphasised that our stra-

teg ic par tnersh ips are cr uc ia l . T he i mpor tance

of s t r on g r elat ion sh ips w it h ou r pa r t ner s a nd

s uppl ie r s , t h r ou g h wh ic h we h ave g r ow n ou r

c om mon bu s i ne s s over t he yea r s , r ea l ly show

their value during these uncertain times. We are

grateful for all these relationships.

Through responsible business practices , we aim

to retain as many jobs as possible throughout the

value chain, where continuous improvements on

sa fety, hea lth , and labour r ights rema i n a core

focus. We have seen, and will unfortunately con-

tinue to see, job losses throughout the value chain

due to this crisis . In the coming years , we must

do our utmost to regain what is lost. With a long-

term approach we can work with our partners to

bu i ld a more resi l ient business , and contr ibute

to the positive development of our industry. We,

as well as our trusted partners , must continue to

invest in sustainability to overcome the crisis .

We cannot lose momentum on the progress and

the important initiatives we have worked hard for

in recent years . Some things might take longer,

and some must be accelerated. Working towards

ac h iev i n g t r ue su sta i nabi l it y w i l l a lways be a

work in progress.

“We need to adapt to the reality we act in – and act to achieve the reality we wish to be a part of.”

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO & OWNER

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devasting global impact both in terms of health and economics. It has left lasting scars on our entire industry, our business and our partners throughout the entire value chain.

BESTSELLER Fashion FWD 2Sustainabil ity Report 2019

A c h ie v i n g t r ue s u s ta i n abi l it y a s a bu s i ne s s i s

a comple x m atter. We ne ed to be able to t h i n k

fast , a l ign and adapt internal company processes

a nd ways of work i n g to ever - c ha n g i n g m a rket

needs, meeting the demands of the future within

p l a n e t a r y b o u n d a r i e s , a n d b r i n g i n g p o s i t i v e

i mpac t to people a nd loca l com mun it ies .

W h i l e t h i s r e m a i n s a b i g c h a l l e n g e , i t a l s o

op e n s up ne w te r r itor y whe r e we c a n e x plor e

how i n novat ion ca n c ou nterba l a nc e a nd br i n g

p o s it ive e nv i r on me nt a l a nd s o c i a l i mp ac t s to

the fa sh ion i ndustr y.

T he r e i s a c omp e l l i n g bu s i ne s s c a s e for t ho s e

who apply s ystem s th i n k i ng to embed susta i n-

a bi l it y i nto t he i r op e r at ion s to a c h i e v e lon g -

ter m env i ron menta l , f i na nc ia l a nd soc ia l va lue.

T h e w i d e s c a l e s hu t d o w n o f o f f i c e s , p r o d u c -

t i on , t r a n s p or t a n d s o muc h mor e b e c au s e of

COV ID -1 9, a nd t he i n genu it y of ou r col lea g ues

i n f i nd i ng new ways of work i ng i n the m idst of

t h i s , h a s a l s o s t r e s s e d t he ab s olute ne c e s s it y

for us to embrace a d ig ita l f uture . T h rough our

app -ba sed B2 B platfor m , we have now developed

l ivestrea med sa les events , we have put focus on

3D desi g n , d i g ita l sa mples , d i g ita l show r oom s ,

d i g it a l w a ge s a nd mor e . A l l t h i s w i l l not on ly

streng then our busi ness , but a l so sig n i f ica nt ly

a f fec t our env i ron menta l footpr i nt .

Si nce we launched our susta i nabi l it y strateg y,

Fa s h ion F W D, w e h av e t a k e n s ome i mp or t a nt

steps i n bu i ld i ng a foundat ion that w i l l enable

u s to a d d r e s s s om e of t h e f a s h i on i n du s t r y ’s

key susta i nabi l ity cha l lenges .

2 019 wa s a n ac t iv ity-f i l led yea r for us . Notable

h igh l ights i nc luded becom i ng a s ig nator y of the

G7 Fa s h ion Pac t , a n i ndu s t r y-w i d e mo v e me nt

fo c u s i n g on c l i m ate , bio d ive r s it y a nd o c e a n s ,

w it h t he a i m of a l i g n i n g t he fa sh ion i ndu s t r y

w it h t he U N Su s t a i n a ble D e v e lopme nt G o a l s .

A s we continue our work w ith HERproject™, we

are pleased to have intensif ied our partnership

w it h B SR to b e c ome a Cata ly s t Me mb e r a nd a

l o n g - t e r m p a r t n e r o f H E R p r o j e c t™ , f u r t h e r

a c c e l e r a t i n g o u r g o a l o f s up p o r t i n g 1 0 0 , 0 0 0

women in t ier 1 factories . At the end of 2019, we

have sourced a combined total of over 74 percent

of more sustainable cotton and we see promising

pr og r es s on t he u se of ot her mor e su s ta i nable

materials across our brands.

We understa nd that even w ith a sol id a nd a mbi-

t ious strateg y i n place , it rema i n s i mpor ta nt to

seek suppor t i n th i s tra n sfor mat ion . T he ta sk at

ha nd i s a g reat one. It i s on ly th rough col labo -

r at i on s w it h i n du s t r y - w i d e s t a k e h ol d e r s a n d

i n it i at i v e s t h at w e c a n b e g i n to t a c k l e t h e s e

cha l lenges , such a s c l i mate cha nge , loss of bio -

d iversit y, huma n r i g ht s i s sues a nd c i r c u la r it y.

A s a c ompa ny w it h a w ide r eac h , we k now we

h ave a l a r ge r e s p on s ibi l it y a nd s u s ta i n abi l it y

i s i ncrea si ng ly embedded i n our cu lture a nd i n

ever y th i ng we do.

Anders Holch Povlsen

Owner & Chief Executive Officer

“Since we launched our sustainability strategy, Fashion FWD, we have taken some important

steps in building a foundation that will

enable us to address some of the fashion industry’s

key sustainability challenges.”

A nders Holch Povlsen,

Owner & Chief Executive Off icer


2019 SUSTAINABILITY HIGHLIGHTS

A T B E S T S E L L E RF R O M O U R B R A N D S

SELECTED has increased its

organic cotton sourcing to

65% of its overall supply.

We have launched our first Digital Showroom with VERO MODA in Hamburg, Germany, and decreased the number of sales samples used in the showroom by 35%.

VERO MODA joined The Jeans Redesign project in collaboration with Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative.

VERO MODA’s use of more sustainable man-made cellulosic fibres has reached 22% of its overall supply.

JACK & JONES has sold more than 100,000 jeans with post-consumer waste cotton.

4,5 million styles of ONLY LIFE have been sold in 2019.

BESTSELLER has become a Catalyst Member and strategic partner of BSR HERproject™, accelerating our journey to supporting 100,000 women in garment factories.

We have become signatory of the G7 Fashion Pact to show our support to a series of commitments based on Science-Based Targets (SBTs).

We have engaged 227 factories in the adoption and utilisation of the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM)

We have formed a new partnership with BHive and piloted their chemical management tool with 18 facilities in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Turkey.

of our total cotton consumption in 2019 was sourced more sustainably,

in which 14% of that was from an organic source.

74%

BESTSELLER Fashion FWD 4Sustainability Report 2019

TABLE OFCONTENTS

06 ABOUT BESTSELLER

10 FASHION FWD

1 1 OUR SUPPLY CHAIN

15 ENGAGING FWD

26 MAKING FWD

36 CREATING FWD

46 DELIVERING FWD

54 INVEST FWD

56 OUR PEOPLE

60 SUPPORTING THE SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)

61 MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS

AND COLLABORATIONS

In th i s repor t , we w i l l share our prog ress on how and what

we are doing to manage our grow th responsibly and in a way

that creates va lue for our sta keholders . A l l informat ion and

data covered in this report concern activities undertaken from

1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. The report covers all brands

under BESTSELLER , inc lud ing JACK & JONES , V ERO MODA ,

ONLY, SELECTED, MAMALICIOUS, VIL A , OBJECT, JUNAROSE ,

Y.A.S, NOISY MAY, PIECES and NAME IT.

COVID -19

The sustainabi l ity report covers the year 2019. However, it

is impossible not to view things in the l ight of the ongoing

COVID -19 pandemic and the health and economic crisis it

has brought upon us al l in 2020.


BESTSELLER is an international, family-owned fashion company with a strong and distinct character.

ABOUTBESTSELLER

BRINGING PEOPLE AND FASHION TOGETHER

BESTSELLER AT A GLANCE

4 continents

70 markets

2,750 branded chain stores

about 17,000 people

20,000 multi-brand and department stores

3.5 billion EUR net turnover

We are a family company founded by the Holch

Povlsen family in 1975. With a strong and distinct

ch a rac te r, B E STS E L L E R h as re m a i n ed t r ue to

what we have always believed in, bringing people

and fashion together in a way that brings out the

best in everyone.

BESTSELLER has a global reach, with products

for men and women of all ages. From clothes to

accessories, BESTSELLER brings fashion to our

customers across Europe, Asia and America. Our

brands include JACK & JONES, VERO MODA, ONLY,

MAMALICIOUS, VILA, SELECTED, JUNAROSE,

Y.A.S, NOISY MAY, PIECES and NAME IT.

“Our goal is to bring quality fashion to

everyone, made in a responsible way that

takes into consideration the impact we have on our environment and our people for

generations to come.”

Dorte Rye Olsen,

Sustainability Manager


S u s t a i n a b i l i t y i s i n c r e a s i n g l y e m b e d d e d

t h r o u g h o u t B E S T S E L L E R a n d i s a p a r t o f

BESTSELLER’s identity. By helping tackle global

s u s t a i n a b i l i t y c h a l l e n g e s , w e h av e l e a r n e d

that sustainabil ity can drive business success.

O u r ab i l i ty to b e a g o o d b u s i n e ss u l t i m ate ly

d e p e n d s o n h ow we i n te g ra te s u s ta i n a b i l i ty

w i t h i n o u r bu s i n e ss . T h i s i n clu d e s o pe rat i n g

our business ethically, producing our products

r e s p o n s i b l y, v a l u i n g o u r p e o p l e g r e a t l y,

building a resilient supply chain and providing

va l u e to o u r s ta ke h o l d e r s . Su s ta i n a b i l i ty to

BESTSELLER means creating long-term value.

“ Through our business operations, we hope to make a positive impact socially, economically and environmentally.”

SUSTAINABILITY AT BESTSELLER

To BESTSELLER, sustainability means embracing

i n n ovat io n a n d m i t igat i n g r i s k s . No t o n ly to

f u tu r e - p r o o f o u r c o m p a ny b u t a l s o fo r t h e

benefit of future generations. We want to create

a breeding ground that produces positive impact.

In recent decades, BESTSELLER has evolved in its

sustainability journey from focusing on supplier

c o m p l i a n c e to i m p l e m e n t i n g s u s t a i n a b i l i ty -

l e d s ys te m s t h i n ki n g a c ro ss t h e e nt i re va lu e

chain – from raw materials, to human rights, to

product sustainability, to end- of-use. We are on

a continuous journey, improving our business to

become a purpose and value-driven company, all

the while increasing our transparency to further

build trust with our stakeholders.

As a fashion company of about 17,000 people, we want to leverage

our size to contribute to a better and safer future for generations

to come. To do this , we take a holistic approach to ensure the

impact we have in our value chain will be a positive one for both

our people and our environment.


STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Understanding and engaging with our stakeholders

is important to us. It helps address the most

relevant issues and identify how we can create

value to our communities. Through internal efforts

and industry-wide initiatives, we engage with our

stakeholders on a continual basis where we seek

their feedback on material issues that are relevant

to BESTSELLER and have the greatest economic,

environmental and social impact.

In BESTSELLER, we identify stakeholders based on

who we have an impact on and how they influence

our business. Our stakeholders include colleagues,

suppliers, workers, NGOs, industry associations,

customers/wholesalers, retailers, end-consumers,

policy makers and media. We engage with our

stakeholders on a regular basis through various

means such as workshops, events , interviews,

meetings, surveys and initiative engagements.

We engage with our stakeholders through our

industry-wide collaborations with international

organisations including the Sustainable Apparel

Co a l i t io n ( SAC ) a n d t h e A p pa r e l & Fo o twea r

International RSL Management Working Group

(AFIRM), the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Ethical

Trade Initiative (ETI) and Textile Exchange (TE),

t h e B a n g l a d e s h A cco rd o n F i r e a n d Bu i l d i n g

S a fe t y ( A C C O R D ) a n d A c t i o n C o l l a b o r a t i o n

Transformation (ACT). See page 61.


FASHION FWD

At t h e e n d o f 2 0 1 8 , we l au n c h e d o u r Fa s h io n

F W D s t rate g y a n d t h e m e ssag e wa s c l ea r, we

want to accelerate fashion’s journey towards a

sustainable reality.

Fashion FWD emphasises the immediate need for

inclusive and holistic action on sustainabil ity

a c r o s s t h e va l u e c h a i n f r o m raw m a te r i a l s ,

production, and ow n operations to customers

and end-of-use.

Ou r Nor th Sta r is our ult imate a mbit ion and

commits us to bring Fashion FWD until we are

climate positive, fair for all and circular by design.

MAKING FWDDELIVERING FWD

CREATING FWD

ENGAGING FWD

OUR FOUR FOCUS

AREAS

Our Fashion FWD strategy, running from 2019 to 2025,

will turn ambition into action and launch us towards

our North Star. Our strategy is based on becoming

as sustainable as possible, as soon as possible, across

four focus areas covering our value chain.

In 2019, we have taken some foundational and

significant steps towards reaching our Fashion

FWD goals. We have taken many steps behind-the-

scenes in building roadmaps and setting baselines

to help launch us towards our Fashion FWD goals,

in addition to many adaptations and pilot projects

around our business processes, product design and

material sourcing.

Bringing Fashion FWD until we are climate positive, fair for all and circular by design

Climate Positive

O u r bu s i ne s s w i l l h ave a p o s it ive i mpac t on

our planet’s c l imate across our va lue cha in by

removing more greenhouse gasses than we emit.

Our ultimate ambition. As a shared goal for our colleagues and

partners, guiding our strategy and actions to doing good business.

Fair for All

Ever yone work i n g i n ou r va lue c h a i n w i l l b e

equa l ly empowered by jobs that are sa fe , that

protect human rights and prov ide fair incomes

a nd oppor tun it ies for ever yone to reach thei r

personal potential.

Circular by design

O u r bu s i ne s s mo de l w i l l b e ba s e d on de s i g n

principles that prioritise efficiency and the reuse

of resources at every level , from fibres to water

a nd c he m ic a l s to p o s t- c on s u me r, i n or de r to

minimise water and keep resources in use.


OUR SUPPLY CHAIN

O u r bu s i n e ss a c t iv i t ie s i nvo lve t h o u sa n d s o f

workers across the world and influence a range of

issues from workers’ rights, decent working con-

ditions and the environment. We continuously

work to improve our supply chain management to

address these issues and partner with suppliers

to identify and track salient labour rights issues

and environmental risks, and to f ind long-term

sustainable solutions.

