The company asserted that the moves would support its leadership in the home products sector as regards reporting on progress towards social goals in partnership with independent third-party partners such as Nest and Fair Trade USA. Such partnerships help the company fulfill its pledge of having 75% of all products meet one or more criteria defining Williams-Sonoma social and environmental initiatives by 2030, the company added, a commitment that represents $1 billion in product purchases annually.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has partnered with Fair Trade USA and Nest since 2014 to bring best-in-class standards to WSI’s supply chain, ensuring the highest degree of ethical production both inside and outside of WSI factories, the company stated. WSI became the first home retailer to offer Fair Trade Certified products with the launch of a rug factory in India and today, WSI works with 17 Fair Trade Certified factories in five countries, impacting nearly 16,000 workers, it maintained.
“We invest in programs that positively impact the people that make our products and the communities where we source our products from,” said Laura Alber, Williams Sonoma president and CEO, in announcing the social program investments. ‘Our work with partners like Nest and Fair Trade helps support a resilient, sustainable supply chain that delivers concrete business value.”
