Fashion retail
Owned by UK retailing magnate Sir Philip Green. Collapsed into administration in Dec 2020 and then sold Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT to Asos (brands only, no shops), Evans to City Chic, and Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton to Boohoo (again, brands only, no shops).
Company Assessment
(Last updated Jan 2022)
Praise
Criticism
Information
Arcadia Group Ltd
Praise
Criticism
Information
Efforts to pay a living wage
The Clean Clothes Campaign report, Tailored Wages 2019 analyses responses from 32 top clothing brands about their progress in implementing a living wage for the workers who produce their clothes. This company received the lowest possible grade in the report, meaning they produced no evidence that any worker making their clothes was paid a living wage anywhere in the world.
Source: Clean Clothes Campaign
(2019)
No COVID Fashion Commitments
In 2020 Baptist World Aid Australia released The COVID Fashion Report, a special edition of their Ethical Fashion Report. The report is framed around six COVID Fashion Commitments that ask companies to demonstrate the steps and measures they are taking to protect and support the most vulnerable workers in their supply chains. This company showed no evidence of actions that it covered any of the COVID Fashion Commitments.
Tax avoidance
Arcadia Group has been targeted by tax avoidance protesters UK Uncut. Rather than being registered as Sir Philip Green's (the public face of the brand), the company is registered under the name of his wife, Tina, who lives in 0% income tax zone Monaco. In 2005 Philip Green awarded himself 1.2bn pounds, the biggest paycheck in British corporate history.
Source: news article
(2012)
Sued for $5 million
Pop singer Rihanna won a legal battle with this company in July 2013 over a T-shirt image sold through the Topshop chain. She sued Arcadia in the London High Court for US$5million as her image had been used without her approval.
Source: BBC News
(2013)
Fur free retailer
This retailer has committed to being a fur free retailer, as recognised by the International Fur Free Retailer Program.
Source: Fur Free Retailer
(2019)
Fashion Footprint claims
Follow the link to see details on Ardadia Group's Fashion Footprint programme, which claims to "monitor and manage the social and environmental impacts of our business, providing a focus and framework for our activities".
Source: company website
(2017)
CanopyStyle member
This company is a member of the CanopyStyle initiative, which came about when research found that millions of trees are used every year to produce dissolving pulp, a key ingredient for fabrics such as rayon/viscose. The campaign seeks to phase out the use of endangered forest fibre in fabric.
Source: Canopy
(2018)
Transparency Pledge
The Apparel and Footwear Supply Chain Transparency Pledge (Transparency Pledge) helps demonstrate apparel and footwear companies' commitment towards greater transparency in their manufacturing supply chain. Transparency of a company's manufacturing supply chain better enables a company to collaborate with civil society in identifying, assessing, and avoiding actual or potential adverse human rights impacts. This is a critical step that strengthens a company's human rights due diligence. This company has published some supplier factory information, but falls short of the Pledge standard.
Source: Transparency Pledge
(2019)
Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: company website
(2017)
11% in Sustainable Cotton Ranking
The 2020 Sustainable Cotton Ranking, published by WWF, Solidaridad and the Pesticide Action Network UK analysed the 77 largest cotton users among international apparel brands and retailers, reviewing their policies, actual uptake of more sustainable cotton and transparency in their supply chains. According to the report, this company is "starting the journey" with a score of 11%. The average score was 18.2% and the highest score was 79.2%.
BHRRC company profile
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Source: BHRRC
(2022)
Company Details
Type:
Private company
Revenue:
2.7 billion GBP
(2014)
Employees:
35,000
(2014)