Warehouse

Is Warehouse an ethical and sustainable fashion brand?

Warehouse, a Boohoo Group PLC-owned online fast fashion business, receives a low Ethical Rating from The Good Shopping Guide. Unfortunately, this brand has not yet reached our minimal standard and receives a Good Shopping Guide Ethical Score in our ranking table of Ethical Fashion Retailers. This brand has to make a number of improvements before it will be eligible for our Ethical Accreditation.

In what areas does Warehouse perform poorly? 

Because it is a fast fashion business and engages in several ethical offences, Warehouse received a bad grade across our Environment, Animals, and People categories.

Although a number of brands under the Boohoo Group- such as Burton, Warehouse, and Dorothy Perkins– claim that only organic cotton is used in the manufacture of their items, there is no independent certification or verification to back up this assertion. Cotton is a crop that generally uses high quantities of pesticides, thus it is certified to ensure that it wasn’t grown in a way that would have affected local farmers, ecosystems, wildlife, or communities. As a result, Warehouse received a very poor rating for our Organic criteria.

Boohoo, Warehouse’s parent business has also come under fire from PETA for using wool in several of its goods. Boohoo told the media that it would discontinue carrying wool products in its online shops in reaction to these accusations. However, the company then went back on its promise following pressure from sheep farmers. Vegans may want to avoid Warehouse items because they occasionally still contain wool in some of its products.

From there, Warehouse’ record with regard to violating animal welfare standards doesn’t get any better; parent firm Boohoo came under fire for passing off real fur, possibly from a rabbit, as artificial fur. This is deceptive. Fur for fashion’s sake involves killing animals just to make a profit. Until this company adopts higher standards and starts pursuing our Ethical Accreditation, consumers who are vegetarians, vegans, or who care about animal welfare may want to avoid the brand. We did not give Warehouse a high ranking for its Animal Welfare Policy as a result of these incidents.

Things don’t get much better for Warehouse’s Human Rights history.

According to a 2020 research by Labour Behind the Label, only £3.50 per hour was paid to (UK) garment workers who worked solely for the Boohoo Group, This was much less than the £8.72 minimum wage in the UK (at the time). The business was also accused of operating factories in Leicester while the UK was in lockdown, exposing workers to Covid-19, threatening the health of workers who were vulnerable to the virus and spreading the virus, contrary to NHS recommendation.

The COVID Fashion Report, a revision of Baptist World Aid Australia’s Ethical Fashion Report, was released in 2020 and discusses yet another infringement of human rights. The study’s methodology is based on the six COVID Fashion Commitments, which require businesses to demonstrate the steps they are taking to assist and protect their most vulnerable supply chain participants. In terms of the COVID Fashion Commitments, Warehouse did not show any evidence of compliance.

According to research by the Environmental Audit Committee, Boohoo Group’s subsidiaries are among the UK’s least environmentally friendly clothing brands (EAC). In a letter it sent in November 2018, the EAC demanded documentation of the actions 16 British retailers are doing to reduce the environmental impact of the goods they sell. Additionally, the audit revealed that none of Boohoo’s brands had ratified the Action, Collaboration, and Transformation labour rights agreement, which aims to guarantee that all garment workers receive wages sufficient to support themselves.

In what areas does Warehouse perform well for its ethics and sustainability? 

Though the aims of the Warehouse Annual Report 2020 are ambiguous, Warehouse’s 2021 Sustainability Plan does improve somewhat by including a few objectives; these goals focus on packaging reduction and reducing operational carbon emissions by an average of 4.2% every year. However, with the Net Zero 2050 deadline, Warehouse will have to stick closely to that reduction percentage if they are to meet this global target.

Warehouse also has a complete Code of Conduct; with such paperwork, both investors and customers can hold businesses accountable and determine which companies are making plans for a sustainable future. Here is the Warehouse Code of Conduct.

How can the Warehouse brand improve its Ethical Rating? 

The Good Shopping Guide awards a score for Warehouse based on 15 ethical criteria. However, before receiving our Ethical Accreditation, Warehouse must resolve a number of issues, including its low standards for animal welfare and the treatment of workers in its supply chain.

If your fashion brand values ethics and sustainability, why not check out The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation? Increase customer and investor confidence and stand out from the greenwash.