Social Responsibility
CALIFORNIA Transparency in Supply Chains Act
At J.Crew, we believe that we have a responsibility to source our products in a legal, ethical and responsible manner consistent with the highest standards. The Responsible Sourcing program at J.Crew is in place to clearly communicate our expectations to our suppliers and to monitor and improve working conditions at the facilities that manufacture products for J.Crew, Madewell and crewcuts.
We are proud of our efforts to monitor and improve working conditions around the world. We are pleased to provide more information about these efforts so that you, our customer, can be confident in your decision to purchase J.Crew, Madewell and crewcuts products.
As a company affected by the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 (SB657), we are providing the following information about our program and our efforts to source our products responsibly. The purpose of the law is to provide customers with the information they need to make responsible and informed purchasing decisions. Specifically, the information we have provided explains how we are working to evaluate and address any risks of human trafficking and slavery in our supply chain.
Our efforts to align with both the letter and |
Engage in verification of the product
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The primary focus of our Responsible Sourcing program is our direct suppliers—those vendors and factories that manufacture J.Crew, Madewell and crewcuts products on our behalf. We assess factory risk and determine our inspection strategy based on location, previous inspection reports and volume of production placed. We conduct regular inspections at the suppliers who manufacture J.Crew, Madewell and crewcuts products to monitor compliance with our Code of Vendor Conduct and related laws and regulations. All new factories are subject to inspection before any purchase orders are placed. Existing factories are typically inspected every 12 to 24 months unless follow-up is required, in which case we will inspect more frequently.
Similar to other retailers, our supply chain is complex and we have less visibility of the indirect suppliers who provide fabric, trim and other components to our direct suppliers, and even less visibility of the origin of the raw materials of these components. Nevertheless, we recognize that we have a responsibility to identify risks and to work to improve working conditions throughout our supply chain. As a result, we regularly communicate with the mill and trim suppliers with which we do business.
Conduct audits of suppliers to evaluate
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A typical inspection consists of document reviews, private worker interviews and a walk-through of the facility. When appropriate, we will also conduct surveillance and off-site interviews.
When issues of noncompliance are identified, it is our practice to work with suppliers until they become compliant with our Code of Vendor Conduct. We aim to provide suppliers with the tools they need to improve working conditions, including training and in-factory consultations, and we conduct reinspections when necessary to verify improvement.
We terminate a business relationship only as a last resort, if a critical issue of noncompliance is identified or when suppliers are unwilling to comply with our requirements despite our efforts to help them become compliant.
Require direct suppliers to certify
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use of forced labor of any kind, including slavery and
human trafficking.
Our vendors are contractually required to comply with our Responsible Sourcing Supplier Guidelines, which include our Code of Vendor Conduct, program policies and procedures and the requirement that our vendors do a reasonable inquiry to ensure that their own suppliers operate legally. We have communicated similar responsible sourcing expectations to the key mills that supply fabric for our products.
Maintain internal accountability
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We seek to work with suppliers who share our commitment to responsible business practices. Vendors are contractually required to comply with our Responsible Sourcing Supplier Guidelines, which include our Code of Vendor Conduct. Any failure to comply with our Responsible Sourcing guidelines could lead to corrective action, up to and including termination of the business relationship. Our Code of Vendor Conduct is available here.
Provide company employees and
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In addition to internal trainings, we regularly conduct Responsible Sourcing training seminars for suppliers. These seminars focus on our Code of Vendor Conduct program requirements and other relevant topics, including working hours and overtime, health and safety and management systems.
For more information on our efforts, please visit our Responsible Sourcing page.