Tesco’s F&F fashion arm is trialling digital product passports (DPP), which will allow consumers to see where the products were sourced as well as additional information about the garments’ supply chain.
The move, originally reported by The Telegraph, comes ahead of the imminent European Union (EU) crackdown on transparency and traceability that will require retailers and brands to provide customers with details about a good’s provenance in the name of sustainability.
Companies failing to meet emerging requirements in this space could be subject to fines and it is understood they would be prevented from selling goods in the EU altogether.
Tesco is working with tech company Fabacus which has created a comprehensive digital product passport framework ahead of the expected legislation. Fabacus is the sister company of fashion brand Nobody’s Child, which is already using digital product passports on a wide range of its fashion items, as reported by Green Retail World earlier this year.
Joe Little, head of technical at Tesco, said: “At Tesco, we’re committed to sustainability and strive to make a positive impact on our planet.
“DPPs represent an important step forward, encouraging and promoting sustainable and circular practices and we’re pleased to be leading the way with this pilot, collaborating with Fabacus on our F&F clothing range.”
In an interview with this publication in April, Fabacus and Nobody’s Child co-founder Andrew Xeni said his tech business had created a solution to standardise licensing product data – and working specifically with Nobody’s Child had helped collate more than 100 data points relating to all the garments in its range.
QR codes have been placed on the clothing, meaning customers can unlock detailed insights and exclusive gifts.
The DPPs produced by Fabacus conform with GS1 standards, he explained, and when paired with 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 said at the time.
“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.”
[image credit: Tesco]