Suppliers:

444Number of factories:

755Number of onsite factory visits:

1,017

839 performed by local teams

178 performed by third party

BESTSELLER’s Responsible Sourcing team counts

3 5 g l o b a l c o l l e a g u e s d i s t r i b u te d a c r o s s o u r

head off ices and local sourcing off ices. In each

sourcing office, the teams are divided into Social

& Labour Teams and Chemical & Environment

Teams. Together, the teams monitor and assist

factories producing for BESTSELLER to ensure

they comply with our Code of Conduct and local

Tier 1 Factories:

China

India

Bangladesh

Turkey

Albania

Bulgaria

Cambodia

Macedonia

Italy

Moldova

Mauritius

Myanmar

Pakistan

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Serbia

Spain

Sri Lanka

Tunisia

Turkey

Ukraine

UAE

Vietnam

laws within labour and human rights, health and

safety, and protection of the environment.

Our local teams also play an important role by

engaging in various training and capacity build-

ing programmes with our suppliers, motivating

and enabling them to improve their performance

on social and environmental sustainability.


FACTORY STANDARDS PROGRAMME

The programme is managed by our Responsible

Sourcing Team and it is an integral part of our

business and sourcing practices. The objective

of the programme is to ensure that all applicable

h u m a n a n d l a b o u r r i g h t s a r e p r o te c te d fo r

workers in our supply chain, that decent working

c o n d i t i o n s p r e va i l , a n d t h a t B E S T S E L L E R’s

production does not have a negative impact on

the environment.

O n e k e y f e a tu r e o f t h e Fa c to r y S t a n d a r d s

P r o g r a m m e i s t o u p h o l d b a s i c c o m p l i a n c e

requirements among the factories producing for

BESTSELLER. These requirements can be found

in local labour and environmental laws and in

the BESTSELLER Code of Conduct and related

sustainabil ity policies , which are available on

our website.

A n o t h e r e q u a l l y i m p o r t a n t e l e m e n t o f t h e

programme is the various capacity building and

training activities that we undertake with our

suppliers. These activities assist our suppliers’

o n g o i n g d e v e l o p m e n t w i t h i n s o c i a l a n d

environmental sustainability, and thus raise the

bar well beyond compliance.

Our factory list can be found on our webpage

about.bestseller.com. This l ist is updated twice

per year.

UPHOLDING BASIC COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

At BESTSELLER, we do not own any factories ,

b u t c o l l a b o r a te w i t h s e v e r a l s u p p l i e r s a n d

factories to produce our products . This setup

sets the conditions for how we can work with our

suppliers.

All factories must go through a comprehensive

onsite social & labour and chemical & environment

assessment from one of our local Responsible

Sourcing teams – or from a third party appointed

by BESTSELLER – to be approved for BESTSELLER

Through our factory standards programme, we identify and address issues within labour and human rights, health and safety concerns and environmental risks.


https://about.bestseller.com/



p ro d u c t io n . Fo l l ow i n g t h es e ass ess m e nts , t h e

fa c to r y m u s t b e a p p r ove d by B E S T S E L L E R’s

Head Office. If the factory is not approved, it will

e ither go through a remediation process , or it

will not be opened for BESTSELLER production.

If the factory goes through remediation, clear

deadlines must be followed, and our local teams

w i l l s u p p o r t t h e fa c to r y i n t h e r e m e d i a t i o n

process. Hence, the Factory Standards Programme

i s n o t o n ly m o n i to r i n g b a s i c c o m p l i a n c e ; i t

also helps our suppliers improve their working

co n d i t io n s . I n ca s e s wh e re t h e re i s a l a ck o f

commitment from management or improvements

are inadequate, the factory will not be opened for

production for BESTSELLER.

Once factories are approved, they are subject to

a routine procedure where we check and assist

s o c i a l a n d e nv i r o n m e n t a l p e r fo r m a n c e a n d

continuous improvements.

Our local teams also hold regular seminars and

training sessions with our suppliers, to regularly

update and train them on our requirements, and

to ensure that they are up to date with the latest

industry knowledge.

A l a r g e p a r t o f o u r p r o d u c t i o n i s p l a c e d i n

factories that have been producing for us for

20 years or more, and over the years we have

developed our respective businesses together in

close partnerships based on mutual respect, trust

a n d t ra n s pa re n c y. Su ch pa r t n e rs h i p s p rov i d e

u s w i t h a g o o d o p p o r tu n i ty to d e ve l o p a n d

implement our sustainability efforts together.

W i t h fa c to r ie s wh e re o u r pa r t n e rs h i p i s s t i l l

relatively new, we focus on building trust and

transparency, so we can mutual ly improve on

sustainability.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Our work is to ensure that health and safety

is embedded within all our sourcing processes,

including supplier onboarding and relationship

development. Our standards and requirements

a r o u n d o c c u p a t i o n a l h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y i n

t h e s u p p l y c h a i n a r e i n c l u d e d a n d w e l l -

represented in BESTSELLER’s Factory Standards

Programme that is being closely monitored by

o u r co m p l i a n ce tea m s . To h e l p o u r s u p p l ie rs

meet higher standards for occupational health

a n d s a fe ty a n d e n c o u ra g e t h e m to i nve s t i n

developing those standards, we have decided to

invest in developing a business case that l inks

occupational health and safety and productivity

in the factories. Having a strong business case

h e l p s u s a n d o u r s u p p l i e r s to f u r t h e r b u i l d

i nte r n a l a n d ex te r n a l awa re n e ss a n d i nte re s t

fo r s u s ta i n ab l e s u p p ly ch a i n ob je c t ive s , t hu s

promoting sustainability of the supply chain as

a business enabling platform.

In 2015, BESTSELLER joined the Productivity and

Occupational Health and Safety project (POSH),

designed by the University of Aalborg (Denmark)

in collaboration with Ahsanullah University of

Science and Technology (Bangladesh), and funded

by Danish Development Agency (DANIDA). The

p r o j e c t a i m e d to p r ov i d e p r o o f o f s y n e r g i e s

between productivity, quality and occupational

health and safety (OHS).

The project has been successfully completed in

2019 within seven factories from BESTSELLER’s

supply chain. As per project outcomes, factories

t h a t p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e p r o j e c t b e n e f i t e d

f r o m i n c r e a s i n g av e r a g e s c o r e o f 5 S a u d i t ,

i n c r e a s e d ta r g e t a c h i e ve m e n t a n d d e c r e a s e d

D H U ( nu m b e r o f d e fe c t ive ga r m e n ts fo u n d i n

inspected garments) .

COVID -19The benefits of having a strong global team has

been apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our local Responsible Sourcing teams are in close

dialogue with suppliers to assist them and to

monitor conditions.

– Dia log ue w ith our suppl iers: We have ma in-

tained an even closer dialogue w ith our sup -

pl iers since the global outbreak of COV ID -19,

increasing our level of information and abi l-

ity to assist factories in a chal lenging t ime.

– F o c u s o n r i s k a r e a s : We h a v e e s p e c i a l l y

foc u sed on pr event ive mea su r es , wa ge pay-

me nt s a nd t h at a ny d i s m i s s a l s ad he r e d to

a l l le g a l r e qu i r e m e nt s , a s w e s e e t he s e a s

t he ma i n labour a nd hea lt h r i sk s caused by

COV ID -19.

– Status track ing: We have specif ical ly tracked

tempora r y a nd per ma nent fac tor y c losures ,

l a y o f f s a n d w a g e p a y m e nt s o n a m o nt h l y

ba si s for a l l r i sk reg ions , enabl i ng us to ac t

preventively on crit ical r isks .

– C O V I D - 1 9 g u i d a n c e m a t e r i a l : W e h a v e

developed and distributed COV ID -19 guidance

m ater i a l for fac tor ie s on f i n a nc i a l s upp or t

o p p o r t u n i t i e s , w h i c h m a y h e l p f a c t o r i e s

g e t t h r o u g h t h e f i n a n c i a l s q u e e z e m o s t

actors in the garment sector are facing. The

guidance also includes health and safety and

pr e vent ive mea s u r e s to avoid u nc ont r ol le d

spreading of the v irus .

– On l i ne tra i n i n g w ith fac tor ies: Since travel

restrictions have prevented us from v isit ing

fac tories , we have sca led up on l ine tra in ing

(e .g . how to reopen production in a safe man-

ner, how to restart eff luent treatment plants ,

what preventive measures to take).

COVID -19The global pandemic has once again underl ined

t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f o c c u p a t i o n a l h e a l t h a n d

safety (OHS). We are glad that our POSH project

in Bangladesh helped our participating suppliers

to develop OHS tools that help design production

outlines in a way that help prevent the spread of

the virus.

5S audit score increased by

15% Target achievement increased by

9% (actual sewing output items

compared to set output target)

DHU decreased by

5-15% depending on complexity of the style

Fashion FWD 13Sustainabil ity Report 2019

RAISING THE BAR BEYOND COMPLIANCE

In addition to the compliance part of the Factory

Standards Programme, we are also engaging in a

range of activities with our suppliers to raise the

bar well beyond compliance.

A big challenge in the global garment industry, is

that many production workers in popular global

s o u rc i n g reg io n s a re n o t ve r y awa re o f t h e i r

basic r ights or how to ensure their r ights are

protected in an employee-employer relationship.

Likewise, middle management may not always

know how to best engage in constructive social

dialogue. Hence, training and capacity building is

critical at different management levels in many

factories. However, the practical task is immense

as the number of employees requiring training is

extensive.

Introducing a digital solution

A s a r e s p o n s e , B E S T S E L L E R h a s te a m e d u p

w i t h Q u i z R R – a g r ow i n g g l oba l o rga n i s at io n

p r o v i d i n g d i g i t a l t ra i n i n g s o l u t i o n s fo r t h e

ed ucat io n o f wo rke rs a n d m id - l eve l m a n age rs

in various labour-related subjects. Workers are

trained via short educational real-life situation

v i d e o s a n d q u e s t i o n n a i r e s , w h i c h p r o v i d e

b o t h t h e m a n d B E ST S E L L E R w i t h i m p o r ta n t

fe e d ba c k . T h e s o l u t io n i s ea s i ly s ca l ab l e a n d

e nabl es factories to implement tra ining of an

extensive number of workers. In 2019, we have

i ni t i ated a pi lot with Quiz RR a n d factories in

Bangladesh and China. The pilot wil l continue

and be evaluated during 2020.

SMART TAG Myanmar

Over the years, BESTSELLER has had a strong focus

on human rights due diligence in Myanmar and

has supported the reform process. In December

2019, we became inaugural members of the SMART

Textile & Garments (SMART TAG) programme in

Myanmar together with two other global brands.

S M A RT TAG i s a n E U c o - f u n d e d p r o g ra m m e

s u p p o r t i n g t h e s u s ta i n a b l e d e ve l o p m e n t o f

t h e Mya n m a r te x t i l e a n d g a r m e n t i n d u s t r y.

Through SMART TAG, factories producing for

BESTSELLER will join training workshops and

par ticipate in customised onsite management

training programmes related to health and safety,

workplace dialogue, chemical risk management,

child labour prevention etc.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, S M A R T TA G i s t r a i n i n g a n d

educating local sustainability experts, who will

be able to support the sustainable development

of the local garment industry on a broader level

moving forward. Implementation of SMART TAG

activit ies in BESTSELLER factories wil l begin

during 2020.

Being a region of particular human rights risks,

we are taking additional steps to avoid causing

or contributing to human rights violations in

Myanmar. Read our policy on Sourcing Regions

of Particular Human Rights Focus on our website

(about.bestseller.com).

Read more about our engagement in Myanmar

on page 21.

COVID -19D u e to t h e i m pa c t o f COV I D -1 9, S M A RT TAG

has currently redirected their efforts into the

Myan Ku Fund. The Myan Ku Fund has obtained

funding from the EU and f inancial ly supports

v ulnerable garment workers in Myanmar who

have lost their job and source of income due to

the COVID-19 economic downturn. BESTELLER

is suppor ting this change of focus during the

COVID-19 situation.

4 factories joined the QuizRR pilot: 2 in China and 2 in Bangladesh

4,162 workers and managers trained through QuizRR


http://about.bestseller.com

We will promote dignity, equality and safe working conditions for all people across our value chain until fair incomes and respect for human rights are the norm.

Our vision

ENGAGINGFWD

GOALSENGAGING FWD

BY 2025

through industry collabo-ration, we will implement mechanisms to promote fair living wages.

BY 2025

workers and managers in all factories in our Productivity and Social Dialogue programme will engage in social dialogue, driving productivity improvements and greater shared social value.

BY 2025

we will support 100,000 women in tier 1 factories to achieve workplace empowerment and improved life-skills.

BY 2025

all suppliers will have invested in fire, electrical and building safety and show continuous improvement.


As a large fashion company, we are touching the lives of millions of workers in our supply chain every day. This also means we have enormous opportunities and responsibilities to promote the wellbeing of the workers in our supply chain and support national stakeholders in driving the garment and footwear industry forward.

By building strong, mutual and trusting relation-

ships with our suppliers, unions, employer associa-

tions and other related national stakeholders in the

countries where our goods are being produced, we

seek to develop a value chain where fair incomes

and respect for human rights are the norm.

Protecting the human rights of the workers in our

supply chain is integral to BESTSELLER’s values. We

want to contribute to a better tomorrow by using

business as a force for good.

In 2019, we created a framework of action that is

focused around making an impact in our supply

chain depending on the regional context where our

clothes are being produced.

F ive m a i n i m pa c t a rea s we re i d e nt i f ie d a n d

prioritised to be included in the framework of

action:

WE ARE ENGAGING FWD BY WORKING BETTER

Fire, electrical and building safety

Promoting social dialogue to improve worker’s lives

Payment of wages

Women’s empowerment

Social dialogue and productivity


Work ing in a hea lthy and safe workplace is a

fundamental right for all workers regardless of

country of origin, occupation, gender or religion.

O u r appr o ac h to w a r d s he a lt h a nd s a fe t y i n

manufacturing facil ities has been based on two

main objectives that we have been developing over

the past few years: Occupational Health and Safety

(OHS) and fire and building safety. See page 13.

FIRE AND BUILDING SAFETY

In order to increase productivity, job performance

and job satisfaction levels , we need to provide

workers with safe and good physical work ing

conditions, f ire and building safety being one of

them. It is absolutely paramount that workers are

safe from f ire and electrical risks , and are able

to work in safe, structurally sound buildings. We

are a signatory to the Bangladesh Accord on Fire

and Building Safety (the Accord), an independent

a g r e e m e n t d e s i g n e d t o m a k e a l l g a r m e n t

fac tor ie s i n B a n g l ade sh s a fe workpl ac e s . We

have worked with the Accord to make significant

i mpr ovement s at t he fac tor ies i n Ba n g ladesh

that manufacture our products . These include

independent safety inspections at factories and

ENGAGING WITH FACTORIES AND SUPPLIERS

public reporting of the results of these inspections.

To mea su r e a nd t ra n spa r ent ly r epor t on ou r

progress under the Accord, we have included a

ded icated goa l i n our Fa sh ion F W D St rateg y :

By 2021, we will achieve 100% remediation and

safety training under the Bangladesh Accord.

The Accord will from June 2020 be replaced by

RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), a sustainable

solution to carry forward the accomplishments

already made on workplace safety in Bangladesh.

To b u i l d u p o n o u r e f fo r ts a r o u n d f i r e a n d

b u i l d i n g s a fe ty, B E STS E L L E R h a s jo i n e d a n d

be co m e a s te e r i n g co m m i tte e m e m be r o f t h e

Life and Building Safety (LABS) initiative that

is facilitated by the Sustainable Trade Initiative

( I D H ) . Wo r k i n g w i t h L A B S, we h e l p i m p r ove

the working conditions of garment workers –

especially in India – by addressing risks related

to fire and electrical hazards, structural building

safety and providing proper safety training for

workers. Under the LABS initiative, we are joined

by our peers in an industry-wide program that

works to effectively mitigate r isks related to

building safety.

