All senior members of staff have been trained to make sure safety culture and employee well being are embedded into role descriptions and that workers follow a thorough training programme before being allowed to work the shop floor. Primark also ensures its suppliers use a streamlined production process to make its clothing in the most effective way possible. But how sustainable is Primarks sourced cotton? So what is Primark doing to reassure its consumers that its products should be cherished and that people should not buy more than they need? The retailer has also been expanding its back of house environment in both new and existing stores to ensure store staff have a positive work space. Unfortunately cheaper prices are also more likely to trigger consumers into making an impulse purchase in store. Primark also runs its Retail Manager Development Programme (RMDP), a bespoke supervisor development programme in the UK and northern Europe and is in the process of rolling it out to its other countries. 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. 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. Publishing more information on its website, training its members of staff and creating behind the scenes videos of the factories it works with, are just a handful of avenues Primark has taken on share what it does in terms of sustainability and social responsibility. We provide suppliers and their factories with formal training, tools and support to enable improvements to be made throughout the manufacturing process.. For example, the fashion retailer has committed to improving the durability of its clothes from 2025; they must be able to be washed at least 30 times without wear and tear. Primark previously signed the Responsible Sourcing Networks Cotton Pledge 6, and in doing so committed to not knowingly source any cotton from Uzbekistan 7 - one of the worlds largest exporters of cotton - for the manufacturing of its products. This is epitomised by brands like H&M, Primark, Boohoo, and Forever21 churning out affordable garments. Yet it is also a challenge for garment and textile companies, who consider their competitive advantage to lie partially in their unique supply chain decisions for example, where they are placing orders, prices paid and forecasting. Regarding Primark's China sourcing strategy, on the one hand, Primark sources from as many as 475 suppliers located in China, far more than any other Asian country. The steps Primark is taking to improve garment workers wages. Credit: Pixabay, Video: An introduction to Love Your Clothes. Primark will continue collaborating with industry experts such as CottonConnect to drive this change. The factories featured on the map are Primark's suppliers' production sites which represent approximately 94% of Primark products for sale in our stores. For example, Primark is working on improving its injury rate as part of its wider scheme to boost its safety performance, according to its Corporate Responsibility Report 2016. We pay for all our audits ourselves as well, adds Stewart. Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Program, Digital RMG Factory Mapping in Bangladesh, comprehensive and accurate data on factories. Many workers take pride in the work they do and the clothing they make and do not deserve to be exploited as they are now. We believe Primark could do more to educate its shoppers on how to care for their clothes, Primark is also updating its website to offer consumers more information on its ethical and sustainable activities. I think it is a bit hard to talk about things you might do in the future because the challenge is keeping up with the ever-changing world. Infographic timeline Primark: FashionUnited, Rana Plaza disaster photo: AFP. I think that the results of the pilot in relationship to the impact theyve had on the cotton farmers have been significant - theyve just been phenomenal.. Fair Wear Foundation 12 has done interesting research revealing the possibilities. But the lack of transparency Primark has concerning its supply chain and workers is still problematic for many organisations. At the moment it remains unclear what percentage of Primarks apparel collections consist of recycled materials, or if they use recycled fibres in their clothing at all, an area which they should consider moving into according to international organisations. In the second part, the bullwhip-effect in the supply chain and mitigating coordination strategies such as Vendor-managed Inventory (VMI) and Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) are presented. REWARD. At the end of the day, the fashion industry remains one of the most polluting sectors in the world. However, this boost in income also brought on a new set of concerns for the female cotton farmers who participate in the pilot, as they were not used to managing a large cash flow. Until recently that is. Milan, Italy Primark store photo. For us sustainability is just about doing it across the board, notes Stewart. In united states, Southewest Airline has same strategy with success in aviation sector. In the case of Primark, and others, I dare say, it's about time, says Orsola de Castro, Founder and Creative Director at Fashion Revolution 2 and Esthetica. Strong union representation can bring labour violations to light. As Primark does not directly own any of the factories or suppliers it works with, an overall lack of transparency concerning their audit reports can make it hard to ensure their core working principles are constantly being maintained. 