In 2020, EK Fashion, part of the international group EK, started its journey toward a sustainable fashion industry. EK Fashion focuses on sustainability in its role as a purchasing organization, but also as a manufacturer of private labels. Last month, the fashion company again released its third ESG annual report. In this report, EK Fashion transparently describes how the company integrates ESG (environmental, social and governance) into its strategy and everyday activities.
Following EK Fashion, the other business and service units of EK have also started with ESG last year. “ESG is now a part of everything we do in all aspects of our company,” says Jan Bongers, director of EK Fashion. “Prompted by the overall EK ESG strategy, we have focussed even more on those of Fashion in 2022. A second important step this year was achieving more insight and transparency in the supply chain of our private labels (see frame). Not only for our own organisation, but also for our retailers and end users. In addition, the share of sustainable materials in (private) labels has increased and more retailers are supported in making their businesses future-proof. We help them to set up their own ESG strategy and provide training for buyers. But we have also helped with setting up a second hand shop in stores, for example.”
Quality over quantity
The nearly 500 retailers associated with EK Fashion are all local entrepreneurs established throughout the entire country. “We are convinced that it is exactly local retail business that can play a significant role in helping customers to make more conscious choices”, recounts Jan Bongers. “The local entrepreneur sells quality above quality, provides complete service and the right advice thanks to expert shop employees. Local retail businesses can thus be “top of mind” when consumers think of sustainable and attractive shops. EK supports these retailers with a sustainable range and provision of knowledge about ESG.”
You can view the ESG annual report for 2022 here.
Press release | July 18, 2023
Transparent supply chains
In order to make products more sustainable, insight is needed into where, when, by whom, using which materials and under which circumstances they are produced. The chain can then be analysed and we can find out where there may be possible risks and improvements can be implemented. EK Fashion entered into a cooperation with tex.tracer in 2020 to do just this. Tex.tracer is a block-chain driven platform for making supply chains more transparent. Every supplier enters product data and photos into the “tex.tracer web app” and then all entered data is checked. When all steps in the chain have been successfully entered, a QR code is generated that can be attached to the product as a label. When you scan this code, you receive all of the (partial) information about the origin of the product. In 2022, EK Fashion successfully marketed a large part of the collection of its Babyface children’s clothing brand with a tex.tracer QR code.