In 2019, 10 of the suppliers and 11 of the factories

we work with have participated in the pilot

assessments where LABS reviewed

their structural, fire and electrical safety

issues.


Empowering workers to engage in constructive social dialogue – meaningful discussion between employers, workers and their representatives on social and labour issues – is vital to enabling workers to understand their rights, voice their needs and negotiate improvements.

PROMOTING SOCIAL DIALOGUE TO IMPROVE WORKERS LIVELIHOODS

This is a long-term process and, in production

countries where the workplace social dialogue

m o d e l i s n o t ye t e s tab l i s h e d , we co l l ab o rate

with suppliers and national stakeholders (trade

u n io n s , e m p l oye r a ss o c i at io n s , g ove r n m e n ts ,

etc.) in discussing key labour rights challenges.

These challenges include decent wages, collective

bargaining, freedom of association, and health

and safety. Thus, one of our top priorities is to

promote social dialogue in our supply chain.

Our approach towards promoting bi-or-tripartite

s o c i a l d i a l o g u e h a s b e e n ba s e d o n two m a i n

objectives that we have been developed over the

past few years:

– Development of workplace social dialogue in

factories

– Development of soc ia l d ia log ue on sec tora l /

industrial level


DEVELOPMENT OF WORKPLACE SOCIAL DIALOGUE IN FACTORIES

We believe that by engaging in interdependent

m ea n i n g f u l s o c i a l d i a l o g u e a n d p ro d u c t iv i ty,

we create value for workers, suppliers and our

company by creating a more stable supply chain

a n d a d d r e s s i n g s u s t a i n a b i l i ty n e e d s o f o u r

consumers.

Since 2015, we have engaged with five factories and

16,834 workers in our social dialogue programme

in Bangladesh. The same year, we also joined

the Productivity and Occupational Health and

Safety Project designed by University of Aalborg

( D e n m a r k) i n co l l ab o rat io n w i t h A h s a nu l l a h

University of Science and Technology (Bangladesh),

and funded by DANIDA. Based on what we have

learned from both projects in Bangladesh and

understanding the complexities of labour right

f ra m ewo r k i n co u n t r ie s w i t h o u t e s tab l i s h e d

social dialogue, we have joined forces with the

Danish Ethical Trade Initiative, Danish labour

union 3F and Aalborg University in co-designing

the Productivity, Occupational Health and Safety

and Social Dialogue Project in Myanmar – called

MYPOD. We started a three-year long project in 2017

with the overall objective of enabling Myanmar’s

garment industry to generate better jobs, improve

worker satisfaction, boost productivity and help

position Myanmar as a significant contributor to

the global apparel industry.

From the beginning of MYPOD, one main strategic

aim of the project was to produce a micro-level

business case involving seven factories, looking

at p ro d u c t iv i ty i m p rove m e nts t h ro ug h L E A N

interventions integrating social dialogue.

However, social dialogue baseline studies and

further engagement in the project have shown

that before focusing on micro-level interventions

t h e r e i s a n u r g e n t n e e d to f i r s t c r e a te a n

environment in the country that enables factory-

l e ve l s o c i a l d i a l o g u e . Cu r r e n t ly, t h e M Y P O D

project is undergoing a revision and re -design

phase that will enable it to play a more integral

role in supporting national stakeholders during

and post-COVID-19’s spread.

BUILDING THE BUSINESS CASE

In order to scale up our efforts to support social

dialogue and productivity in our supply chain,

we have re-designed BESTSELLER’s Productivity

and Social Dialogue Programme based on lessons

learned from our projects in Ban gl ades h an d

Myanmar, thus taking a big step forward towards

a ch iev i n g o n e o f o u r Fa s h io n F W D g oa l s : By

2021, we will have evaluated and redesigned our

Productivity & Social Dialogue programme based

o n l e a r n i n g s f r o m Mya n m a r a n d B a n g l a d e s h

Since 2015, we have engaged with five factories and

16,834 workers in our social dialogue programme in Bangladesh.

a n d f u r t h e r i m p l e m e n te d i m p r ove m e n t s fo r

management and workers in par tnership with

our key suppliers across key sourcing countries.

In order to pilot the project , BESTSELLER has

jo i n e d fo r ce s w i t h o n e o f o u r key l o n g - te r m

suppliers in Turkey, Deniz Teksti l , which has

nominated one of their factories for the pilot ,

and Pamukkale Technical University, which will

provide productivity and social dialogue-related

training/intervention. While initially expected to

last 12 months, the project is likely to experience

delays due to COVID-19.

The productivity component of the project will

focus on: production processes , sample room,

p a tt e r n a n d m a r k e r m a k i n g , w a r e h o u s i n g ,

inspection processes, pressing, product safety and

satisfaction, etc. The social dialogue component

of the project will focus on: labour rights and

responsibilities, worker representation commit-

tee, dispute settlement mechanism, dialogue and

reporting l ines within an organisation, worker

wellbeing, occupational health and safety, etc.

Upon completion of the pilot , we wil l use the

experience and outcomes we have gained from

the project to present a business case to other

s u p p l i e r s , a n d p r o m o te s o c i a l d i a l o g u e a n d

productivity in our supply chain, thus working

towards to yet another Fashion FWD Goal: By 2025,

workers and management in all factories in our

Productivity & Social Dialogue programme will

engage in social dialogue driving productivity

improvements and greater shared social value.


To achieve a better balance between business needs and worker expectations and to address the need of creating an environment in Myanmar that enables tripartite social dialogue, BESTSELLER together with two other global fashion retail brands has engaged with local labour unions and suppliers’ representatives in establishing the Freedom of Association (FOA) Guideline.

The process has been managed and further developed

by the ACT (Action, Collaboration, Transformation

on Living Wages) initiative, which BESTSELLER is a

member of. Along with other brand representatives,

ACT secretariat, a local labour union (aff iliate

of IndustriALL) and employer representatives,

BESTSELLER contributed to establ ishing the

FOA Guideline that has been approved by ILO. As

a next step, BESTSELLER – together with other

partners – will support local unions and employer

representatives to engage in negotiating a dispute

settlement mechanism in March 2020.

Fo r m o r e i n fo r m a t i o n o n M y a n m a r F O A

Guidel ine , please vis it www.actonlivingwages.

com/myanmar

COVID-19Myanmar during the COVID-19 crisis

The dialogue platform that has has been created

by ACT, global brands, local trade unions and

e m p l o y e r r e p r e s e n ta t ive s p r ove d c r u c i a l i n

supporting the country during the COVID-19

pandemic. As a response to financial and social

challenges caused by the global spread of COVID-19,

g l oba l AC T b ra n d s s o u rc i n g f ro m Mya n m a r,

suppliers and national and global trade unions have

established a brand-employer-trade union dialogue

to work towards protecting factories and workers

from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

a n d e f fe c t ive i m p l e m e n tat io n o f f re e d o m o f

association in Myanmar’s garment and footwear

industry.

A j o i n t s ta te m e n t h a s b e e n e n d o r s e d by a l l

t h e pa r t i c i pa n ts a n d o f f i c i a l ly p u b l i s h e d o n

1 2 M ay 2 0 2 0 . T h e pa r t ie s t h at e n d o r s e d t h i s

statement commit to work together to effectively

operationalise the COVID -19 Cal l to Action in

t h e G l o ba l G a r m e n t I n d u s t r y a g r e e d by t h e

International Organisation of Employers (IOE),

t h e I nte r n at io n a l Trad e Un io n Co n fe d e rat io n

(ITUC) and IndustriALL Global Union.

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION GUIDELINE IN MYANMAR


http://www.actonlivingwages.com/myanmar



The topic of living wage is an industry-wide and

complex matter and needs to be addressed by the

industry as a whole to work towards linking pur-

chasing practices to the payment of a living wage

for garment workers.

BESTSELLER is a member of Action Collaboration

Transformation (ACT) – an agreement between

global brands and retailers and trade unions to

t ra n s fo r m t h e ga r m e n t , te x t i l e a n d fo o twea r

industry and achieve l iving wages for workers

through collective bargaining between workers,

employers and their representatives at industry

level that is linked to purchasing practices.

Since joining ACT initiative in 2018, BESTSELLER

has taken an active role in moving the initiative

fo r wa r d i n Mya n m a r, C a m b o d i a , Tu r ke y a n d

Bangladesh. Being an ACT member, BESTSELLER

h as s ig n ed a Me m o ra n d u m O f Un d e rs ta n d i n g

(MoU) with IndustriALL and agreed to respect

and del iver on f ive ACT Purchasing Practices

commitments in a progressive manner.

Furthermore, we have also allocated resources

from h ead and local off ices to drive the ACT

SETTING THE PACE FOR ACHIEVING LIVING WAGES

initiative in related countries. ACT has various

working groups that we are an active member

of , including Turkey Country Working Group,

Myanmar Country Working Group, Bangladesh

C o u n t r y Wo r k i n g G r o u p , C a m b o d i a C o u n t r y

Working Group, Purchasing Practices Working

G r o u p , F r e e d o m o f A s s o c i a t i o n G u i d e l i n e

Training in Myanmar Working Group, Training on

Responsible Sourcing and Buying Working Group.

H av i n g th e res ources , th e r ight and power to

organise and bargain collectively in accordance

w i t h I LO Co nve nt io n s at a n i n d u s t r y l eve l i s

an important and fundamental step to enabling

the garment industry to achieve a l iving wage.

Linking to purchasing practices means that pay-

ment of the negotiated wage can be implemented

by legal terms of contracts.

As one of the important actors in the garment

industry, who has the abil ity to influence and

steer the industry landscape, we must exercise

our responsibil ity and role in achieving l iving

wages for apparel workers in the global supply

chain. The matter is urgent and we must act to

close the living wage gap in a reasonable time -

frame.

COVID -19ACT

Our membership w ith ACT enables us to col lab -

orate c los e ly w it h g loba l bra nd s , n at ion a l a nd

globa l trade un ions , and employer associations

to c losely mon itor t he labou r s ituat ion du r i n g

C O V I D - 1 9 i n c o u n t r i e s l i k e B a n g l a d e s h ,

M y a n m a r , C a m b o d i a a n d Tu r k e y. We w o r k

c lo s e ly w it h a l l i nv olv e d n at ion a l a nd g lob a l

s t a k e h o l d e r s t o m o n i t o r a n d i m p r o v e t h e

wa ge s ituat ion i n fac tor ie s supply i n g for AC T

br a n d s , i mple me nt at ion of he a lt h a n d s a f e t y

r e g u l at ion s s e t by n at ion a l gove r n me nt s , a nd

r e s p e c t of f r e e dom of a s s o c i at ion du r i n g a nd

after COV ID -19.

As a fashion company, we have a shared responsibility to increase the income of garment workers to the minimum income necessary for them to meet their basic needs and the needs of their families, with a percentage of additional income for saving and spending.

BESTSELLER has signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) with IndustriALL and agreed to respect and deliver on five ACT Purchasing Practices commitments in a progressive manner.


For almost a decade, we have been working with

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) and its

local partners on creating an environment that

enables women to develop and access resources

for continuous personal development. To achieve

t h i s a n d i n c r e a s e o u r i m p a c t , B E S T S E L L E R

h a s p r o u d l y b e c o m e a c a t a l y s t m e m b e r o f

HERproject™ in the beginning of 2019. By the end

of 2019, we had intensified our partnership with

BSR and formed a five-year strategic partnership

with the initiative. The new strategic partnership

will help BESTSELLER accelerate towards one of

our Fashion FWD goals : By 2025, we will have

improved work and life skills for female workers

in key sourcing communities through industry

col l abo rat i o n , pa r t n e r i n g w i t h H E R p r oj e c t ™ ,

a n d i n a cco rd a n ce w i t h t h e U N G C’s wo m e n’s

empowerment principles.

For us, the benefits of empowering women are very

clear: factories that invest in women’s empowerment

experience reduced worker turnover, reduced

absenteeism related to health problems, improved

co m mu n icat io n a n d s o c i a l d i a l o g u e be twe e n

workers and management, and higher productivity.

Women who have access to information regarding

their health and personal development can make

better decisions for themselves and their families.

The effects of empowering women go beyond the

workplace, as we have witnessed numerous cases

of knowledge being disseminated amongst family

and friends, which creates a positive impact for the

entire community. Through our collaboration with

DRIVING WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN THE GLOBAL GARMENT SUPPLY CHAIN

By the end of 2019, BESTSELLER’s work with

HERproject™ has reached more than 38,363 women

in BESTSELLER’s supply chain across Bangladesh,

Cambodia, China, India, Pakistan and Vietnam.

Factoring in HERproject™ programmes supported

by other brands, the total number of women that

h ave be n e f i te d f ro m H E R p roje c t ™ wo rkp l ace

p r o g ra m m e s i n B E S T S E L L E R’s s u p p ly c h a i n

reached 51,366. Our five-year strategic partnership

with BSR’s HERproject™ brings us one step closer

to achieving yet another of our Fashion FWD goals:

By 2025, we will support 100,000 women in tier 1

fac tor i es to ach i eve workp l ace e m powe r m e nt

and improved life-skills.

E m p owe r i n g wo m e n c r ea te s s o c i a l va l u e fo r

the local communities and business value for

workplaces and, as a company, we will continue

to fo c u s o n wo m e n’s e m powe r m e nt as o n e o f

our main commitments to move our sustainable

supply chain practices forward.

COVID-19HERhealth / COVID -19 Response and Resources

Through our partnership with BSR’s HERproject™,

HERhealth-specific materials and resources have

been repurposed and compiled into locally relevant

hygiene resources. All the resources are shared

with local and global partners and suppliers, and

are disseminated to workers. BSR is also working

through the Empower@Work Collaborative to

develop publically available digital tools designed

to support and empower current and former factory

workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and

resulting economic fallout.

HERproject™, we have been able to see that factories,

which adopt women’s empowerment practices,

become more inclusive, productive and profitable

workplaces. Empowering women in our supply chain

is essential to strengthening our supplier base,

achieving a more stable and sustainable value chain

and satisfying the needs of end-consumers.

“We are delighted that BESTSELLER is deepening its engagement with HERproject™ through a five year strategic partnership and stepping up as Catalyst Member. Having already seen the benefits from BESTSELLER’s work with HERproject™, we welcome this new commitment to increase the wellbeing, confidence, and economic potential of even more women workers in its supply chain.”

Christine Svarer,

Director at HERproject™.

More than

51,000 women in our supply chain have benefitted from the HERproject™


WAGE DIGITALISATION IN BANGLADESH:

According to recent studies, around 75 percent of

garment factories in Bangladesh report paying

their workers in cash. Cash payments create some

signif icant challenges for both employers and

workers:

– T he t i me t h at f a c tor y m a n a g e r s s p e n d on

a r r a n g i n g , pr ep a r i n g a nd d i s t r i but i n g t he

payments.

– L os s of worker pr oduc t ion-t i me (e . g . r ecent

s tud ies by B etter T h a n Ca sh A l l i a nce show

t h at w o rk e r s at a 2 , 5 0 0 - e mpl o y e e f a c to r y

s p e nd 7 5 0 m i nute s e ac h mont h aw ay f r om

production l ine merely to receive cash).

