Title

• Colourful Belgian store chain • Women’s wear/Menswear/Kids clothing • Female customers between 25-55 years old • 18 collections/year – Different colour themes • 93 own stores • Family owned business for more than 30 years • Started as a Hard Discounter

• Fair in price • Consultation &

Cooperation • Colourful & Creative • Customer first • Respectful, fair &

sustainable business

Respectful, fair and sustainable business

Good dialogue (Great Place to Work)

Generally speaking, one can state Bel&Bo isa very good organisation to work for.

82%

82%

94%

93%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Bel & Bo Top 10 < 500 co-workers Retail Organisations 250-500 co-workers

Respectful, fair and sustainable business

• Renewable energy • Transport max.

1/week • Less consumption

energy HQ • Award 2015 “Best

Environmentally Friendly Webshop”

• …

Respectful, fair and sustainable business

• Campaign collecting bottle caps • Reusable bags in stead of plastic bags

Respectful, fair and sustainable business

People: Ethical trade

What we did before … • During the 90’s

– Ready-to-wear industry leaves Europe > Far East – Obvious that clothing should be made under good

conditions – The campaigns of Clean Clothes Campaign opened

our eyes – Promo Fashion (former name of Bel&Bo) =

discount = higher risk of production in bad conditions via subcontractors

• 1999-2000 – Through membership Kauri (The Shift) :

• Encounter of the first generation of codes of conduct

• Encounter of Fear Wear Foundation (the Netherlands)

– Production still for +/- 100% via subcontractors

– Little knowledge where the garments are produced.

• 2000 – First code of conduct – Based on code of Fear Wear Foundation – To be signed by al our suppliers >5000€ – Engagement also of the production units

• 2004 – Testing the engagement of our subcontractors

• Interrogation by our auditor (confidentially) – Shakes our suppliers awake !!

• 2007 Independent monitoring in the production units of our principal suppliers by Bureau Veritas • Asking the addresses of the PU’s – not easy • Lots of time between asking and receiving the

report • Conclusion => supplier • If necessary: new audit after 6 months • Experience:

• Suppliers easily change the production unit - audit becomes unusable, frustrating

• Administration: lots of work, little positive feed-back

• 2010 – Promo Fashion becomes Bel&Bo

– Detailed briefing to our suppliers:

Bel&Bo - Requirements : – Quality of the product – Correct tailoring – Fashionable – Made in the right circumstances – At the right price

• 2011: Report Clean Clothes Campaign

Bel&Bo asks itself to be audited Result of Bel&Bo is amongst the better ones in its category:

• 2013 Study Ernst & Young: how to source in a sustainable way?

What can Bel&Bo do itself?

• Order directly in the Far East • Create strategic relations with the suppliers • LC made out to the production unit! • Give sufficient time to make the products • Regularly do in- and external social audits

• March 2013 Adaptation of the strategy: more direct import

– From 10% to 50% in 2 years time (and still growing)

– Adaptation sourcing structure/organisation • Engagement of 5 new staff members (Styling/Fitting/QC) • Detailed description of the product to be manufactured • Quality control before shipment in the F-E • Quality control at arrival in warehouse • Extra space in our warehouse early deliveries • Extra financial means early payments

– Visit the production unit beforehand

Rejected production units:

Approved production units:

• April 2014 • Official demand to become a member of FWF

How does it work? – Direct Import (Bel&Bo -> Production Unit)

• +/- 60 % of import capacity

• If Production Unit is known: External audit report (Intertek, Bsci,..) Every 2 years visit by sourcing department

• If new Production Unit :

First visit by sourcing agent Bel&Bo Minimum good audit report (Intertek, Bsci,…) to present Visit sourcing department Bel&Bo Test order

How does it work? – Indirect import: (Bel&Bo -> Supplier -> Production Unit)

• +/- 40 % of import capacity • order first with reservation • Confirmation to receive from supplier

– Address of production unit – Inspection report(s), audit report(s) and/or certificate(s) – Capacity, ….

• Only then, sending the barcodes for production

– Step-by-step plan for suppliers • 2015: 40% • 2016: 60% • 2017: 90% of the production units must be monitored

– Inspections production units

• By Bel&Bo • By independent inspection offices • By Fwf

– In case of bad report: Corrective Action Plan + follow-up

– Always « Workers Information Sheet » to be posted at

the production unit

– Annual evaluation of Bel&Bo by FWF

• Examination of internal management systems • Are the improvements made sufficient regarding to

the bad remarks in the inspection reports? • Are all suppliers involved? • What does Bel&Bo do with complaints received from

the production unit, ...? • At least a positive result! • 2015/16: Good!

Bel&Bo as the first big Belgian store chain to become a member

Which is the most important item to become a sustainable company ?

“The road enriches us as we walk its length”

Paulo Coelho, Brazilian author

THANK YOU !