Boohoo publishes UK supplier list and sustainability strategy
Fashion retailer Boohoo has published its UK supplier list as it meets its pledge to publish it within six months of its independent review by Alison Levitt QC.
Launched last year following allegations of low pay and unsafe conditions at suppliers’ factories, the review found a number of failings in the retailer’s Leicester supply chain and recommended improvements to its corporate governance, compliance and monitoring processes.
In a statement today, Boohoo said it has been working with independent auditors Verisio and Bureau Veritas to carry out unannounced visits to suppliers and over the last eight months and that the majority of suppliers have been audited twice. This has resulted in the retailer working with a list of 78 suppliers after weeding out those who did meet the required standards. Boohoo said suppliers will continue to have their operations and standards monitored frequently to drive long-term positive change.
John Lyttle, Boohoo chief executive, said: “This is the not the end of a project for us at Boohoo but the beginning of a new way of working with our suppliers. We are driving positive change in the industry and want to play our part in rebuilding a vibrant manufacturing base in Leicester, one that offers good employment and great prospects for the workers and the industry in Leicester as a whole.”
Boohoo has also announced the launch of a new sustainability strategy which sets targets for the “smarter” manufacturing of clothes, better terms for suppliers, and responsible business practices to reduce the retailer’s carbon footprint.
Lyttle added: “Through our sustainability strategy we are committing to ambitious targets across production, supply and governance to ensure the business is ready for the future.”
