From field to finished product – Kappahl’s customers will soon know more about how their garments are produced
In the near future, Kappahl’s customers will easily be able to view information about where and how their clothes are made, at every stage of production. As part of its commitment to embed sustainability into all aspects of its business, Kappahl is entering into a partnership with the Indian-Swedish company TrusTrace through a strategic investment to enable it to trace and measure the entire supply chain. The tool will allow customers to make more informed and sustainable decisions and more easily see what they are getting for their money.
– It is important for Kappahl to be a transparent company and we want to make it easy for our customers to make environmentally-aware and sustainable choices. Customers must be given as much detailed information as possible to allow them to quickly understand what they are purchasing, says Kappahl’s CEO Elisabeth Peregi.
The TrusTrace digital platform equips Kappahl with tools for efficiently managing sustainability data for the 40 million or so garments it sells annually. TrusTrace makes it possible to show where and how the garments are produced, thanks to stored sustainability data on fibre production, yarns, where the fabric was woven, printed, dyed and, ultimately, sewn into garments. The results can then be compiled to provide a complete picture of the garment’s values and the tool enables the information to be communicated to customers in an easy and accessible way.
– Knowing where and how the garment was produced adds to the value of the clothes too. A lot of work goes into producing an item of clothing. The 
manufacturing process is long and the product passes through multiple hands. Which perhaps not everyone realises, says Sandra Roos, Vice President Sustainability at Kappahl.
Tracking and measurement of garment data, everything from where the cotton has been grown to where the garment is sewn, will be progressively introduced. The goal is to make information about all stages of the production process for all Kappahl garments accessible to customers by 2025. It is already possible today for customers to see at which factory a Minories garment has been made. The plan for next autumn is that all jeans will have information on the website about the entire supply chain and that in-store staff will be able to help customers find information about the garment in Kappahl’s online shop.
– The compiled data will enable customers to quickly and easily make informed decisions about their purchases. It is important to us that customers feel confident about the garment they buy and know that it has been manufactured under safe and fair conditions. We take our sustainability commitments very seriously and strive to be responsible at every step to protect the environment and human rights, says Sandra Roos in closing.
For more information, please contact
Sandra Roos
Vice President Sustainability Kappahl AB
Sandra.roos@kappahl.com
About TrusTrace
TrusTrace was founded in 2016 and offers a large-scale, market-leading platform for supply chain transparency and product traceability within the fashion and retail industries. The platform has rapidly become the foundation for some of the most ambitious sustainability programmes in the world. The platform is built on AI, Blockchain, BOTS and IoT technology in an open architecture that integrates seamlessly with the manufacturer’s, retailer’s and supplier’s systems, as well as those of third party certification agencies and other sustainability solution providers. The company’s head office is in Stockholm and it has offices in India.
www.trustrace.com
About Kappahl
Kappahl exists to celebrate diversity in everyday life. We want to broaden the definition of diversity to include many different ways of living life – empowering people to always stay true to themselves.
Founded in 1953 in Gothenburg, Sweden, the Kappahl Group is a leading fashion chain in the Nordics, with around 360 Kappahl and Newbie stores in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland and the UK, and online in more than 16 markets throughout Europe.
The Kappahl team consists of some 4,000 colleagues in nine countries, all with different backgrounds, ages, skills and styles. Our common motivation is to offer fashion fit for life to a wide variety of people and lifestyles. A Responsible Fashion that that feels right, for the bearer and for the world we live in. Today, more than 75% of the products are labelled as more sustainable. Kappahl’s goal is for 100% to be made of more sustainable materials by 2025 and Kappahl's overall climate goal is to halve the value chain's climate emissions by 2030.
More information at kappahl.com