– R isk of fraud during transportation/ possess-

ing salar y on payday.

– Lack of personal f inancial visibi l ity in order

to save or invest money.

B e i n g p a i d i n c a s h a l s o c r e a t e s s i g n i f i c a n t

challenges for female workers. In some cultures ,

women are less l ikely to wield control over their

m on e y, f e a r l o s s of t h e f t of c a s h (e s p e c i a l l y

on payday) or a r e e x pec ted to ha nd over t he i r

salaries to male family members.

In order to cont r ibute to f i nd i ng a solut ion to

problems related to cash payments and improve

economic empowerment of women in our supply

cha in , we have joined BSR / HERproject™ Wage

Dig ita l isat ion Projec t in Bang ladesh in Aug ust

2019. This engagement saw us take a step towards

achieving one of our Fashion FWD goals: By 2025,

we will support all tier 1 factories in implementing

digital payment of wages.

While still being in the process of implementation,

some of the resu lts have a lready show n that:

1 i n 8 women reported

increased conf idence to meet

expected/unexpected expenses

1 i n 10 women stopped giving

their salaries to others

CREATING POSITIVEIMPACTS FOR WOMEN AND BUSINESS THROUGH WAGE DIGITALISATION


Moreover, the overall f indings reported by BSR/

H E Rpr oje c t™ s how t h at t he pr oje c t c r eate s a

p o s it ive s o c i a l e f fe c t out s ide t he fac tor y. A n

Inter med ia sur vey showed that t he number of

non- ga r ment fema le worker s who have mobi le

m o n e y a c c ou nt s a n d s h a r e t h e c o m mu n it i e s

w ith fema le workers that have pa r t ic ipated i n

B SR / HERpr oje c t™ Wa ge D i g ita l i sat ion P r oje c t

ha s i nc r ea sed to 1 1 per cent f r om a ba sel i ne of

2 percent.

It is evident for us in BESTSELLER that a respon-

sible and carefully planned transition from cash

pay ments to d ig ita l wages has the potent ia l to

create sig n i f icant soc ia l and business impac ts ,

increasing business eff iciency and transparency,

wh i le g iv i n g low-i nc ome worker s – e s p e c i a l ly

women – opportunities to improve their l ives.

COVID -19Wage digitalisation as a response to COVID -19

Together w ith BSR / HERprojec t™, BESTSELLER

is currently work ing on mak ing sure that wage

d i g it a l i s at ion i s s c a le d up , s o w ork e r s i n ou r

supply chain can receive wages during and after

the pandemic.

A s a r e s p o n s e t o t h e e c o n o m i c a n d s o c i a l

c r i s i s caused by COV ID -1 9, ma ny gover n ment s

i n the countr ies where our suppl iers ma nufac -

t u r e g o o d s f or BE S T SE L L E R h av e a n nou nc e d

f i n a n c i a l h e l p p a c k a g e s . T h e s e w i l l b e d i s -

tr ibuted to workers through bank transactions

or other digital pay ment platforms.

BE S T SE L L E R h a s b e e n w ork i n g w it h B SR on

wa ge d i g ita l i s at ion pr ior to t he spr ead of t he

COVID -19 virus that helped enable thousands of

workers in our supply chain to transition to digi-

ta l solutions and be able to receive both wages

and government support during the pandemic.

In th i s c lose col laborat ion w ith BSR , a number

of resources have been made ava i lable by BSR

to our suppl iers a nd workers to sca le up wa ge

digitalisation as a response to COVID -19.

Currently, we are working with BSR on scaling up

our efforts in wage digitalisation and supporting

our suppliers and workers through the pandemic,

enabling infrastructure for digital solutions and

preserving sustainability of the garment industry.

“Empowering women creates social value

for local communities and business value for workplaces and, as a

company, we will continue to focus on women’s

empowerment as one of our main commitments to move our sustainable supply chain practices

forward.”

Dorte Rye Olsen,

Sustainability Manager

The worker

production-time

lost on payday

fell by

The time that factor y

managers spent processing,

counting, distributing,

and auditing payroll fell by

78% 59%


We will continuously improve the environmental footprint of our products, operations and supply chain until they are in line with the needs of our planet.

Our vision

MAKING FWD

GOALSMAKING FWD

BY 2020

we will set science-based goals on greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, we have officially committed to set these goals through the Science Based Targets initiative.

BY 2025

the volume of samples we produce will be significantly reduced by investing in digital solutions and collaborating closely with our key suppliers.

BY 2025

75% of all product orders will be consolidated in suppliers that are highly rated in our sustainability evaluation.

BY 2021

we will set targets to safeguard future water resources.

BY 2021

our owned and operated buildings globally will be powered by 100% renewable energy.

BY 2025

our energy consumption in our owned and operated buildings globally will be reduced by 30%.

BY 2025

we will have 100% approved and traceable chemistry in our core products.


WE ARE MAKING FWD BY PRODUCING LEANER

We believe that by producing leaner, we can safeguard our resources for the future. In Making FWD, we have set some long-term goals that will not only future-proof our business, but significantly and continually reduce the energy, water and chemicals we use and the waste we create. Making FWD is about transforming our business so it has a positive impact on the environment.

With our Fashion FWD strategy, we have officially

committed to set our greenhouse gas goals through

the Science Based Targets initiative(SBTi), a collab-

orative partnership between the Carbon Disclosure

Project (CDP), the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the

World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World

Wildlife Fund (WWF) to help companies set energy

goals that will help us protect our 1.5°C future. Since

then, we have been working hard in 2019 to collect

data and create a baseline that we can base our action

plans and goals on. We have started with conducting

screening assessments to understand what is material

and relevant as well as peer benchmarking studies.

In August 2019, we signed the G7 Fashion Pact

to g e t h e r w i t h o t h e r l ea d i n g fa s h io n b ra n d s

to show further commitment on critical issues such

as climate.


REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND CARBON EMISSIONS

Working closely with our colleagues and suppliers,

we aim to extend our efforts in providing them

the knowledge in energy eff iciency and energy

reduction. For our 2025 goal to reduce our energy

consumption in our owned and operated buildings

by 30 percent, we have started to research systems

and an efficient way to collect and monitor our

energy data. For our 2021 goal of powering our

ow n and operated buildings globally with 100

percent renewable energy, we are on track and

in the planning phase with the Danish company

Better Energy of building our own 200 megawatt

(MV) capacity solar plant , which wil l produce

the equivalent of BESTSELLER’s entire global

electricity consumption for owned and operated

buildings. The new solar power plant, which will

be privately funded with no subsidies, has been

made possible by HEARTLAND and Invest FWD,

BESTSELLER’s investment platform focusing on

sustainability. See page 54.

BESTSELLER is a member of RE100 – a coalition of companies committed to

100% renewable electricity, led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP.

As much of the energy is used in the production

of materials in the fashion industry, we are also

making great progress in growing the volume of

our more sustainable fibres and recycled materials

across all our brands. These more sustainable fibres

and recycled materials are produced with less

water and energy compared to their conventional

counterparts. See page 38.

CLIMATE TAKING POLLUTION IN CHINA SERIOUSLY

The Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs

(IPE) is a non-profit environmental NGO based in

Beijing, which was founded in 2006 to address the

rising concern surrounding pollution in China. Since

its establishment, IPE has dedicated itself to using

information disclosure to strengthen environmental

governance by unlocking public participation, multi-

stakeholder collaboration and market mechanisms.

Through various tools , such as the Blue Map

Database where pollution records for more than one

million factories are shown to the public, IPE uses

transparency and access to data to hold factories

accountable to reduce their environmental impact,

and engage with corporations to use this data to

oversee factories that manufacture their goods.

The Green Supply Chain CITI Evaluation is a

scoring system on the environmental management

systems and engagement of a company’s sourcing

from China.

At its core, a high CITI score reflects high-functioning

environmental oversight that enables a brand to

develop a supplier portfolio of strong factories that

take their environmental responsibilities – both

compliance and beyond compliance – seriously.

In the 2019 CITI evaluation, BESTSELLER was ranked

39th of 438 companies evaluated.

On the transparency front, BESTSELLER chose

to join the Green Supply Chain Map where top-

performing brands provide maximum transparency

and accountability of their suppliers. The map

displays brand logos on their suppliers’ facilities,

linking brand reputation to suppliers’ environmental

performance status. Map users – particularly

consumers and investors – can stay updated on

brands’ supply chain environmental management.


Environmental standards at production sites are monitored through our Factory Standards Programme where we work to confirm that all minimum standards are met in our supply chain.

Additionally, we use the Higg FEM Tool (Higg

Facility Environmental Module) to measure the

environmental performance of the facilities. The

Higg FEM module measures performance across

seven impact areas, environmental management

systems, water use, wastewater, chemical use,

waste management, energy use and greenhouse

ga s e m i ss io n s . T h e H ig g F E M s u p po r ts u s i n

tracking performance of our supply chain and will

be the way we track progress towards targets in

chemical management, climate, water and waste.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT


Higg Index

T h e H igg I n d ex i s a s e t o f to o l s t h at e n ab l es

brands, retailers and facilities measure and score

a company or product’s sustainably performance.

Developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition

(SAC) , The Higg Index plays an important role

in the apparel and texti le industry in helping

businesses understand the environmental and

s o c i a l i m pa c t o f t h e i r o p e ra t i o n s , p r ov i d i n g

crucial information that empowers them to make

c h a n g e s t h at b e tte r p r o te c t fa c to r y wo r ke rs ,

their local communities and the environment.

In 2019, we have engaged 227 factories across

seven countries in the adoption and utilisation of

the Higg FEM tool . We are covering more than

8 0 p e r ce n t o f o u r vo l u m e s i n t h e H i g g F E M

a s s e s s m e n t , e n g a g e m e n t a n d r o l l o u t . T h i s

includes the majority of tier 1 facilities as well as

our Preferred Materials Suppliers (tier 2).

T h e p a s t t w o y e a r s , w e h av e w o r k e d w i t h

verif ication partner SGS to verify the data of

these 227 factories , whereas 106 went through

an SAC-approved verif ication. The average Higg

Index Facility Environment Module score across

these factories was 45 out of 100. In the 2018 roll-

out (2017 impact data) , we had 35 verif ications

across seven countries and an average score of 36

out of 100. This total score is based on combined

scores out of the seven impact areas.

Factories using Higg FEM for the first time faced

chal lenges in terms of data management and

tracking – but we can see that the factories we

have been engaging with, training and supporting

ove r t h e pa s t t h re e yea rs a re n ow re l at ive ly

comfortable using this tool . We can see that score

deviations between self-assessment and verified

scores is linked to a factory’s experience of using

the tool, while the capability of factory teams and

management systems is also a factor.

In 2020, we will continue to use Higg FEM as a tool

to track and support environmental management

i m p r o v e m e n t s a c r o s s o u r s u p p l y c h a i n . We

will continue to work with factories to ensure

strong baselines, good data quality and strong

comprehension of the Higg FEM tool so it can be

used as an enabler of improvement.

We have set year-on-year targets for key suppliers

and factories to work towards – this is l inked

into our Sustainability Evaluation – and we have

committed that by 2025, 75 percent of all our

p ro d u c t o rde rs w i l l be p l ace d w i t h s u p p l i e rs

performing highly in sustainability.

Average Higg Index Facility Environment Module score

2018 = 36/100

2019 = 45/100

90 1000 4010 5020 6030 70 80Higg Index seven impact areas

EMS

Energy

Water use

Waste

Wastewater

Air emissions

Chemical Management

5365

6130

452628

In 2019, we have engaged 227 factories across seven countries in the adoption and utilisation of the Higg FEM tool.

We are covering more than 80 percent of our volumes in the Higg FEM asessment, engagement and roll out.

227 80%factories engaged


Water is a precious natural resource. In the fashion industry, water is used in almost every step of the textile production and garment manufacturing process, from crop irrigation to the washing of garments.

As a fashion company, we believe we have a shared

responsibility to protect water sources and safe-

guard its use.

O v e r t h e y e a r s w e h av e s te a d i l y i n c r e a s e d

t h e s o u r c i n g o f m o r e s u s ta i n a b l e m a te r i a l s

that involve more eff icient water use in their

produc t ion , such as more susta inable cotton.

Furthermore, we have worked with suppliers to

encourage more responsible water management

in wet processing units. With our current tools

such as the Higg Index, we have undertaken a

more strategic mapping of water use in our supply

chain, so we can set more tangible targets on

water stewardship.

On a product level, we are continuously working

to research and embed innovative technologies

a n d p ro ce ss e s s u ch a s wate r - l e ss dye i n g a n d

using more energy and water- eff icient laundry

machineries to reduce our water footprint.

SUPPORTING THE SEARCH FOR EFFECTIVE

WASTEWATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS

Wastewater treatment poses a significant challenge

to manufacturers , both in terms of the level of

effectiveness of water treatment, as well as the

signif icant cost involved in running treatment

plants. Some innovative manufacturers in high-risk

regions are searching for solutions to enable higher

levels of post-production water recycling, whilst

still maintaining efficient operational costs.

Through our partnership with Fashion for Good, we

were introduced to the game-changing wastewater

treatment system developed by start-up SeaChange

Technologies. When Fashion for Good initiated a

pilot project to assess the feasibility of the solution

at scale, with the support of manufacturing partner

Arvind Limited, BESTSELLER supported the pilot.

There have been encouraging results for future

implementation in the supply chain. Through our

innovation platform Invest FWD, we are committed

to suppor ting the development of solutions to

improve standard practices.

LOOKING AT WATER RISKS THROUGH A SCIENCE-BASED, CATCHMENT-LEVEL APPROACH – ALLIANCE FOR WATER STEWARDSHIP

Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) has developed

a standard framework for major water users, such

as textile factories, to understand their water use

and impacts – and then to work collaboratively

and transparently with other water users and civil

society to achieve sustainable water management

within a river catchment context.

T he s t a n d a r d , whe n appl i e d , i s i nte n d e d to

d r i v e s o c i a l , e n v i r o n m e n t a l a n d e c o n o m i c

b e n e f it s w it h i n a r i v e r c atc h m e nt a r e a . I n

2 01 9, BE STSEL L ER be ca me a member of AWS

SAFE-GUARDING OUR WATER

and in 2020 we are focusing on work ing w ith

s u p p l i e r s i n w a t e r - s t r e s s e d c a t c h m e n t s t o

understand and apply this standard. Three of our

suppliers in Karachi, Pakistan, have been working

within AWS on implementation of the standard.

We are applying lessons from these factories to

other water-stressed regions in our supply chain

and will develop this further in 2020.

WASHING OUR JEANS A BETTER WAY

Responsibly washed with SELECTED

An interview with Louise Lund, Product

Manager at SELECTED Denim Division

What is Responsibly Washed?

Responsibly Washed is an initiative that

started at the beginning of 2019. Our aim

was to develop a more sustainable way of

making our jeans, focusing on the washing

process. By using more efficient machines

and more sustainable treatments such as

ozone and laser, we can minimise the need

for water, energy and chemicals. Making

SELECTED jeans the better choice.

Tell us about the development of the

Responsibly Washed initiative.

As we already started the transition from

conventional cotton to organic cotton for

our jeans on our Autumn 2019 collection,

the next step was to create something in

the washing process, where we can see

with data, where savings and reductions

are made.

What challenges did you come across?