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). All the stock we have in store which we cant sell, all our buying office samples and excess stock, is donated to Newlife. Primark first started working with Newlife in 2010, and since then has managed to generate more than 2 million pounds in donations, which has been used to purchase equipment such as wheelchairs, nurse services and fund medical research. As a business we care about the impact. This is Primark's first 360 degree video. Primark offers customers quality, up-to-the-minute fashion at value-for-money prices. Evolving Business Needs. Please note, Greenpeace no longer recognized Primark as a Detox Leader, says FitzGerald. At the moment Primark does not purchase any raw cotton directly from farmers, as it does not directly own any mills or factories. It shows how the company has managed to embrace technology to deliver its products to customers in real time. Milan, Italy Primark in-store photo. As these results show, the company is doing well. Primark shares a number of core principles within its Code of Conduct with the Fair Wear Foundation Code. Credit: Zoella. Over in the UK and in the US, Primark sales assistants have also shared concerns feeling overworked and underpaid, having to deal with overbearing management teams, as well as difficulty in taking time off, on job boards Indeed and Glassdoor. They discussed a number of HR-specific trends, including . Here, you'll find a case study on Starbucks' supply chain strategy. In addition, Primark launched a wellbeing programme in its head office in Dublin in July 2015, which currently offers 20 classes a week in its own exercise studio. Next to its textile and garment recycling initiative, Primark has been working with two organisations to efficiently manage its textile waste while helping those in need. Bangladesh posters: These posters were created in conjunction with workers, with support from SHEVA NARI O SHISHU KALLYAN KENDRA. India currently ranks 130 out of 188 countries in the UNs Gender Inequality Index, as gender equality is seen as one of the most pressing development challenges facing the country. Its suppliers factories. We share 98 percent of our factories with other high street retailers, stresses Stewart. This includes guidance on onsite environmental health and safety issues, as well as waste and energy management.. Primark is experiencing "limited availability" on some of its product lines due to supply chain disruption, the retailer's owner has said. But now, we are all sharing factories and therefore human rights has to be a prerequisite for us, as it should be for all., Although some may argue that not a lot seems to have changed within the fashion industry concerning the lives and rights garment workers since Rana Plaza, Steward disagrees. We are all quite focused on the flagship stores, where you see people coming out of Primark with piles of bags. Finally, the issues of supply chain resilience and sustainability are discussed. Primark should focus on building a solid, long-term relationship with their suppliers based on trust; ensuring labour unions are allowed within the factories they source from and are protected enough so they can do their work freely without threats, or harassment, notes Scally. 1: Adopt a demand-driven planning and business operating model based on real-time demand insights and demand shaping. The one in the UK, which covers all our European stores, is Newlife 8, a foundation which supports children who are either terminally ill or very physical disabled, explains Stewart. Here are six supply-chain strategies designed to help enterprises thrive in the current environment. The Penneys brand is not used outside of Ireland because it is owned elsewhere by American retailer J. C. Penney. 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. Photo: Katharine Stewart, Primarks Director of Ethical Trade & Environmental Sustainability. For example, back in 2014 and 2015 British shoppers are said to have found letters and hand stitched labels in garments pleading for help, which aimed to raise awareness for the terrible conditions workers were apparently forced to endure. 95% of our manufacturers are based in Italy. But we do share our supplier information with other partners we are in collaboration with, for example with the Bangladesh Accord 10. Skip to main content Skip to navigation hot-topics Trending Four-day week Can Primark really offer responsible fashion at an amazing price? It turned out to be such a success that the participating farmers achieved the following results by the third year: This short film follows the impact Primark's Sustainable Cotton Programme has had on female farmers in Northern India and includes interviews with some of the women involved. We know consumers and stakeholders are interested and we thought that publishing the Global Sourcing Map was a big step on that journey. It is a virtual tour. It has stores across Europe and in the United States. In any event, wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income. Primark states it requires all its suppliers to adhere to this definition for all workers within its supply chain. For example, in India, Primark is working together with local partners like the Association for Stimulating Know How 11 (ASK) in one of its main suppliers, Jeyavishnu Mill, to improve its recruitment process. Sign up for SB Brand-Led Culture Change, best rates expire March 3rd! Where possible we encourage our members and all other garment brands- to increase leverage. 