Clothing and accessories retailer River Island is targeting better supply chain transparency after signing a deal to use software from technology company, Segura.
The multichannel business will use the software to ensure its suppliers are ethical, sustainable, efficient and compliant with industry standards. Segura will allow River Island to continuously map and monitor its multi-tiered supply chain, according to a retailer.
The move to partner with Segura comes after River Island published ‘12 Commitments for People and Planet’, which are each aligned to the United Nations ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ – with the aim of ramping up good practice in the supply chain.
With the new technology, River Island expects to better manage and track orders, giving suppliers fewer opportunities to use unwanted third parties, or factories in lower tiers that may be sub-standard, which it said will mitigate risks and ensure supply chain transparency.
Two years ago, the retailer pledged to being more transparent by publishing the names and locations of the Tier 1 factories that manufacture its clothes. It also signed the Human Rights Watch’s Transparency Pledge, following in the footsteps of competitors H&M, Asos, New Look and Next.
Jose Arguedas, head of corporate responsibility & sustainability at River Island, said: “Segura provides us with a complete solution, incorporating all of our supply chain management and transparency requirements, with the ability for us to expand the remit as our business needs develop.
“Through the platform we can extract detailed reports, requesting information from suppliers directly and validating it. It will allow us to identify opportunities to improve performance, and drive cost and time efficiencies across the business.”
The retailer’s customers are expecting products that are safe, sustainable, and responsibly sourced, he remarked.
Peter Needle, president at Segura, said the technology will enable River Island to “delve deeper into their supply chain tiers, uncovering lower tier suppliers and valuable data about product origin”.
“Our aim is that one day every product will come with provenance: accessible, trustworthy information about origin, journey and impact,” he added.
[Image credit: River Island]
