A series where we talk to retail’s movers and shakers about how they are tackling the challenge of becoming a greener business in an industry that is far from green – assessing organisational change, eco initiatives, and much more.
Fashion brand Nobody’s Child is on a roll. It recently extended its successful wholesale partnership with Marks & Spencer (M&S), it has expanded to the US and Australia, and of particular interest to this publication, it has introduced digital product passports (DPP).
And it is that latter development which is going to be the theme of founder & chairman Andrew Xeni’s presentation at this year’s Retail Technology Show, on 25 April.
In his afternoon speaking slot, Xeni wants to provide some inspiration and some direction for the wider industry about the process behind introducing DPP to products, as imminent European legislation around this aspect of supply chain transparency gets closer to becoming a reality.
Ahead of the event, which will run at Olympia London from 24-25 April, Green Retail World caught up with the retail and technology entrepreneur to understand more about DPP and Nobody’s Child’s strategy to be a conscious retailer in all it does.
The DPP journey so far
In March, Nobody’s Child launched the second iteration of its DPP work, enabling customers to track the journey of their clothing from design to production and gain access to a plethora of information about those garments via a scan of a QR code printed on the care label.
All labels on the Nobody’s Child x Happy Place by Fearne Cotton SS24 collection now have the QR code, providing those who scan it with in-depth detail about materials used, manufacturing process, and general environmental impact. Each product in the range has a unique DPP.
It comes after the first DPPs appeared on an earlier version of the celebrity-backed collection last September – and Nobody’s Child has plans to link these passports to all its garments by the end of 2024 even though the official legislation is not expected to arrive until 2026.
“We’ve gone early because I’m a bit of a tech junky,” explains Xeni, who helped lead the project alongside the brand’s CEO, Jody Plows.
“I love the idea this was a challenge and I wanted to prove we could overcome it. The nature of the challenge plays nicely to the DNA of the brand.”
Founded in 2015, Nobody’s Child has gained a reputation as a green-thinking business, but Xeni prefers the term “conscious”.
“I want every decision we make to be done consciously – that doesn’t matter if we’re sourcing something, making something, selling something or the way we behave internally and externally with partners.”
Like Green Retail World, Xeni recognises that everything in commerce leaves a footprint, making it difficult to ever claim to be a sustainable retailer per se.
“We don’t use ‘sustainable’ in our vocab too much because we appreciate when you’re servicing consumers it’s hard to put the two hand in hand,” he explains.
“But there are better ways of trading, operating, and sourcing, as well as better materials – it takes a great effort to follow that path.”
Launching DPPs before most other fashion retailers is a sign of that commitment.
“We want to be at the forefront of being good, being brave, and being first movers,” he notes.
“More importantly, the DNA of the brand is about being honest, and we want to be open with customers. The DPP is all these things.”
The technology
Speaking at Retail Technology Show, Xeni also has the chance to showcase the capability of the technology company he founded and which is behind the DPP initiative at Nobody’s Child.
Fabacus, the tech supporting the venture, has created a solution to standardise licensing product data – and working with the Nobody’s Child team it helped collate more than 100 data points relating to each garment in the range.
By scanning each product’s QR code, customers can unlock detailed insights and exclusive gifts, as well as download a unique non-fungible token by way of a digital receipt brought to life via a collaboration with Coinbase.
The DPPs produced by Fabacus conform with GS1 standards, and when paired with the blockchain tech can validate the provenance of products as they exchange hands throughout their lifecycle.
“With Fabacus, our objective is to help brands and retailers achieve a compliant catalogue, a structured data repository on ESG reporting or DPP, and a holistic view of their impact through the wider supply chain,” Xeni explains.
“But in order to achieve that it is complex. Brands and retailers have to go through the pain of getting their data in line, but there’s treasure at the end of the rainbow.”
Much of the intricacies of the work in this space will be illustrated in detail at the Retail Technology Show, and Xeni wants to be influential and show others how it can be done. He says retailers are getting more active in this area as they prepare for the legislation, and he notes that most of the top tier suppliers are embracing this new reality and willing to go on the journey with their partners.
The founder says Nobody’s Child has published data on its DPP that is “significantly more than what we expect will become a legal mandatory requirement”. There is no standard DPP format yet.
“We think ours is a solid, structured piece of data that informs consumers on their buying decision, which is the ultimate objective for the regulation, and it allows the brand to put its best foot forward in bringing transparency and value to the consumer rather than just ticking a compliance box.”
Xeni thinks a 2D QR code on the garment care label is the “best, cheapest and easiest route to success” with DPP, and expects that to be the de facto standard in time.
Revolutionary impact
Some industry observers have suggested the introduction of DPP is going to be the most revolutionary tech change for fashion brands since the introduction of the barcode in the 1970s.
Xeni says the consumer response to the brand’s DPP, be it in stores or in other communication, has been positive – “they may not understand all the information presented to them, but they understand why we’re doing it”, he notes.
The Nobody’s Child and Fabacus founder, who also owns referral marketing and social sharing tech provider Soreto, understands there are still plenty of bumps in the road in his retailer’s DPP journey.
“This isn’t going to be easy and we’ll go through some more challenging waters in the next six to 12 months as we onboard more suppliers, more geographies, and more categories – not everyone is always going to play nicely and be forthcoming,” he argues.
“But if we set our stall out as a brand that wants to conform it’s up to them if they want to come along for the ride with us.”
Xeni says growth in Nobody’s Child’s brand, sales volumes, and general industry credibility have all accelerated in recent years, as it has established itself on the UK retail scene and in international markets.
“If I had to do this five years ago no supplier would have entertained it,” he remarks.
“Thankfully there are many top tier suppliers who are generally making an effort to put their front foot forward. This governance is allowing the good players to play to their strengths and I think there is going to be a massive correction in supply chain activity and the composition of big retailers and brands.”
He adds: “People underestimate the impact DPP is going to have as they tend to look at it through their own lens.
“A retailer will look at how it impacts them, a supplier will do the same, but holistically if you look at what it is going to do, especially with geopolitical tension mounting, it’s going to drive so much more in diversity of supply, visibility in supply bases, certification, health and safety. There’s so much that can be driven through that single point that will impact so many different stakeholders – from consumer to all those in the production process.”
Xeni continues: “It will be so disruptive but then ultimately good for all of us.”
Although other retailers and brands such as Sweden-based Kappahl and online pureplay Yoox Net a Porter have piloted work in this space already with different technology, Nobody’s Child is certainly part of a leading wave of companies introducing DPPs.
Placing a DPP within its full range is a Nobody’s Child target for the months ahead, and following Xeni’s appearance at the Retail Technology Show, the roll-out of the tech may be further up other retailers’ and brands’ priority lists too.
Xeni’s session takes place in Theatre A at 14:35 on Thursday 25 April. Green Retail World is proud to be a media partner of the Retail Technology Show. Register for the event here.
At Green Retail World, we are giving retail executives and industry leaders, like Andrew Xeni, a chance to explain how they are enacting environmental change within their organisations. Please contact editor, Ben Sillitoe, if you’d like to put yourself forward for an interview on this key subject. Sharing good practice can help the wider sector move in a positive direction.
[Image credit: Nobody’s Child/Andrew Xeni]