Some suppliers did not have the right

m a c h i ne s to a c h i e v e e nv i r on me nt a l

savings. We needed to build a business

case and explain the benefits of investing

in such machines. We also needed to work

closely with our suppliers to find the right

methods in the washing process, without

compromising on the look of the product.

It was a learning experience for all of us

and we are very pleased with the outcome.

What role does Responsibly Washed play

in helping bring Fashion FWD?

W e w a n t t o c o n t r i b u t e t o a m o r e

s u s t a i n a b l e f a s h i o n i n d u s t r y a n d

Respon sibly Wa shed i s a s tep i n t he

right direction. We have looked at more

sustainable materials in our garments,

and now the washing process . We are

c ont i nuou s ly lo ok i n g for i n nov at ive

ways to incorporate sustainability in the

making of our products.

SELECTED Responsibly Washed jeans

arrived in stores in Spring 2020 for both

HOMME and FEMME.


MANAGING CHEMICALS IN PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS

Our Restricted Substances List (RSL) and Packaging

R e s t r ic te d Sub s t a nc e s L i s t ( pR SL) c at a lo g ue

chemicals that are banned and restricted in our

f ina l products . T hrough our Chem ica l Test ing

Programme, we regularly test our products and

materials at certif ied independent laboratories

to ensure full compliance with our requirements,

a nd r eje c t pr o duc t s t h at do not me e t t he s e

requirements. Our RSL has been developed by our

internal chemical specialists, is updated yearly and

is fully in-line with all global legislation.

BE S T SE L L E R i s a m e m b e r of A F I R M g r oup ,

whose mission is to reduce the use and impact of

harmful substances in the apparel and footwear

supply chain. By our engagement in AFIRM, we

align with the industry on test methods and we

cooperate on chemical investigations, legislative

updates etc . In 2019, we star ted an a l ig nment

process for our chemical testing. In 2020, we are

focusing on structured data, process optimisation

and automation. Chemically, we will work on VOC

(Volatile Organic Compounds), material/chemical

origin, levels and alternatives.

MANAGING CHEMICALS IN PRODUCTION

Our Factory Standards Programme and the regular

onsite visits by our chemical specialist team show

clearly that one of our suppliers’ biggest challenges

– and an area where strong improvement is needed –

is chemical management. Higg FEM data from our

manufacturers shows that the average score for

chemical management across all factories in our

supply chain is 28/100.

MANAGING CHEMICALS RESPONSIBLY

Chemical use is an integral part of the garment and footwear industry, with chemicals being used in all stages in production. We have a strong focus on chemical management to verify that our finished products are meeting our stringent requirements, and to protect workers in the supply chain from hazardous chemicals.


We have year-on-year targets for all key suppliers

to improve Chemical Management performance

of H i g g F E M , a nd we work c lo s e ly w it h ou r

manufacturers to support progress towards these

targets. Our suppliers are trained by our technical

colleagues to ensure their understanding of our

requirements and to engage them in the continuous

improvement process of working with chemicals.

BESTSELLER has committed to remove the use of

hazardous chemicals from manufacturing sites

during production, and we have a commitment

that by 2025 all our core products (core products

represent 75% of our products by value) will have

be en pr oduced u si n g appr oved a nd t raceable

c he m i s t r y. T h i s i s a n a mbit iou s goa l for a n

industry that is historically non-transparent and

complex, with tens of thousands of chemicals being

used across the various product groups and at

different stages in production. We have adopted the

Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL)

developed by ZDHC Group – and accept all well-

known industry standards and certif ications on

approved chemicals.

We have specific focus on the chemical inventory,

gathering accurate information to the chemicals

used in the factory, and working with manufacturers

to identify chemicals that should be substituted or

phased out.

TRACKING CHEMICALS DIGITALLY

In the last quarter of 2018, BESTSELLER joined a

pilot for a digital chemical inventory tool called The

BHive, which was developed and launched by one of

our trusted sustainability service providers, GoBlu.

The tool ’s primary goal is to increase transparency

and communication among brands, their suppliers,

and the wider industry. OCR (Optical Character

Recognition) technolog y allows users to scan or

photog raph chemical conta iners w ith a mobile

app, and upload the results to create an instant

chemical inventory. The tool then connects into the

BHive’s chemical database of over 65,000 individual

chemical products, and data such as environmental

c r e dent i a l s , c er t i f icat ion s a nd appr ova l s a r e

automat ica l ly d i splayed . We ca n a l so i nc lude

specif ic BESTSELLER requirements in order to

clearly see the current status and challenges that

need to be addressed.

The integration and uptake of BHive will enable

BESTSELLER’s supply cha in par tners to easi ly

identify the existence of potentially hazardous

chemicals , enabling phase-out from production,

and increasing the transparency of chemical use

throughout the supply chain.

In 2019, 18 of our factories piloted the tool across

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Turkey, and 1 ,150

individual chemicals were uploaded onto chemical

inventory lists. Sixty-seven percent of all chemicals

uploaded during this pilot period were meeting

industry-standard requirements on approved and

certified chemicals.

We plan to roll this tool out further in 2020, which

will play a role in our progress towards our chemical

target: By 2025 we will have 100 percent approved

and traceable chemicals in all our core products.

“The elimination of hazardous chemicals from the supply chain is a complex endeavour. GoBlu believes it requires radical transparency, collective force and commitment to achieve a cleaner textile industry. BESTSELLER has shown it shares the same dedication and vision on

how chemical management can be achieved. As an early adopter of The BHive, BESTSELLER has contributed to the growing success of the chemical management tool in the industry. GoBlu is proud to partner with BESTSELLER and to provide The BHive as a solution that supports them in achieving their ambitious chemical management goals.”

Lars Doemer, Director at GoBlu

“We are happy to be part of the BHive community. BHive saved us time, so we could properly create our Chemical Inventory List and track our performance. It helps us to be transparent about our Chemical Inventory List towards our customers.”

Özge Akgün, Environmental Engineer

and OHS Specialist at Realkom Düzce Factory.

Turkish Supplier


Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the

amount of textile waste that occurs in the garment

produc t ion i ndustr y. T he a mount of attent ion

sustainable production in the fashion industry has

received has provided us with a breeding ground

for innovations, technologies and new processes

that will help us find ways to minimise production

in the design and purchasing process wherever

possible. In our Fashion FWD strateg y, we have

set a goal that by 2025, the volume of samples we

produce will be significantly reduced by investing

in digital solutions and collaborating closely with

our key suppliers.

We want to change the way we work and think

about our purchasing processes and embed more

sustainable practices to minimising samples and

garments that are made. We gathered our sales

teams together from five different countries , as

well as buying, design, marketing, IT and logistics,

and put on our thinking caps. In 2019, we launched

our first Digital Showroom, with the aim to improve

the buying process that will also help minimise

the number of samples we need for the showroom.

Our Digital Showroom has helped us decrease the

number of sales samples bought for the showroom

and improved our wholesale customers’ experience

by digitalising their buying journey.

ADVANCING DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

There are many steps and processes involved in the production of a final garment. According to a 2017 report from Reverse Resources, it is estimated that as much as one-quarter of the materials purchased by garment-related manufacturers are thrown away and never used each year.

A ONE-TOUCH ORDERING SYSTEM

Digital showroom with BESTSELLER

An interview with Nicklas Pilgaard Nielsen,

Special Project Manager at BESTSELLER

What is the Digital Showroom?

T he Dig ita l Show room is a projec t we

developed that turns a traditional B2B

show room into a show room w ith on ly

a l i m ited number of physica l sa mples

i n t h e s h o w r o o m f o r ou r w h o l e s a l e

customers to make purchasing decisions.

The wholesale customers are able to see

the ful l range of styles and col lect ion

s p l i t d o w n o n p r i c e s , c o l o u r s a n d

categories on a 42-inch monitor, which

featu r e s v ide o s a nd v i s u a l a id s , a nd

make purchasing decisions accordingly.

How did you create this Digital

Showroom?

T h e f i r s t ph a s e w a s t a l k i n g t o o u r

sales team and wholesale customers to

understand the process and difficulties

they encounter in the buy ing process .

It h a s b e e n a c o l l a b o r a t i v e p r o j e c t

ac r os s depa r t ment s a nd f u nc t ion s i n

BE S T SE L L E R . T h e n , w ork i n g w it h a

S w e d i s h s t a r t- up c a l l e d To u c h t e c h ,

we developed sof twa re that i mproves

the buy ing process and m in im ises the

number of physical samples we need for

the showroom.


I would say the most challenging element

was identifying where the bottlenecks

are in a traditional showroom and how

we could improve the sales experience

for our customers; also, making a smooth

t r a n s it i on f or ou r te a m s f r om non -

d ig ita l to d ig ita l . We wanted to bui ld

something that works and will add value

to everyone who uses it. It is hard work,

but we were pleased to launch our first

Digital Showroom in November 2019 in

Hamburg, Germany. Through the Digital

Showroom, we were able to decrease the

number of sales samples in the showroom

by 35 percent.

What is the next step?

We have rolled this project out to our

VERO MODA showroom in Germany and

received initial feedback from more than

50 customers. In 2020, we plan to roll out

improved sof tware to al l our German

show rooms and embed remote sel l ing

into the digital journey, as a consequence

of t h e e x p e c te d c h a n g e s i n bu y i n g

behaviour post-COVID-19. This is a very

exciting time for us.


We will increase the use of more sustainable materials year-on-year until all our products are circular by design.

Our vision

CREATING FWD

GOALSCREATING FWD

BY 2022

100% of our man-made cellulosic fibres will be sourced responsibly in line with industry best practice, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

BY 2025

we will source 50% of our polyester from recycled polyester or other more sustainable alternatives.

BY 2025

within our 100% more sustainable cotton supply, we will source 30% from organic cotton.

BY 2022

we will source 100% of our cotton from more sustainable alternatives.

BY 2025

100% of our wool will be sourced in line with industry best practice, such as the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS).

BY 2025

we will facilitate the development of more sustainable fibres and materials at market scale through innovation and industry collaborations.


WE ARE CREATING FWD BY DESIGNING RESPONSIBLY

As a fashion company, we rely on raw materials to make our products. There is a huge opportunity in this area to make an overall positive impact. It is our goal to reduce our environmental footprint from the sourcing of raw materials to end of product use.

C ol l ab or at i n g w it h m ajor s u s t a i n able te x t i le

i n it i at ives , suc h a s Fa sh ion for G o od , Te x t i le

Exchange and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI),

we are work ing w ith industr y peers in putting

action plans in place to increase the availability,

and our ow n sourc ing , of f ibres and mater ia ls

that are produced with a smaller environmental

footprint . We require our garment suppl iers to

follow our Code of Conduct and Animal Welfare

Policy, as well as to follow guidelines of globally

r e c o g n i s e d s u s t a i n a bi l it y c e r t i f i c at i on s a n d

standards.


“As a fashion company, we can contribute to making

a great positive impact by the way we source raw materials. Collaborating with our suppliers and

partners, we want to take this opportunity to upscale

innovation and to accelerate the transitioning of

the fashion industry into a circular one.”

Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen,

Materials & Innovation Manager

MORE SUSTAINABLE COTTON

With cotton being one of our most impor tant

raw materials by volume, we are continuously

working to increase the sourcing and use of more

sustainable cotton. In our Fashion FWD strategy,

we have a set a goal to s o u rce 1 0 0 pe rce nt o f

our cotton from more sustainable alternatives

b y 2 0 2 2 ; a n d w i t h i n o u r 1 0 0 p e r c e n t m o r e

s u s ta i n ab l e co tto n s u p p ly, we w i l l s o u r ce 3 0

percent from organic cotton by 2025. At the end

of 2019, we have sourced a combined total of over

74 percent of more sustainable cotton, primarily

from BCI and organic cotton.

O r g a n i c c o t t o n f a r m i n g p r a c t i c e s p r o t e c t

biodiversity due to the absence of toxic chemicals

and synthetic fertilisers used, as well as providing

a be tte r wo rki n g e nv i ro n m e nt fo r t h e co tto n

fa r m e rs . I n o rd e r to g e t a b e tte r a n d d e e p e r

understanding of the impact organic cotton has

at farm level and to ensure the traceability and

Cotton is one of the most-used materials in the production of textiles and garments. Each year, the cotton production industry provides employment and income to millions of cotton farmers worldwide. Currently, India is the world’s largest producer of cotton, followed by the United States and China.

2019

14%

60%

26% CONVENTIONAL

BCI

ORGANIC

More than

74% sustainable cotton;

14% organic cotton.


integrity of the organic cotton we source, we have

begun working on a plan to integrate a Direct-To-

Farm approach in our cotton sourcing strategy.

Top 3 Brands Sourcing Organic Cotton by % of their Total Cotton Consumption for 2019

Top 6 Brands Sourcing More Sustainable Cotton (BCI, organic cotton and recycled cotton) in Total Cotton Consumption for 2019

O r g a n i c C o tto n A c c e l e ra to r ( O C A ) a c t s a s a

catalyst for change by investing in farm-level

p r o g ra m m e s , w h i c h e n a b l e fa r m e r e d u c a t i o n

a n d s u p p o r t , d e v e l o p n e w c o tto n c u l t i v a r s

and faci l itate sourcing models l inking brands,

retailers and suppliers directly to the farm. These

p r o g r a m m e s b r i n g a d d i t i o n a l t r a n s p a r e n c y,

integrity, supply security and measurable social

and environmental impacts to the organic cotton

sector.

Moreover, as sustainability in cotton farming is a

complex subject, including environmental, social

and socioeconomic aspects, we want to contribute

to bringing positive change to the environment

and the cotton farming community and have this

be reflected in our cotton sourcing strategy and

our por tfol io approach to sustain abl e cotton .

Our Progress Towards More Sustainable Cotton

2017 2018 2019

5%

49%

46%

10%

56%

35%

14%

60%

26%

CONVENTIONAL BCI ORGANIC

We are pleased to announce that in January 2020, we have become a partner of the Organic Cotton Accelerator

Our sustainable cotton includes sourcing our

cotton through global ly recognised standards

such as the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and

C o tto n M a d e i n A f r i c a ( C m i A ) a n d c e r t i f i e d

organic cotton. BESTSELLER has been an active

member of the BCI since 2012. BCI supports cotton

farmers worldwide in adopting more sustainable

practices and improving their livelihoods.

The more Better Cotton we source, the greater

impact we can achieve. By actively contributing

to the BCI Growth and Innovation Fund, we are

also helping the organisation expand its work

through strategic investments in farmer training

and supporting activities.

SELECTED 65%

NAME IT 50%

MAMALICIOUS 45%

JUNAROSE 100%

SELECTED 95%

VILA 95%

JACK & JONES 80%

OBJECT 76%

MAMALICIOUS 75%


INCORPORATING MORE SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS IN YOUR EVERYDAY DENIM

Better Denim with NAME IT

An interview with Joan Søndergaard

Nielsen, Sustainability Manager at

NAME IT

What is Better Denim?

Better Denim is a sustainability concept we

have developed where more sustainable

materials and processes are considered in

all parts of our denim garments.

How is Better Denim ‘better’?

