Boohoo publishes UK supplier list in push for transparency

Boohoo said the publication of the supplier list met a pledge to be transparent following a review conducted by Alison Levitt QC after a swathe of allegations about conditions in supplier factories in Leicester last year.

Boohoo also launched ‘Upfront: Fashion Ready for the Future’, a sustainability programme setting out “bold targets”.

The etailer said the supplier list heralds “changes to the way [Boohoo] works with its suppliers in order to create stronger partnerships and more sustainable business practices”.

Over the last eight months, Boohoo has undertaken unannounced visits to suppliers – most audited twice – and the retailer said “suppliers will continue to have their operations and standards monitored frequently to drive long-term positive change”.

Boohoo chief executive John Lyttle said: “This is the not the end of a project, 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.

“The publication of our UK Supply Chain List marks another step on our journey towards greater transparency and embedding positive change, not only in our own organisation, but through the wider network of businesses that make up our supply chain.

“Through our sustainability strategy, we are committing to ambitious targets across production, supply and governance to ensure the business is ready for the future.”

The Upfront strategy is focused on smarter manufacturing of clothes, better terms for suppliers and “responsible business practices to reduce our carbon footprint”.

The changes came as Sir Brian Leveson PC, the independent overseer of Boohoo’s Agenda for Change programme, submitted his second report to Boohoo’s board.

Boohoo said: “Sir Brian notes that the depth and detail of supplier audits have dramatically changed the way the industry is run in Leicester and the determination of Boohoo to embed a new way of working, which, despite a number of acquisitions in recent months, remains its top priority.”

Boohoo will update further on its sustainability strategy at its full-year results in May and intends to publish a global supplier list by late September.