CSR, Ethics, Sourcing & Environment

The global nature of the clothing industry has a significant impact upon communities and the natural environment worldwide. Superdry’s objective is to ensure that this impact is as positive as possible.

For us, being a responsible business means:

• Finding ways of achieving ambitious business growth whilst simultaneously having a positive impact on people and the planet
• Ensuring that our customers can buy Superdry product with confidence that we’ve acted with integrity in creating it

Our Corporate Responsibility program is designed to:

• Respect workers in the supply chain
• Drive environmental sustainability improvements
• Support the communities Superdry interacts with
• Ensure the welfare of employees

Superdry continues to focus effort on improving safety and fairness for all workers in the factories that manufacture Superdry product. We believe that we have a responsibility to ensure that suppliers comply with local and international legislation and recognized standards of best practice. 

All suppliers are required to acknowledge in writing the Superdry Ethical Trading Code of Practice. Based on the conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Code sets out the minimum standards expected from suppliers and their employees. The Group regularly undertakes audits and reviews of factory performance against the Code and works with suppliers to improve working conditions.

For example, when one of our key outerwear suppliers in China needed to move factories in 2014, Superdry assisted with the relocation and expansion plans. By helping to set up production lines, human resources systems and health & safety processes from the outset, the factory was able to ensure better worker welfare and conditions.

Reducing environmental impact is a key element of Superdry’s corporate responsibility objectives.  The economic sustainability of the business requires us to consider the environmental sustainability of our operations and products.

The Superdry Environmental Policy, sanctioned by the Chief Executive Officer, is principally responsible for committing the company to reducing:

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Energy consumption
• Waste generation

Last year we recycled over 13 tonnes of waste textiles and turned them into cleaning rags and car insulation. We also bought 85% of our UK electricity from Cornish solar, Scottish wind and Welsh hydro power schemes.

During 2014 Superdry360, our charity and community support programme, was launched. Superdry360 is a platform for charitable projects supporting the local, national and international communities in which Superdry operates. In the financial year ending April 2014, Superdry360 made charitable donations totalling £127,698 including the following good causes:

The Prince’s Trust:  £50,000 was donated to start a long-term partnership addressing issues of youth unemployment.  This programme will also see disadvantaged young people given the opportunity to work in Superdry retail stores.

Cheltenham Design Festival: The Group has continued its support with a £25,000 donation to the Cheltenham Design Academy – a free Saturday school that provides young people with experience in all aspects of design.

CARE International:  As the Group’s nominated charity of the year, Superdry donated £6,840 to CARE’s international poverty relief projects.  A further £22,363 was raised for CARE by Superdry and its employees through a sponsored triathlon.

We also launched a match-funding scheme that contributed towards the dedicated fundraising efforts of Superdry employees, for their chosen charity. This enables anyone who works for Superdry to register with the scheme and double the donations for their own charitable activities.