Clothing retailers often have similar views of CSR. Most of them strive to give customer satisfaction as well promote images of success for whatever demographic they sell too.
What makes a company stand out though is the amount of charity they give from their profits. Charity is a very important part of the Corporate Social Responsibility. Giving to specific charities inspires people to buy the clothes and also help a good cause.
A company with a popular campaign is Gap inc. Gap is a clothing store that sells bold and basic clothing to men, women and children. In 2006, Gap paired up with Project Red which helps fight the global aids epidemic. Gap sold Project Red clothing in stores and donated 50% of all those products to Project Red. Gap’s mission statement says that “We’re dedicated to improving the world around us and lessening our impact on the planet. Doing what’s right comes naturally to the people who work at Gap, and our employees are the heart of our company’s commitment to social and environmental good” (gap.com). Gap employees are courteous and naturally friendly and helpful. Gap promotes multiple campaigns and expects its employers to be knowledgeable with global issues--especially on sustainability.
Another infamous brand, H&M promotes their ban on child labor and dedication to providing high quality and creatively designed products. H&M works with several charities such as UNICEF and WaterAid. UNICEF helps improve the conditions of children’s lives across the globe as well as stop child labor. WaterAid works to improve the sanitation and availability of water around the world. H&M says on their website, “At H&M, quality is about more than making sure that our products meet or exceed our customers' expectations. It also means that they have to be manufactured under good conditions and that our customers must be satisfied with us as a company.” H&M’s workers must deliver good products but also ensure that they are made without child labor. H&M believes that by manufacturing clothes in good conditions (i.e without child labor) the customer will feel more satisfied.
By giving money to charities, large companies such as Gap and H&M can help spread awareness to their customers about these issues and also lend a hand to help the organizations directly.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4650024.stm
www.gap.com
www.h&m.com
This topic is very interesting. Did not know that brands like H&M were so active in making responsible products. Things like these make their brands more popular among some customers, giving them monetary gain and at the same time helping their community.
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