Primarks Code of Conduct lays out the core principles their suppliers and their factories must adhere to when it comes to working conditions, such as working hours, fair wages and workers rights in order to do business with them. As a globalization strategy, Primark carries out its operation in 61 countries. Some may think the Rana Plaza factory collapse 2013 was a turning point for the fashion industry - a wake up call for the retailers producing their garments there to band together to make a change for good. Brands can work very hard on improving their purchasing practices - on forecasting, on production planning all of which can reduce their risk of causing overtime - but if they are a small player and other brands have poor management practices, the results on the factory floor can still be disappointing. However, in spite of the numerous initiatives Primark has undertaken to combat its chemical usage, the value retailer may not be able to reach its Detox commitment to Greenpeace by 2020. Unlike other clothes shops, people often come to Primark because they know theyll be able to afford a whole outfit. Primark currently counts 16 stores across the country, including its flagship store in Amsterdam. Brands should plan accordingly so no garments go to waste., What Primark is doing to cut down its use of chemicals, Our objective is to have full traceability from all Primark supply chain partners of upstream manufacturing, product and chemical inventory information for every point in the supply chain, Primark also supports the Partnership for Cleaner Textile industry (PaCT) 16, a holistic programme which supports the Bangladesh wet textile processing factories in adopting cleaner production methods. We are starting to share more films - our cotton film is a good example of that - but we are trying to make it more engaging and interesting for customers based on the feedback we get and offer as much information as possible." We would suggest Primark share the long term intentions of its recycling program, the anticipated impact of diverting these textiles from the waste stream and the current and future destination of the textiles collected from these programs.. But we do share our supplier information with other partners we are in collaboration with, for example with the Bangladesh Accord 10. Primark regularly visits factories where it holds a lead role in respect to the Accord and is in frequent contact with all other factories which it supplies from. Almost all companies have a Code of Conduct, it is just a formality, counters Tara Scally, Campaign Coordinator for the Dutch branch of the Clean Clothes Campaign 7 (CCC). Unlike some fashion retailers, Primark does not publicly share its audit reports, which raises numerous questions on what exactly Primark is doing to ensure the rights of its garment workers are protected. Infographic timeline Primark: FashionUnited, Rana Plaza disaster photo: AFP. In addition to the online course, Primarks safety platform also includes additional information on safety topics, like office safety and emergency procedures. Publicly showing their wage calculations would be a good start., One brand cannot single handedly raise wages for the workers who make their clothes, Other NGOs agree that the key to implementing fair, livable wages within the industrys supply chain lies within collaboration. The places of production are shared - they are the same working conditions, the same wages - lets just level the plane and get rid of this assumption that paying more for an item somehow makes it more ethical. These posters depict the separate principles of the Code of Conduct in a cartoon-style images which can easily be understood by all workers. NGOs and trade organisations agree that this, as well as working with trade unions, is key for any fashion retailer in tackling cases of forced labour in developing countries. It can also be used to drive down operational cost and maximize efficiency within your supply chain. But the value fashion retailer has yet to explore alternative solutions or set itself fixed goals in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. Evolving Business Needs. For a number of years, weve been working closely with industry partners sharing information about where Primark products are made. For example, if an audit finds that factory workers are working more than the allowed overtime per week, Primark will work together with the factory managers to create a more flexible schedule, giving workers less overtime. According to Associated British Foods Corporate Responsibility Report for 2016 2, Primarks GHG emissions have increased by 15 percent over the last three years. Our Environmental Policy, which sits within our Code of Conduct. I dont care really, I love this jacket.. Use of chemical fertilisers were reduced by 40 percent. In the supply chain strategy you are going to plan out how you are going to work with distributors, customers and suppliers. Credit: I:CO spirit, Photo: Industrial textile factory - Lucian Coman | Dreamstime.com Poco_bw | Dreamstime.com, Photo: Primark store in Madrid. In total 6,279 workers in 436 groups have been trained through the programme since 2009, which has impacted the lives of approximately 30,000 garment workers. This technology is still in development for the process to work at scale, but there is exciting potential here for a large reduction in garments being sent to landfill, and the decreased use of virgin raw materials. She encourages Primark to start looking into future options for implementing a circular economy, similar to the goal set by rival fast-fashion retailer H&M. Primark operates using a common set of global standards in all its sourcing hubs, known as its Code of Conduct 2. Credit: Primark. But the lack of transparency Primark has concerning its supply chain and workers is still problematic for many organisations. But with 98 percent of its factories also manufacturing products for other brands several of whom have begun to publish the details of their sourcing practices the company felt the time was right to share this information. Unlike fast-fashion competitors, such as H&M, who has been extremely open in communicating their sustainable initiatives to the public through campaigns such as Close the Loop, Primark has remained relatively quiet on what it does in terms of sustainability, ethics, and labour rights. Primark is experiencing "limited availability" on some of its product lines due to supply chain disruption, the retailer's owner has said. A key part of the programme focuses on sharing lessons Primark and DFID learnt following the Rana Plaza incident, including the retailers initiatives with local partners to provide both long-term and short-term aid. Fashion supply chains tend to be very long and complex, involving thousands of workers across the board. The value retailer has had a similar system in place in the UK for a