Adidas, Reebok and H&M are among the top brands with the most transparent supply chains, according to a new report.
The Fashion Transparency Index assessed 200 of the world's largest brands with an annual turnover of more than 500 million US dollars. The qualities of the company were taken into account, such as its willingness to provide information on internal policies, commitments, management structure and supply chains. Issues such as gender equality, decent working conditions, environmental impact, and responsible production and consumption were also touched upon.
The points scored (there could have been 250 in total) were then converted into percentages. As a result of the company Adidas, Reebok, Patagonia, Esprit и H&M scored the largest number - in the range of 61-70%. Well-known brands that fell into the 51-60% range included Asos, Marks & Spencer and Gap. The top-rated luxury brands in the report were Gucci and Bottega Veneta (both owned by the Kering SA group), reaching the 31-40% range.
The top five brands that managed to significantly improve their positions compared to last year are Dior (improved by 22%), Sainsbury's and Nike (21%), New Balance (18%) and Marc Jacobs (17%).
At the bottom of the spectrum, 72 out of 200 brands were in the 0-10% range - the most "densely populated" range to date. The report also identified five brands that scored 0% this year - Elie Tahari, Jessica Simpson, Mexx, Tom Ford and Chinese menswear brand Youngor. For comparison, in 2019 there were 9 brands with a zero rating.
Representatives of The Fashion Transparency Index are sure that it is the appearance of such ratings that contributes to the fact that brands strive to become more transparent in order to get the highest possible position. However, the average score among the largest fashion brands and retailers is only 21%. Big brands are extremely reluctant to reveal their secrets.
The Fashion Transparency Index has been in existence since 2017. Then 100 brands were included in it, then another 50 were added in 2018 and 2019. The compilers hope to add 50 more in 2020. The average score of brands included in all three annual reports increased by 8.9%, with 2019 being the first year when all brands in this hundred scored more than 60%.