We use a blend of organic cotton and

recycled polyester to produce our Better

D e n i m . A dva n c e d te c h n o l o g i e s s u c h

a s Wa s te - H e a t - R e c o ve r y b o i l e r s a r e

used and water in the washing process

i s re c ycl e d . I n a d d i t io n , z i p pe rs a n d

buttons used on our Better Denim are

also produced with documented lower

environmental impact – the metal trims

are made with 65 percent less water, 16

percent less electricity and 98 percent

fewer chemicals in its finishing processes

than traditional manufacturing. Lastly,

h a n g ta g s , e l a s t i c , p o c ke t l i n i n g a n d

threads used on our Better Denim are

made with organic or recycled materials.


We have come across a few challenges

in the process of making Better Denim

a r ea l i ty. F i r s t ly, we h a d to e d u cate

ourselves with regards to sustainable

denim production – what is possible

versus what is not possible ; secondly,

it has been challenging for us to obtain

the correct and credible documents that

s h ow t h e e nv i r o n m e n ta l b e n e f i ts o f

certain processes/materials. But we got

there in the end, which is something we

are very proud of.

What can we expect

from NAME IT in the future?

In the future, we would like to focus on

i n c reas i n g o u r co n s u m p t io n o f m o re

sustainable materials, including organic

cotton and recycled polyester to a wider

spread of products – not only of our

garments but packaging, care labels and

denim patches as well.

. . . the metal trims are made with 65 percent less water, 16 percent less electricity and 98 percent fewer chemicals in its finishing processes than traditional manufacturing.


Recycled materials are made from pre- or post-consumer virgin materials that are recycled through mechanical or chemical means and spun into new fibres.

They contribute to a reduced environmental

footprint as the chemicals, raw materials and natural

resources used in the production of virgin materials

are not needed for its production. The use of recycled

materials also helps us divert waste from landfill.

The majority of recycled material used in the fashion

industry is recycled polyester. Recycled polyester

is mainly made from post- consumer discarded

plastic bottles and polyester fabrics. Incorporating

recycled polyester into our products and design

not only reduces the use of natural resources but

reduces our dependence on petroleum, which is

used to make polyester.

In our Fashion FWD strategy, we have set a goal to

source 50 percent of our polyester from recycled

polyester or other more sustainable alternatives

by 2025. Working with our suppliers and design

teams, we are able to consider and increase our

use of recycled polyester in our collections across

our brands.

RECYCLED MATERIALS

In 2019, 36 percent of SELECTED’s total polyester

consumption consisted of recycled polyester.

Three percent of BESTSELLER’s total polyester

consumption was sourced from recycled polyester,

coming mostly from our dresses and tops from

SELECTED and VERO MODA. In the coming year,

we will be increasing our efforts and work towards

reaching our 50 percent target by 2025.

We h ave a l s o s ta r te d fo c u s i n g o n s o u r c i n g

recycled cotton as a more sustainable alternative

to conventional cotton. This al igns with our

commitment to increase the use of more recycled

fibres in our cotton fibre portfolio and to bring

Fashion FWD until we are circular by design.

In 2019, 36 percent of SELECTED’s total polyester consumption consisted of recycled polyester.


TAKING TAILORING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Look Good Feel Good

Tailoring with SELECTED

An interview with Flemming Thorbøll

Andreasen, Category Manager at

SELECTED

What is Look Good Feel Good Tailoring?

We w a nte d to c h a n g e t h e w a y s u it s

a r e m ade a nd se e i f we ca n m a ke ou r

ta i lor i n g ga r ment s mor e su s ta i n able .

In D e c ember 2 01 8 , we to ok 1 3 0,0 0 0 of

our bestsel l i ng su it s a nd sta r ted our

journey of mak ing them more sustain-

able – replacing 65 percent of polyester

u s e d i n t he s u it s w it h pl a s t ic w a s te .

S i n c e S E L E C T E D l a u n c h e d t h i s f o r

t h e S PR I NG 2 0 s e a s on , 6 8 , 3 5 4 of ou r

L ook G ood Feel G ood su it s have been

sold . This adds up to the plastic waste

equivalent of 1 , 503,788 discarded 500ml

pl a s t ic b ot t le s b e i n g u s e d . O n top of

that , we have created something called

the Black Lab, suits that are made exclu-

sively with more sustainable materials:

10 0 percent orga n ic cotton or 10 0 per -

cent organic wool ; corozo buttons that

are made with tagua nut and its threads

and interl in ing made w ith 100 percent

recycled polyester.


T he c h a l le n g e i s ac h ie v i n g t he r i g ht

aesthetic . Work ing w ith our suppl iers ,

we have eventua l ly reached the sweet

s p o t o f i n c o r p o r at i n g 6 5 p e r c e nt o f

MAKING IT A TREND WITH PCW COTTON

Post-consumer waste (PCW)

cotton jeans with JACK & JONES

An interview with Nicolai Ulrik Thorup,

Brand Buying Manager at JACK & JONES

What was the process like from concept

to finish in creating these PCW jeans?

We have a continuous goal to reduce the

amount of virgin cotton used in our jeans.

A few years back , we star ted hav ing a

dialogue with one of our manufacturers

in Pakistan on the possibil ity of incor-

porat i ng post- con sumer wa ste cotton

into production. We then decided which

type of style and design we wanted and,

a f ter t h i s , s ta r ted t he c lose d i a log ue

with the manufacturer in order to f ind

the most suitable fabrics and shades to

create the best PC W cotton styles for

JACK & JONES.


T he major cha l lenge ha s been gett i ng

the right balance between the colour of

the fabric and the quality. PCW cotton

offers a different level of tear-strength

c ompa r e d to v i r g i n c otton due to it s

f ibre leng th . A s PC W cotton is g reyer

i n colour, you need to selec t t he fab -

rics carefully. We needed to take these

factors into consideration when design-

ing our PCW cotton styles. Working with

our manufacturer, we believed that we

fou nd t he r i g ht ba l a nc e . Eac h of ou r

PC W cotton styles i s blended w ith up

rec yc led polyester i nto the ma k i ng of

each suit . The result is that each of our

Look G ood Feel G ood suits consists of

22 recycled 500 ml plastic bottles – a big

undertaking in the history of tailoring

a nd we a re ver y proud of the produc t

that we have come up with at the end.

What can we expect from

SELECTED in the future?

We w i l l c o nt i nu e w o rk i n g w it h ou r

partners in the supply chain to increase

our i nta ke of more susta i nable f ibres

a nd s tead i ly i nc lude t he m ac r o s s a l l

of our product categories. ‘Responsibly

Crafted ’ is our brand statement, where

each collection is made more sustainably

than the last.

to 2 0 percent PC W cotton . Si nce 2 017,

we have used a total of 65,000 kg PCW

cotton when making our jeans.


JACK & JONES in the future?

In 2018/19, we have produced two styles

made with PCW cotton. One of the styles

bei ng a “Never Out Of Stoc k ” ( NOOS)

style where we have now sold more than

10 0,0 0 0 pie c e s . We w i l l b e pr o duc i n g

approx. 13 styles made with PCW cotton

in 2019/20, some of them NOOS as well .

Our goal is to increase our use of more

s u s t a i n a bl e f i b r e s s u c h a s r e c y c l e d

polyester and Lenzing TENCEL™ fibres,

and minimise our use of virgin cotton.

We are also looking into the possibility

of using hemp as a material . So, watch

this space – there will be more to come.


s ta keholder s to e x plor e m a rket opp or tu n it ie s

and innovations around MMC fibres and ways to

minimise issues and risks associated with MMC

fibre production.

BESTSELLER’s more susta inable man-made cel-

lulosic consumption in 2019 is 1 1 percent of our

overa l l MMC use and increasing rapid ly. V ERO

MODA ha s reached 2 2 percent . We have a goa l

that by 2022, 100 percent of our MMC fibres will

b e s ou r c e d r e s p on s ibly i n l i ne w it h i ndu s t r y

bes t prac t ice, such a s t he For es t Stewa rd sh ip

Council (FSC).

M a n - m a d e c e l l u l o s i c ( M M C ) f i b r e s i n c l u d e

f ibres such as v iscose , lyocel l and moda l . T hey

a r e f i b r e s m a d e f r o m c e l l u l o s i c f e e d s t o c k ,

most common ly from wood pulp of pine , beach

o r e u c a l y p t u s t r e e s . P r o t e c t i n g a n c i e nt a n d

e nd a n ge r e d for e s t s i s a n i mp or t a nt fac tor i n

the global effort to promote biodiversity, secure

eco - s ystem s a nd sa feg ua rd the world ’s l i m ited

for e s t r e s ou r c e a nd w i ld l i fe . T h i s i s why w e

a r e en g a g i n g w it h Ca nopy to pr og r e s s on t he

i mp or ta nt ta r get of s ou r c i n g ou r MMC f ibr e s

f r om r e s p on s i ble s ou r c e s – f r om s u s t a i n ably

m a n a ged for es t s or a lter n at ive fe ed s to c k l i ke

c otton wa s te . T h r ou g h ou r pr efer r ed suppl ier

pr o g r a m m e , w e w i l l b e e n g a g i n g ou r s uppl y

c h a i n i n work i n g to e l i m i n ate s ou r c i n g wo o d

pu lp f r om a nc ient a nd end a n ger ed for e s t s , a s

well as verif y that production processes fol low

t he lates t ava i lable pr oces si n g g u idel i nes a nd

BESTSELLER requirements.

Additionally, we are increasing the sourcing of more

sustainable MMC fibres. Fibres such as LENZING™

ECOVERO™, TENCEL™ lyocell , TENCEL™ modal

and Livaeco by Birla Cellulosics™ are considered

more sustainable compared to conventional MMC

fibres due to the reduced environmental impact

and closed-loop production processes where water

and chemical solvents are recycled.

A s a member of Te x t i le E xc ha n ge ( T E ) , we a r e

a l s o i n v o l v e d i n d i s c u s s i o n s w i t h i n d u s t r y

MAN-MADE CELLULOSIC FIBRES

ONLY LIFE

I n M a y 2 0 1 9 , ON LY k i c k e d of f t h e c a mp a i g n

‘ We C a r e A b out T h e Fut u r e ’ , c om mu n i c at i n g

t he bra nd ’s s teps towa r d s a mor e su s ta i n able

approach to fa sh ion , wh i le a lso prov id i ng con-

sumers with wear and care guidance of products

on social media channels.

To ge t he r w it h t he c a mpa i g n , ON LY L I F E w a s

l au nc he d , of fer i n g a ra n ge of pr o duc t s e it her

made from more sustainable f ibres l ike organic

cotton and recycled polyester, as well as branded

f ibr e s l i k e L E N Z I NG™ ECOV E RO™ , T E NCE L™

lyocell and TENCEL™ modal.

ONLY LIFE has been ver y well received by cus-

tomers and ONLY sold more than 4 , 5 mill ion LIFE

products during the f irst year. ONLY set a target

that a minimum of 50 percent of al l col lections

should be more susta inably sourced , which has

already been achieved.

11%BESTSELLER

22%VERO MODA


Materials derived from animals are commonly used

in the fashion industr y and the topic of animal

welfare deserves our utmost attention. As a fash-

ion company, we believe we have a responsibility

to protect animals. As the topic of animal welfare

continues to be a crucial part of our business, we

take a holistic and transparent approach towards

our stakeholders. We work with industry partners

and initiatives to look for and become a part of

the solution that addresses animal cruelty cases

and unethical treatment of animals and animal

farming practices.

At BESTSELLER, we have a policy that no animals

should be harmed during the manufacturing of

our products. The policy also outlines our position

on using materials derived from animals . This

includes, for example, no wool used from sheep that

have been exposed to mulesing practices. We are

in the last stage of phasing out mohair across our

brands until a credible standard is available that

addresses concerns in mohair farming related to

animal welfare and the environment.

To ensure the welfare of ducks and geese in our

down and feather supply chain has been respected,

we will only source down from suppliers that are

certif ied to a particular standard that includes

no l ive-plucking or forced feeding as one of the

key requirements. BESTSELLER is also a fur-free

company and we do not accept the use of materials

derived from endangered species.

ANIMAL WELFARE


We will engage consumers and partner across the industry to develop solutions until circularity and transparency is a mindset and consumers are empowered to act sustainably.

Our vision

DELIVERINGFWD

GOALSDELIVERINGFWD

BY 2021

we will publish a list of our key material suppliers.

BY 2025

we will have tested and implemented circular business models in selected key markets with relevant partners.

BY 2023

we will provide our customers and consumers with information on the environmental impacts of our core products, and we will show year-on-year improvements.

BY 2025

we will drive forward post-consumer waste and circular infrastructure solutions, engaging in collaborative initiatives to turn waste into valuable resources.

BY 2025

all consumer-facing packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable.

BY 2025

we will have phased out single-use virgin plastic, wherever possible.


Fashion production has reached a new high, both in its pace and size. We want to instil a circular and transparent mindset in the fashion industry until it is the norm. We want to deepen our dialogue with our business partners and consumers, and – through collaboration – rethink the value we are creating to our communities as a fashion company.

We h ave c r eate d a Wea r & C a r e g u ide , wh ic h

i s accessible for con sumers , that educates a nd

e xpla ins how to ta ke care of gar ments , so that

the environmental impact will be reduced during

the product-use phase.

We a r e a l s o deve lopi n g a n i nter n a l pac k a g i n g

policy that will help advance our goal of making

a ll our consumer-facing packaging 100 percent

WE ARE DELIVERING FWD BY CONSUMING BETTER

r e u s a ble , r e c y c l a ble o r c o mp o s t a ble b y 2 0 2 5,

as well as phasing out single -use v irgin plastic

wherever possible.

We a re slowly tra n sit ion i ng a nd prepa r i ng our

bu s i ne s s i nto one t h at ca n me et t he dem a nd s

of our f uture . We wa nt to lead the way, set a n

e xample and show consumers the d i rec t ion we

want to take them.

MAKING OUR FACTORYLIST PUBLICLY AVAILABLE

Transparenc y enables BESTSELLER to address

risks, promote positive change and build further

trust with our stakeholders.

We believe in increased transparency to the public

and we believe that by opening up our factory list,

we can encourage everyone to take steps towards

continuous improvements in the supply chain.

As such, we make available an updated list of our

on-boarded tier 1 garment manufacturing factories.

This list is published twice a year on our website.

We will continue to increase our transparency

around our supply chain and products, and we have

a target to publish our key materials suppliers in

2021. And we are well on the way, as all Chinese

material suppliers, who represent the majority, are

published through the IPE. See page 29.


But it doesn’t end there. We a lso need the help

of consumers to drive market needs and provide

con str uc t ive feedbac k so we ca n prov ide what

t h e y n e e d i n o r d e r f o r t h e m t o m a k e m o r e

sustainable fashion choices.

To that end, we have committed to providing our

customers and consumers w ith information on

the environmental impacts of our core products,

a nd we w i l l show yea r - on-yea r i mpr ove me nt s

by 2023.

The ultimate goal is to strike the perfect balance

between circular design and product production

t h at m a kes u se of mor e su s ta i n able a nd sa fer

m a t e r i a l s , a b u s i n e s s m o d e l t h a t p r o m o t e s

g a r me nt lon ge v it y, t he t r a n s it ion of t he ne w

mindset of garment reuse and repurposing, and

a new garment supply cha in eco -system that is

t ra n spa r ent a nd benef ic i a l to bot h t he te x t i le

economy and the planet.