number of years now, which ensures all recyclables are collected from its stores via its delivery trucks and transported back to the central distribution centre. The firm's positioning strategy entails the firm as the most cost effective firm in the fashion retail sector in UK. Primark was one of the first companies to cancel millions of pounds worth of orders from suppliers during the coronavirus pandemic, putting workers in its supply chains at risk of redundancy. We are all quite focused on the flagship stores, where you see people coming out of Primark with piles of bags. May 4, 2022 Primark is one of the first brands that come to mind in fast fashion. Nevertheless, Primark cannot argue with the fact that many consumers do shop excessively at Primark and are more likely to make an unnecessary, or unneeded purchase if the price is low enough. This is of vital importance in countries such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan where women make up 80 percent of the workforce. It can help with this initial scoping phase of strategy development. But how responsible are Primarks in-store working conditions? Last financial year, 94 percent of waste generated by all of Primarks stores and warehouses was recycled or beneficially reused, points out Stewart. Primark will continue collaborating with industry experts such as CottonConnect to drive this change. Considering that the majority of Primarks products are made from cotton, we would suggest the brand dramatically increase its initiatives in this area by supporting similar programmes to achieve 100 percent sustainably grown cotton. In fact, the results of the cotton pilot programme were so successful they exceeded all Primark's expectations, which is why the value retailer has expanded the programme to support an additional 10,000 farmers in Gujarat over the next six years. There were a number of brands before who did not want to collaborate. Primark previously kept the details of its suppliers factories private, regarding it as a matter of commercial advantage. To maintain this strategy Primark always focuses on buying, logistics and supply chain management. Halve carbon emissions across its value chain. They concentrate on improving the efficiency of supply chain management. Primark has a large range of products from men's wear, women's wear, children's wear, accessories, footwear, lingerie, home wear, hosiery and much more. The Penneys brand is not used outside of Ireland because it is owned elsewhere by American retailer J. C. Penney. On its website, the value retailer has a dedicated area under its Ethics page which explains how they are able to offer the lowest prices on the high street. We will continue to look at what we feel might be useful or interesting as we continue to develop our program.. We pay for all our audits ourselves as well, adds Stewart. Credit: Zakir Hossain Chowdhury / ANADOLU AGENCY, Podcast: Primark Offers Compensation to Dhaka Factory Victims. Photo: Primark Gent opening Belgium via AFP. But we know an ethical supply chain can't be a solo project. However many consumers still believe that Primark is less ethical than high street rivals H&M, Zara or Mango, which is false according to Primark. SM Insider Current Issue. We provide suppliers and their factories with formal training, tools and support to enable improvements to be made throughout the manufacturing process.. Taking into consideration fast-fashions current business model, which is focused on high volume, low price and disposable products, this cannot by definition nor intention, go hand in hand with sustainability, she adds. Associated British Foods (ABF) said Primark had been hit by temporary closures and congestion at ports and a shortage of shipping containers. Their cooperation began when Primark had just 15 storestoday, the international fashion retailer has nearly 400 brick-and-mortar stores across 13 countries. "We made a 360 degree video of one of suppliers factories in Bangladesh, says Stewart. However, store employees in the Netherlands who voiced these concerns are not only ones working at Primark who feel this way. Strategy No. The value fashion retailers parent company, Associated British Foods, acknowledges it faces pressure to set itself fixed goals in terms of responsible and sustainable production, but stresses transparency is key to making a real difference. We want to be able talk about the things we have done and show what results we have achieved. The new depot will serve as Primark's distribution centre for the Northeast, where the company plans to open eight retail stores by the end of 2016. Primark established a strong strategy of cost leader ship. Its own in-house teams are supported by independent, third-party auditing companies, which are said to be critical to ensuring Primark upholds its monitoring standards. Additionally, other fast fashion brands are researching circularity, where used garments can be returned to the brand, the garment broken down (either mechanically or chemically) and respun into new yarn, then made into a new garment, adds FitzGerald. So now we have implemented our Farmer Field School to help them manage their own income and run their own businesses. By offering these female farmers advice and guidance on how they can best manage their income and oversee their cash flow, Primark aims to ensure the cotton workers become financially independent. It is a shame that so much hard work of workers worldwide ends up as waste, Tara Scally, Dutch Campaign Coordinator for Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) 11. By paying for their own audit Primark is able to ensure the integrity of the audit is not influenced by any external factors and gain a clear picture of actual working conditions. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Thanks to its energy-efficiency projects, Primarks store energy intensity, which is measured by kilowatt-hour (kWh) per square foot, has been reduced by 11 percent since 2015. Credit: Primark, Photo: Primark store Venlo. Acting as an agent and intermediary between banks and customers, Geosansar and Primark have aided workers in opening a bank account for the first time. Working with supplier factories through its Ethical Trade program and having in-country teams analyzing payroll data is part of the company's strategy, as well as following fair purchasing practices. The strategic plan of Primark consisted of the strategy of growing inorganically as well as organically. Its still early days, but its going very wellthe whole process is a journey of understanding. The value retailer makes sure each supplier it works with has a full formal audit once a year, which is carried out by Primarks own team or approved external auditors. Ethical Consumer considered remuneration over 1 million to be excessive. In England, Primark is seen as a discounter. . 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