all things lovely and fair

Just want to share with you the responses that I received from various companies. Many of the responses I read with a dubious grimace. I'd like to be a bit more reassured by their responses but I am sceptical. I am encouraged in the knowledge that we are changing the face of retail. Within 5 years I strongly believe that we will be able to by certified fairtrade garments in these stores. Crazy. Well this year I bought all my fairtrade Easter eggs from a regular discount shelf in Coles. Ahh the stuff of dreams! So let's be encouraged and keep writing to these stores and make the change!


Dear Keshena,

Thank you for contacting us via our website.

Sustainability is a major focus for Kmart Australia Limited with a key emphasis on building meaningful social and environmental commitments.
The ongoing respect for basic human rights, ethically and responsibly sourcing the products we sell and working with our key vendors to assess and improve the working conditions in their factories are the main drivers of Kmart’s ethical sourcing commitment.
As one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest retailers, we are committed to supporting the communities in which we operate by adhering to good corporate behaviour and values. Through close relationships and our Ethical Sourcing Code we aim to ensure that goods sold within our stores are made in safe working conditions, national laws are obeyed and all workers are treated fairly.

Every year our business releases a sustainability report which covers our performance in areas from financial through to team, community, environment and ethical sourcing.  The next report will be released later this year in November and will be available on-line at www.kmart.com.au

We thank you for your interest in ensuring all retailers behave ethically and encourage you to continue to question when you have concerns.

King regards

Kmart Customer Care Consultant



                                                                                                                                                                     

      
Dear Keshena,

Thank you for contacting David Jones with your concerns to Fairtrade
clothing and products.

I have asked our Buyers here at David Jones and they are proud to be a
signatory of the Textile Clothing & Footwear Union of Australia.  The TCFUA
is an ethical code that has provisions to ensure that members and other
workers in the clothing industry, specifically employees and contractors to
Suppliers are engaged in terms and conditions no less favourable than those
contained in either the Federal Award or the relevant State Award. Part of
our agreement with them specifies that we need to provide them a full list
of all of our suppliers both in Australia and Internationally for their
auditing proposes.

In the rare event where it is discovered that a Supplier has breached these
terms we have steps in place to take action immediately, the most severe
outcome being that we may terminate our contract with them.

Kind regards

Customer Relations Specialist


  

 
Hi Keshena,

Thank you for writing to us in relation to our policies regarding the production of Target merchandise.

We wish to advise Target is strongly opposed to the exploitation of workers in Australia or overseas, and all of our suppliers must adhere to our Ethical Sourcing Code of Practice. This Code states "Suppliers should not be associated with production processes which may exploit workers”.

Target expects suppliers to comply fully with legal requirements of the countries in which they operate.  Additionally, suppliers should be alert to any signs that a production process involves exploitation or represents a danger to health, safety or the environment. In line with our risk matrix, our suppliers are obliged to conduct social compliance audits of factories supplying goods to Target or provide us with documentation that is evident they are adhering to an international code which we recognise.

In order to enforce these standards with our overseas suppliers, they must all agree with and sign our “Ethical Sourcing Code of Practice" before we conduct business with them.  This Code of Practice ensures that all of our local and overseas suppliers comply with these measures, which prevent any form of exploitation from occurring.  If a breach of this Code of Practice is demonstrably taking place, we will cease to do business with the supplier concerned and reserve the right to take further action.

We trust that these measures assure you of our commitment to Ethical Sourcing. We hope that Target's initiative in supporting and endorsing such measures will be supported and imitated by many others in the retail industry. 

Kind Regards

Target
 

 
Dear Mrs Keshena,

Thank you for taking the time to contact Big W.

In regards to your enquiry, although we do not market our products this way, all clothing products sold at Big W are Fairtrade or ethically manufactured.

   Kind Regards -
  - Customer Service Team