BESTSELLER is a strategic partner of the Global

Fa s h ion A g e nd a (GFA ) , Fa s h ion for G o o d , t he

Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy

1 0 0 G r o u p , a n d t h e M a k e Fa s h i o n C i r c u l a r

initiative. We understand that in order to solve

t h e c h a l l e n g e s w e f a c e , a s y s t e m i c c h a n g e

ba s e d on c ol l ab or at ion w it h ot he r i ndu s t r ie s

a n d c omp a n i e s i s ne e d e d . To he lp d r i v e t h i s

transition, we w ill test and implement circular

bu si ne s s mode l s i n se lec ted key m a rkets w it h

relevant partners by 2025.

MAKING FASHION CIRCULAR

To realise our ultimate ambition of making fashion circular, we need to drive collaborative efforts between our peers, national and international law makers, innovators, industry leaders, material and design experts and our textile partners


MAKE FASHION CIRCULAR BY ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

The Jeans Redesign with VERO MODA

An interview with Maria Højholt Jensen,

Sustainability Responsible at

VERO MODA

What is The Jeans Redesign?

T h e J e a n s R e d e s i g n i s a p r o j e c t

developed under the Ellen MacArthur

Fo u n d a t i o n’s M a ke Fa s h i o n C i r c u l a r

initiative. It focuses on brainstorming

what fashion’s future should look like;

in particular, designing and producing

jeans at scale in accordance with the

principles of a circular economy. Along

with other brands, VERO MODA signed

up to the project in July 2019.

What was the motivation behind

joining the Jeans Redesign project?

Fo r V E RO M O DA , t h i s p roje c t i s t h e

start of our circular journey, where we

w i l l l ea r n a n d co n t r i b u te to m a k i n g

fa s h io n c i r c u l a r. A c i r c u l a r m i n d s e t

i s ve r y i m p o r ta n t fo r o u r i n d u s t r y

and we are aware that we all need to

a c t i v e l y e m b r a c e m o r e s u s t a i n a b l e

and responsible behaviour. The Jeans

Redesign project has a clear purpose

a n d s t r u c tu re d g u i d e l i n e s u n d e r t h e

circular concept, therefore the decision

to be part of the project was easy.

Can you describe the jeans VERO MODA

made in the Jeans Redesign project?

U n d e r t h e J e a n s R e d e s i g n p r o j e c t ,

V E RO M O DA h a s m a d e t h r e e s ty l e s

f o l l o w i n g t h e f o u r s p e c i f i c d e s i g n

g u i d e l i n e s o f t h e J e a n s R e d e s i g n :

durability, material health, recyclability

and traceability and they will be in the

stores in July 2020.


What we found the most diff icult was

f i n d i n g t h e r i g h t b a l a n c e b e t w e e n

quality and composition as recycled and

innovative materials offer a different

k i n d o f q u a l i t y, f e e l a n d t e x t u r e .

L u c k i l y, t h r o u g h o u r c o l l a b o r a t i o n

w i t h o t h e r b r a n d s , a n d w i t h o u r

re s ea rch , we fo u n d fab r ic m i l l s wh o

h av e t h e k n o w l e d g e to m a tc h t h e

J e a n s R e d e s i g n c r i te r i a o n q u a l i ty,

helping us to f ind that magic formula.

“Changes need to be made. We have decided to join the Make Fashion Circular/Jeans Redesign project as it is important to us that we do our part, protecting and preserving the

environment for future generations. Jeans are durable, so let’s design for longevity and make our jeans with a circular mindset.”

RUNE GADE,

VERO MODA Denim Concept

& Product Responsible


C o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h T h e S a l v a t i o n A r my i n

Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, VERO

M O DA ‘S h a r e d T h e Wa r m t h’ w i t h ove r 5 , 0 0 0

homeless people and others in need.

A ca m pa i g n t h at s ta r te d i n Au g u s t 2 0 1 9, t h e

message was simple: bring any winter jackets that

you no longer use to a VERO MODA location and

receive a 20 percent discount on your next VERO

MODA jacket.

A total of 5,350 jackets were collected at 263 of

VERO MODA’s stores in Denmark, Finland, Norway

and Sweden, before being distributed to various

drop-in centres managed by the Salvation Army

across the four countries. Those who are homeless

and in need could come in and grab a coffee and a

winter jacket. Jackets were also distributed at one

of the women’s crisis centres in Copenhagen.

“We want to encourage everyone to make use of their garments as much and as long as possible. By passing on clothing that you no longer wear to others, you are able to prolong the life of the

SHARE THE WARMTH CAMPAIGN WITH VERO MODA

garment while bringing something new to another person’s closet. Although a small initiative, we are pleased with the result of our ‘Share The Warmth’ campaign, which helped so many people have a warmer winter.”

Maria Højholt Jensen,

Sustainability Responsible at VERO MODA

A total of

5,350 jackets were collected at

263 of VERO MODA’s stores

BESTSELLER Sustainabil ity Report 2019 Fashion FWD 51

CREATING A RETURN REVOLUTION

Interview with Jordan Burke,

Head of Customer, E-Commerce

What is the Return Revolution?

In August 2019, we started a programme

to ignite and inspire our e - commerce

business to create a return revolution.

We recognised that we must shift the

perception of returns, so we can reduce

the environmental footprint and business

costs . We brought together a cross -

functional project team and engaged with

expertise around our online business to

identify in excess of 100 initiatives that we

could drive over the course of one year.

What initiatives were taken?

Initiatives have included looking into what

drives our customers to return, reducing

the environmental footprint of processing

returns and minimising the frequency and

volume of returns. Some highlights over

the course of this year were:

– Improved return centre practices

We’ve implemented new in-house envi-

ronmental-friendly cleaning options

and processes at our return centre.

These additions enable us to repurpose

more items and minimise our water,

paper, CO2 emissions and energy usage.

– Extended return policy for customers

Although it might seem counter-in-

tuitive, after extensive research and

a n a ly s i s , we fo u n d t h a t a l o n g e r

return window is likely to decrease

the stress of buying and the l ike -

l i h o o d t h a t c u s to m e r s m a k e a n

u n d e s i ra b l e p u r c h a s e a n d r e tu r n

i t l ate r. B e cau s e o f t h i s , we h ave

extended our return pol icy to 100

d ay s a n d h ave s i n c e s e e n a d r o p

i n t h e a m o u n t c u s to m e r s r e tu r n .

– Online return portal

Cu s to m e rs ca n n ow re g i s te r t h e i r

r e tu r n s o n l i n e w i t h a l l b ra n d s i n

our key markets. This portal offers

c u s to m e r s a n o t h e r r e tu r n o p t i o n

and enhances the return communi-

cation they receive throughout their

return journey. It wil l also give us

better data on why our products are

being returned so we can continue to

optimise and reduce returns.


the Return Revolution in the future?

We’r e l o o k i n g fo r wa r d to t h i s f i n a l

quarter as we close out the year-long

p r o j e c t . D e s p i te t h e c u r r e n t g l o b a l

events, we’re keeping a clear focus on

sustaining a low return rate and doing

our bit to help the environment. The

principles behind the Return Revolution

h ave b e c o m e pa r t o f h ow we wo r k ,

s o we w i l l co nt i nu e to i n n ovate a n d

minimise the environmental footprint

a n d b u s i n e ss co s t o f r e tu r n s i n o u r

onl ine business well into the future.

The goal is to reduce the environmental footprint from shipping through reducing the amount of returns we receive, while not compromising the online shopping experience of our shoppers

Collaborating with the Finnish company “UPM

Raflatac” and their recycling solution RafMore,

Stefan Bach Olesen, Logistics Project Coordinator

at B E STS E L L E R wo n t h e R a f Cycl e ® Awa rd at

Labelexpo Europe 2019.

Looking to find a more sustainable solution than

incineration to handle labell ing waste, Stefan

worked with UPM to collect used label release liners

and recycle them into new graphic printing paper.

Since BESTSELLER teamed up with UPM Raflatac,

BESTSELLER has recycled 25 tons of label paper.

BESTSELLER WINS RECYCLING AWARD AT LABELEXPO EUROPE 2019

We have recycled

25 tons of label paper


As signatory of the Fashion Pact, we have committed to reduce the negative impacts we have on the ocean environment including eliminating single-use plastics in packaging.

At BESTSELLER, we are moving away from how

we currently use plastic. In our Fashion FWD

strategy, we have set out two goals in this specific

a r e a : by 2 0 2 5, w e w i l l p h a s e o u t s i n g l e - u s e

virgin plastic wherever possible and by 2025, all

consumer-facing packaging will be 100 percent

reusable, recyclable or compostable.

As a part of the journey, we have started mapping

our plastic and packaging footprint to ensure

we take action in impactful areas, all the while

taking quick action to reduce the use of plastic

wherever and whenever possible. We understand

that the use of plastic is a growing global concern

and we are continuously trying to f ind ways to

minimise our use of plastic bags. For example, we

have stopped the use of virgin plastic bags in our

stores and replaced them with paper bags that

are sourced from responsibly managed forests. In

addition, we are working on motivating consumers

to use fewer plastic bags.

REDUCING PLASTIC USE

I n 2 0 1 9 , o u r b r a n d P I E C E S h a s p a r t n e r e d

with Plastic Change, an organisation striving

t o r e d u c e p l a s t i c p o l l u t i o n t h r o u g h t h e i r

k n ow l e d ge ce nt re , wh ich e d u cate s t h e pu b l ic

in an effor t to raise awareness of plastic use

o n a g l o ba l l e ve l . I n t h i s c a m pa i g n , P I EC E S

charged its customers for their paper bags (which

normally would be given for free) and donated

the proceeds to Plastic Change.

We w i l l s u p p o r t h i g h q u a l i t y r e c y c l i n g v i a

s o r t i n g , c o l l e c t i n g a n d r e c o v e r y o f p l a s t i c

pa c k a g i n g m ate r i a l u s e d i n o u r d i s t r i b u t io n ,

e - commerce an d retai l operat ions . We wil l d o

so by collaborating on recycling infrastructure

a c r o s s a l l o f o u r m a r ke ts a n d w i t h e x te r n a l

experts , stakeholders and competitors. We will

continue our efforts to reduce our use of plastic

b y c h o o s i n g p a c k a g i n g m a d e w i t h r e c y c l e d

and more sustainable alternatives as much as

possible, wherever possible.

T h r o u g h B E STS E L L E R’s i nve s t m e n t p l at fo r m

I nve s t F W D, we a re a l s o i nve s t i n g i n f i n d i n g

new innovations in plastic and replacing fossil

fuel-based solutions with renewable bio-based

solutions. See page 55.

In the coming years, we will work to reduce our

consumption of plastics and packaging; replace

virgin plastic with lower impact alternatives and

support the innovation of new materials.


Invest FWD is our investment platform. It ref lects our commitment to finding, funding and supporting innovative, disruptive, scalable and commercially viable solutions to help us push the sustainable fashion agenda forward.

INVESTFWD

ACCELERATING SUSTAINABLE CHANGE

We believe that in order to influence and create industry-wide sustainable change at the scale that we want, and that the industry requires, we need to invest in solutions that are built for lasting return on investment, taking into conside-ration environmental, social and economic aspects. Our investment within innovation includes low-impact materials and production processes, technologies that help reduce environmental footprint, and renewable energy.

INNOVATION THAT ADDS NEW VALUE

After commencing our partnership with Fashion

for Good in 2018, we have taken a more active role

in 2019. We have attended topical workshops that

give us better insight into market trends and the

different innovative technologies and processes

used in the apparel, garment and textile industries.

We h ave be e n e n gag i n g w i t h i n n ovato rs a n d

brainstorming on the applicability and scalability

of some of the innovations.

THE JOURNEY TO BIO -BASED MATERIALS

As we continue our partnership with pond , a

D e n m a r k- ba s e d b io te c h co m pa ny k n ow n fo r

their disruptive bio-based resin systems, we have

begun the testing stage of a renewable, bio-based

alternative to conventional oil-based polyester

across all major parameters such as texture and

tear-strength.

The goal is to help us move away from virgin fossil

fuel-based materials by replacing them wherever

possible with more sustainable materials from

more sustainable feedstock sources, with potential

fo r c i rc u l a r i ty. O u r i nves t m e nt i n p o n d w i l l

support our journey to substitute virgin polyester.

RENEWABLE ENERGY POWER PLANT IN PROGRESS

The partnership between Danish company Better

Energy and BESTSELLER has reached the next

level. The blueprint and development plans of the

200 megawatt (MW) solar power plant developed

by Better Energy have been completed and it is

on-track to be operational in 2021.

The idea of a BESTSELLER renewable energy

plant was developed with the goal to producing

enough clean energy needed to power all of our

global operations, which would see us achieve our

2021 goal of powering our owned and operated

buildings globally with 100 percent renewable

energy.


OURPEOPLE

GOALSOUR PEOPLE

BY 2020

we will analyse and strengthen our leader-ship pipeline and initiate implementation of train-ing for all manager roles.

BY 2021

we will complete the global rollout of our online engagement surveys and define common metrics to benchmark engagement across our markets.

BY 2021

we will complete the global rollout of our diversity and inclusion policy and the accompanying awareness programme.

BY 2025

we will train 4,000 people through our internal Academy to further develop and enhance their skills.


VALUING OUR COLLEAGUES

TALENT MANAGEMENT

When we recruit talent, we look for colleagues who

are proactive, adaptable, open-minded and loyal.

We value our people and believe in continuously

developing the skillsets that they need to succeed.

We do this through various talent management

initiatives and programmes:

International Business Trainee Programme

We offer an International Business Trainee (IBT)

Prog ramme that g ives g raduates from a l l over

the world the chance to explore the core business

areas of an international fashion company. The IBT

Programme allows the graduates to gain valuable

work experience in one of seven specialist f ields

at our headquarters in Denmark, and potentially

at one of our offices elsewhere around the globe.

T he s e sp e c i a l i s t f ie ld s i nc lude buy i n g , r eta i l

m a n a gement , sa les m a n a gement , e - com mer ce ,

design, IT business & technology development and

finance. Throughout the two-year programme, the

graduates gain experience across our entire value

chain, supported by school periods including skill

training and business trips related to their specific

a r ea (e . g . work i n g i n r eta i l , s tat ioned abr oad

working on projects, supplier visits).

Local Talent Programmes

We have an ambitious grow th plan and to reach

the def ined targets , g row ing our people is key.

To e n s u r e c o n t i n u o u s d e v e l o p m e n t , w e r u n

loca l ta lent pr og ra m mes wher e ou r col lea g ues

r e c e i v e a d d i t i o n a l t r a i n i n g t o d e v e l o p t h e i r

sk i l l s a nd de l iver better r esu lt s t h at w i l l he lp

s upp or t ou r bu s i ne s s g r o w t h . A n e x a mple of

t h i s ca n b e fou nd i n Gr oup Fi n a nc e , NA ME I T

a nd PEOPL E whe r e c ol lea g ue s w i l l b e t r a i ne d

b y ou r BE S T SE L L E R A c ade my w it h i n pr o c e s s

o p t i m i s a t i o n , p r e s e n t a t i o n t e c h n i q u e s ,

Our colleagues are the BESTSELLER family. The expertise, knowledge and creativity our colleagues provide is paramount to our success as a company. We empower our colleagues through active dialogue and by providing a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace for them. Because as they thrive, we also thrive as a business.

pr oje c t m a n a g e me nt , d r iv i n g r e s u lt s t h r ou g h

net work i n g , a nd bu s i ne s s f i n a nc e . D u r i n g t he

programme, they w il l be assigned a mentor and

solve bu si nes s c r it ica l , c r os s -f u nc t iona l g r oup

a s s i g n m e nt s . T h e s e l o c a l t a l e nt pr o g r a m m e s

are great examples of how we work local ly w ith

talent development across our value chain.