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. I dont care really, I love this jacket.. NGOs applaud the move from Primark and agree the retailer should explore further avenues on how it can share more information on its sustainable and ethical programmes. Primark also conducts energy audits in all its stores and reviews how much energy each store consumes. Now headquartered in Massachusetts, USA, it has a global revenue of 7bn. 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. Primarks Code is much in line with Fair Wear Foundation Code of Labour Practices, points out Lotte Schuurman, Communications Officer at the Fair Wear Foundation 5 (FWF). [Sustainability] is not about little capsule collections. I know people will often say that the quality isnt very good at Primark, but we have invested a lot in quality over the last few years, says Stewart. "Our continued partnership with Primark as part of this industry-leading programme is materially changing the lives of farmers and their families in rural cotton communities," Ward concluded. One key avenue Primark has been experimenting with to better communicate their ethics to consumers is video. Plus, our third-party logistics providers. Primark's new sustainability strategy includes nine concrete pledges. The value retailer states it is targeting efforts in certain countries where national safety standards differ from its own standards, but does not outline in detail which countries it is focusing on at the moment. It is commendable that fast fashion companies are reacting to the challenges we face and creating positive intervention towards socially mindful solutions. In the second part, the bullwhip-effect in the supply chain and mitigating coordination strategies such. At Primark, we are committed to ensuring that the people who make our products work in good conditions, are treated properly and paid a fair wage, says Paul Lister, Head of Primarks Ethical Trading Team in a statement. Now with the younger generation becoming increasingly technical and visual, we felt that 360 degree video was the right format to do that in," explains Stewart. Implemented by Dhakas BRAC Universitys Center for Entrepreneurship Development in collaboration with BRAC USA, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and C&A Foundation, the Digital RMG Factory Mapping in Bangladesh (DRFM-B) project is the first of its kind to attempt to digitally map the entire garment industry in Bangladesh and marks a critical industry shift toward more transparency. PRIMARK - VALUE CHAIN MODEL 2 Introduction PRIMARK is an Ireland Company that was formed in June 1969 with continuity in the trade as Penney's. The Company deals much on the trade of food, ingredients and retail of goods and services both locally and globally with its membership in the Associated British Foods (ABF). "For Primark, the pandemic stopped our only revenue stream in its tracks in an instant," Vanoli explained. But I find it more difficult to share what we are doing sustainably because we do not make capsule collections and cant just hang a little label on it. Primark has been able to gain and sustain competitive advantage by focusing on inbound logistics (supply chain), outbound logistics (distribution network), manufacturing (outsourcing . For us its about making sure that the people who touch the supply chain, whether its the workers or the communities or the environment we operate in, are looked after.. This wasnt a case of us not having the data, we know where our products are made. So even though Primark may have a number of initiatives in place aimed at improving employee wellbeing, it seems as if the effects of these programmes are not as beneficial or effective for all its workers - in particular its store employees. 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.. . Our Environmental Policy, which sits within our Code of Conduct. Sustainability is a complex issue, stresses Jacinta FitzGerald, Head of Research at Project JUST 3. Primarks sustainable cotton pilot has been applauded by numerous international organisations as it focused on the environmental impact of growing cotton, such as the farmers use of water, chemicals and their effects on soil and aimed to improve cotton production by using less water, less chemicals and less pesticides. 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. Full-year operating profits at Primark are expected to be ahead of last year's 1bn, as the retail chain benefited from "a significant reduction in store labour costs and lower store operating. In addition the Farmers Field School has made Primark realise how important education truly is for farmers and what impact it can have on their lives. Wal-Mart's competitive strategy is based on three dimensions: high product availability, a wide variety of goods, and everyday low pricing. . But there is still a lot to do in this regard., One of the reasons Primark does not intend to publicly share the names of all their suppliers is precisely because of their competitive edge. [At the flagship stores] you have tourists coming from abroad, where there isnt a Primark store. 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