With its target of a transparent and traceable supply chain by 2025, Woolworths Holdings has become the first major South African retailer to publish a list of suppliers that manufacture its Fashion, Beauty & Home products. It is published on the Woolworths and Woolworths Holdings websites, with the latter also providing supplier lists of The Country Road Group and David Jones.

“This is a significant step in our progress towards our Good Business Journey Vision 2025+ goals, and represents our commitment to a fully transparent, traceable and ethical supply chain across our operations.

“All of our product suppliers are subjected to social and ethical audits aimed at setting global best practice benchmarks when it comes to caring for people and the planet.” Woolworths Holdings Group Head of Sourcing Lawrence Pillay said yesterday in a statement.

The list aimed to empower Woolies’ customers to make informed and better choices, he said.

In addition, to the supply chain goals, other primary Woolworths Vision 2025+ goals include that all private label fashion and home products be designed to be reused, repaired, re-purposed or recycled by 2025.

Woolworths is also working to ensure that energy usage came from renewable sources by 2030, and to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

iol