GROWTH MANAGEMENT PROCESS

At BE S T SE L L E R , w e b e l ie v e it i s e s s e nt i a l to

g r ow ou r bu s i ne s s a nd ou r p e ople , a nd we do

t h i s t h r o u g h w h a t w e h a v e c h o s e n t o n a m e

Gr ow t h Ma n a gement . In 2 01 9, we s et a goa l to

implement our Grow th Ma nagement Process in

our va rious business un its.

O u r G r o w t h M a n a g e m e n t P r o c e s s p r o v i d e s

me a n i n g f u l a nd r ea l -t i me fe e dbac k , e n s u r i n g

c l e a r e x p e c t a t i o n s , a c h i e v i n g m a x i m u m

p e r f o r m a n c e a n d e n s u r i n g o u r v a l u e s a n d

culture come al ive. It is focused around setting

g o a l s f o r t h e b r a n d /c o r p o r a t e f u n c t i o n a n d

c a s c ad i n g t he s e do w n to i nd iv idu a l g o a l s for

each employee. We ensure the i nd iv idua l goa ls

t h r o u g h M y G o a l s m e e t i n g s , w h i c h a r e 1 : 1

d i a lo g ue s b e t we e n m a n a ge r s a nd t he i r d i r e c t

reports . Based on those meetings , further career

d e v e l o p m e n t a n d g r o w t h o p p o r t u n i t i e s a r e

pr e s e nte d a nd d i s c u s s e d w it h ou r c ol lea g ue s .

T h e s e o p p o r t u n i t i e s a r e t a i l o r e d t o e a c h

i n d i v i d u a l ’s n e e d s a n d a r e n o t s e t o u t i n a

st r uc tur ed ma n ner. T he world of BESTSELLER

is up to the indiv idual to explore.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS

At BESTSELLER , we provide equal opportunities

for everyone, irrespective of gender, age, ethnic-

ity, national origin, sexual orientation, disabil ity

or rel igious background. We def ine an inclusive

workplace a s a place where we treat each oth-

er w ith respect and uti l ise our differences in a

posit ive way. In our Diver sit y & Inc lusivenes s

pol ic y, we state t hat we r ec r u it ta lent s on t he

basis of their personality, skil ls and experience.

O u r d iver s e work for c e i s a n i mp or ta nt fac tor

in competing globally and bringing sustainable

fashion forward. We aim to have a workforce that

is truly representative of al l sections of society

and our customers . Fairness , opportunities and

a sense of responsibil ity is part of our vision at

BE S T SE L L E R . We t r e at e ac h o t he r a s f a m i ly,

which means that we take each other’s differenc-

es i nto account , wh i le creat i ng an empower ing

environment where people can thrive and develop.

We always put our family f irst and this is what

unites us and makes us stronger together.

WHISTLEBLOWER SYSTEM

BESTSELLER has implemented a wh istleblower

s y s t e m t h a t s a f e g u a r d s o u r c o m p a n y f r o m

unethical and unlawful conduct. At BESTSELLER,

w e b a s e a l l r e l a t i o n s o n t r u s t , r e s p e c t a n d

honesty. A s a col leag ue, you are encouraged to

speak up if there is anything you are concerned

about. Using this program, colleagues can report

suspicions or knowledge of serious breaches of

BESTSELLER’s Code of Ethics or violations of laws

within certain areas, such as fraud, competition

law, human rights and child labour. All colleagues

are to complete our e-learning course on the Code

of Eth ics to equip them w ith the k nowledge of

BESTSELLER’s guiding principles on conducting

busi ness i n a n honest ma n ner. Repor ts ca n be

submitted in both Danish and English and can be

submitted anonymously.


EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

E mpl o y e e e n g a g e m e nt c ont i nue d to b e a k e y

fo c u s for BE S T SE L L E R i n 2 01 9. We h ave b e e n

m e a s u r i n g e n g a g e m e nt i n m a ny p a r t s of ou r

c ompa ny, but i n v a r iou s s y s te m s w it hout a ny

w a y o f c o m m u n i c a t i n g a c r o s s p r o g r a m m e

a n a ly t ic s a nd b enc h m a rk s . I n Ma r c h 2 0 2 0, we

were planning to launch a global framework for

ou r en ga gement su r veys . Due to t he COV ID -1 9

situation this has had to be postponed. We w il l

cont i nue the work i n 2020/2 1 . T he sur veys w i l l

g at he r f e e db a c k f r om 3 0 0 0 of ou r c ol le a g ue s

ba s e d i n lo c at ion s s uc h a s D e n m a rk , C a n ad a ,

UK , France , the Netherlands , Belg ium , Austr ia ,

Tu r k e y a n d G r e e c e . T h e n e w s y s t e m w i l l

c ap t u r e f e e db a c k on wh at i s mo s t i mp or t a nt

to our col lea g ues , w it h per iod ic sur veys bei n g

sent out ask ing quest ions regard ing workplace

s at i s fac t ion , g r ow t h opp or tu n it ie s , i nc lu s ion ,

leader sh ip a nd job c ontent . W it h pl a n s to r ol l

out to a l l g loba l of f ic e s at BE S T SE L L E R , t h i s

c e n t r a l i s e d f e e d b a c k g a t h e r i n g s y s t e m w i l l

ser ve to inform strateg ic actions that w il l help

i mpr ove BE S T SE L L E R ’s e mploye e e n g a ge me nt

a nd con sequent ly ou r col lea g ues’ pr oduc t iv it y

and performance.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

One of the init iatives that we have undertaken

i s ou r leade r sh ip pr og r a m me w it h L eade r sh ip

P i p e l i n e I n s t i t u t e . T h e L e a d e r s h i p P i p e l i n e

i n it i at ive h a s b e e n e s t abl i s he d to s t r e n g t he n

the leadership capabil it ies w ithin BESTSELLER

by en su r i n g t hat a l l ma na ger s work accord i n g

to their specif ic leadership role. In August 2019,

we s ta r te d ou r f i r s t t ra i n i n g w it h L eader sh ip

Pipel ine Institute where leaders in BESTSELLER

at d i fferent organ i sat iona l levels were tra i ned

in transit ioning ful ly into their leadership role

w it h f o c u s o n w o rk v a lu e s , t i m e appl i c at i o n

a n d s k i l l s . T h i s l e a d e r s h ip pr o g r a m m e t a k e s

on a tra in-the -tra iner model where our leaders

a r e t h e n a bl e to t r a i n ou r c ol l e a g ue s i n n e w

capabil it ies whenever they enter into a new role.

Continuously developing our leaders is important

to us because it motivates our col leagues , while

also bui lding business resi l ience.

BESTSELLER PEOPLE t ra i ned 8 4 ma na gers by

t he end of 2 01 9 a s pa r t of our new leadersh ip

framework , which wil l be embedded in the way

we attract, recruit , develop and assess leadership.

”Considering we have great ambitions for BESTSELLER, we require a strong approach for developing and maturing leaders, so they can keep delivering top performance.”

Louise Sylvest,

PEOPLE Director, BESTSELLER


The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the United Nations define the 17 global development priorities that will help make the world a better place by 2030. These goals ref lect a list of comprehensive interconnecting challenges that must be addressed across topics within the economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development.

BESTSELLER’s Fa sh ion F W D strateg y suppor ts

and al igns w ith a number of SDGs in the regions

wher e we op erate a nd wher e ou r pr o duc t s a r e

manufactured. These SDGs include:

SUPPORTING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

SDG 5 Gender Equality

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

SDG 13 Climate Action

SDG 17 Partnerships to Achieve the Goal


MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS

FASHION FOR GOOD

Fashion for Good is a global community of brands,

producers, retailers, suppliers, NGOs, innovators

and funders united around shared ambitions of

positively transforming the fashion industry. With

our partnership, we aim to identify and grow new

sustainable innovations and solutions through

Fashion for Good’s Innovation Platform.

SUSTAINABLE APPAREL COALITION (SAC)

T he Su s t a i n able Appa r e l C o a l it ion (S AC ) i s a

trade organisation comprised of brands, retail ers,

manufacturers , government, NGOs and academic

e xper ts , represent i ng more tha n 4 0 percent of

the global apparel and footwear market . SAC is

working to reduce the environmental and social

impacts of apparel and footwear products around

the world.

MAKE FASHION CIRCULAR

Since 2016, we have been a member of the Ellen

MacArthur Foundation, and in 2018 we became a

participant in its Make Fashion Circular initiative.

Make Fashion Circular drives collaboration between

industr y leaders and other key stakeholders to

create a textiles economy fit for the 21st century.

Its ambition is to ensure clothes are made from

safe and renewable materials, new business models

increase their use , and old c lothes are turned

into new. The new textiles economy will benefit

business, society, and the environment.

TEXTILE EXCHANGE

Te x t i l e E x c h a n g e i s a g l o b a l n o n - p r o f i t t h a t

works closely with its members to drive industry

trans formation in preferred fibres, integrity and

s ta nd a r d s , a nd r e s p on s ible s upply net work s .

Through Textile Exchange, it is possible to identify

a nd sha re best p r a c t i c e s r e g a r d i n g f a r m i n g ,

materia ls , processing , traceabi l ity and produc t

e n d - o f- l i f e , r e d u c i n g t h e t e x t i l e i n d u s t r y ’s

impact on the world ’s water, soil and air, and – by

extension – the human population.

GLOBAL FASHION AGENDA (GFA)

BESTSELLER is a Strategic Partner in the Global

Fa sh ion A genda (GFA ) , wh ic h a i m s to mobi l i se

t he g loba l fa sh ion i ndustr y to cha nge the way

we produce , market and consume fash ion . A s a

Strategic Partner, we contribute to the develop -

ment of t he CEO A genda , wh ic h spe l l s out t he

eight most cr uc ia l susta i nabi l ity pr ior it ies for

CEO s on a n a n nu a l ba s i s . A s pa r t of t he GFA ,

we have signed the Cal l to Action for a circular

fa sh ion s ystem a nd w it h t h i s com m it ment , we

w il l work to advocate that used clothes are not

w a s t e , b u t i m p o r t a n t r e s o u r c e s f o r m a k i n g

fa sh ion susta i nable .

ELLEN MACCARTHUR FOUNDATION CE100

T he E l le n M ac A r t hu r Fou nd at ion work s w it h

businesses , governments and academ ic inst itu-

tions to build a framework for an economy that

is restorative and regenerative by design. In 2016,

BESTSELLER became a member of the Circular

Economy (CE) 100 group with the aim of getting

a b et ter u nder s ta nd i n g of t he c h a l len ge s a nd

oppor tu n it ies of c i r c u l a r e conomy i n prac t ice

a nd u lt i m ately to br i n g it i nto a BESTSEL L ER

business context.

THE BANGLADESH ACCORD ON FIRE AND BUILDING SAFETY

T he B a n g l ade s h A c c or d on Fi r e a nd Bu i ld i n g

Sa fet y i s a n i ndep endent a g r e ement de s i g ne d

to m a k e a l l g a r me nt f ac tor ie s i n B a n g l ade s h

safe workplaces. It includes independent safety

inspections at factories and public reporting of

t he r esu lt s of t hese i n spe c t ion s . BESTSEL L ER

signed up on 24 June 2013.

THE FASHION PACT G7

T he Fa sh ion Pac t i s a g loba l coa l it ion of com-

panies who wil l col lectively work to reduce our

impact on cl imate, oceans and biodiversity. The

coa l it ion w i l l pr omote e x i s t i n g pr og ra m mes –

some of which BESTSELLER is already involved

with, such as the Science Based Targets Initiative

on c l i m ate – to get mor e compa n ies on boa r d .

T he Pac t w i l l a l s o work to f u r t her t he g loba l

biodiversity conversation in order to identif y a

collective strateg y in this space.

THE ETHICAL TR ADING INITIATIVE (ETI)

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is a leading

a l l ia nce of compa n ies , trade un ion s a nd NG Os

t h a t p r o m o t e s r e s p e c t f o r w o r k e r s ’ r i g h t s

around the globe. ETI ’s v ision is a world where

a l l w o r k e r s a r e f r e e f r o m e x p l o i t a t i o n a n d

discrimination, and enjoy conditions of freedom,

security and equity. BESTSELLER was accepted

as a Foundation Stage Member on 10 March 2016.

THE APPAREL AND FOOTWEAR INTERNATIONAL RSL MANAGEMENT GROUP (AFIRM)

T he Appa r el a nd Foot wea r Inter nat iona l R SL

Management Group (AFIRM) is an international

group constituted by a number of apparel and

footwear companies, which have a common mission

to reduce the use and impact of harmful substances

in the apparel and footwear supply chain.


RE100

Led by T he Cl i mate Group i n pa r tnersh ip w ith

CDP, RE100 is a collaborative initiative bringing

together the world ’s most inf luential businesses

committed to 100 percent renewable power.

SCIENCE BASED TARGETS INITIATIVE (SBTI)

SBTi is a col laborative in it iat ive organ ised by

Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations

Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute

(WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

SBTi is also one of the We Mean Business Coalition

com m itments . BESTSELLER ha s com m itted to

setting science-based goals on greenhouse gases.

We have officially committed to set these targets

through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi),

which has an overall aim of making science-based

target setting standard business practice by 2020.

ACTION COLLABORATION TRANSFORMATION (ACT)

As a member of ACT – Action Collaboration Trans-

formation – we are part of a global agreement to

use our inf luence as brands to promote and work

tow a r d s l iv i n g w a g e s for appa r e l work e r s at

industry level through collective bargaining.

THE BETTER COTTON INITIATIVE (BCI)

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a global not-

for -prof it orga n i sat ion a nd the la rgest cotton

sustainability programme in the world. BCI exists

to make global cotton production better for the

people who produce it, better for the environment

it g rows i n a nd better for the sec tor ’s f uture.

BESTSELLER has been a member of BCI since 2012.

ORGANIC COTTON ACCELERATOR (OCA)

The Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) acts as a

cata lyst for change by investing in farm-level

programmes, which enable farmer education and

support, develop new cotton cultivars and facilitate

sourcing models linking brands, retailers and sup-

pliers directly to the farm. These programmes bring

additional transparency, integrity, supply security

and measurable social and environmental impact to

organic cotton. BESTSELLER became a member in

January 2020.

BSR HERPROJECTTM

BSR’s HERproject™ is a col laborative in it iat ive

t h at s t r i v e s to e mp o w e r l o w - i n c o m e w om e n

w o r k i n g i n g l o b a l s u p p l y c h a i n s . B r i n g i n g

together global brands, their suppliers, and local

NGOs, HERproject™ drives impact for women and

business v ia workplace -based inter ventions on

health, f inancial inclusion, and gender equality.

B E S T S E L L E R h a s b e e n a m e m b e r o f B S R

HERprojectT M since 201 2 and became a Catalyst

member in 2018. In 2019, BESTSELLER has a lso

establ ished a f ive -year par tnersh ip w ith BSR’s

HERprojec t™ to f ur ther its goa l of suppor t i ng

10 0,0 0 0 women i n t ier 1 fac tor ies i n ach iev i ng

w o rk pl a c e e mp o w e r m e nt a n d i mp r o v e d l i f e -

skil ls by 202 5.


sustainability report 2019 · 2019 sustainability highlights from our brands at bestseller selected...

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