Consumers
The Consumers section focuses on evaluating a company’s approach to responsibly serving consumers. This section asks questions about the extent to which the company is committed to providing consumers with safe, accessible and inclusive products and services and its overall approach to ethical marketing practices and the encouragement of more responsible consumption behaviors.
Important disclaimer:
Please note that there are no applicabilities in the questionnaire, this means that even if a user answers “no” to a question, the follow up questions will still apply to the user and result in a point loss. In particular, if you answered “no/none” to the questions in this section asking if targets have been formally set and approved for a specific impact and/or topic area, the N/A answer option is not available for the related questions asking whether annual milestone targets have been met and whether those have been publicly reported, and you must answer “no”.
About this question
Accessible products and services remove barriers for customers, ensuring that the shopping experience is an equitable experience for everyone, whatever their needs. Regulation exists in many regions to protect access to products and services for persons with disabilities. Areas of focus for brands and retailers can include physical access for wheelchair users into and within a store, as well as bathrooms or changing rooms. Similarly, a poorly designed e-commerce website that cannot be accessed by persons using screen readers, is discriminatory and also poor business practice. There are multiple other ways that companies can increase the accessibility of their products and services. In many situations, improving accessibility for one group of customers improves the shopping experience for everyone.
This question asks whether your company is taking proactive, systematic steps to improve accessibility by implementing formal mechanisms for measuring and monitoring its progress. This could take the form of using recognized measurement tools (e.g., website accessibility guidelines), benchmarking (consumer or NGO based assessment criteria), consumer feedback, audits and feedback from critical friends such as disability NGOs.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company had one or more mechanisms in place during the reporting period to measure the accessibility of its products and/or services (e.g., marketing, physical premises, digital platforms)
- Answer no if you cannot provide evidence of any efforts to monitor progress on accessible products and services
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MQ
About this question
Inclusive products and services refers to an intentional strategy to recognize and serve the needs of diverse customer groups. For example, by increasing size ranges, recognizing different gender identities, offering products designed to match skin tones in a wide range of shades, providing ‘quiet shopping’ opportunities, and making graphic design considerations for neurodiverse customers.
This question asks for a proactive, strategic and systematic approach to measuring and monitoring progress in this area. This could take the form of consumer feedback, engagement with an NGO, participation in an independent benchmarking process, audits, and feedback from critical friends/stakeholder groups.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company had one or more mechanisms in place during the reporting period to measure the inclusivity of its products, services and/or marketing
- Answer no if you cannot provide evidence of any efforts to monitor progress on inclusive products and services
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.Mg
About this question
Responsible marketing refers to a company’s efforts to ensure that its communications to customers are fair, accurate, truthful, respectful, inclusive and transparent. Responsibility includes compliance with relevant advertising regulations and avoidance of greenwashing, as well as ensuring content that is inclusive, socially and culturally respectful, avoids promoting harmful behaviors and over consumption.
In order to manage the content and impact of marketing, companies need to have an effective monitoring and measuring system in place. This is likely to have a number of elements but could include systematically tracking stakeholder feedback, measuring marketing content against internal guidelines and regulatory requirements, tracking evidence available to back up product claims.
This question asks whether such a system is in place in your company.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has systems in place to monitor and measure its marketing material against responsibility indicators
- Answer no if your company does not measure and monitor marketing content against responsibility indicators
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.Mw
About this question
Consumers should be able to trust that the products they buy are safe and suitable for their purpose. Very occasionally a product may suffer a fault that could cause injury or accident. This may be because of a chemical used in its composition, or a fault with construction, or another reason. Safety risk refers to all risks including chemical and physical risks. Customer safety is a priority and it is critical that companies can demonstrate a reliable safety risk monitoring process.
This question asks about your company’s product safety risk assessment processes.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has a product safety assessment system in place
- Answer no if your company cannot provide documented evidence of product safety assessment
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.NA
About this question
This question asks for a structured and strategic approach to the social aspects of design. It explores social elements in product design and development including equity (e.g., sizing, tailoring and pricing for inclusion), accessibility (e.g., adaptations for disability), health (e.g., ergonomic design or reduced chemicals), community (e.g., supporting local business, minority-led businesses and groups). Companies can select the area in which their strategy is focused. We are looking for evidence of targets to increase the availability of inclusive, accessible products.
To drive effective progress, targets should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. Targets should be approved by the company’s senior management, and relevant employees should be accountable for the monitoring and achievement of KPIs.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has formal targets in place related to providing customers with more inclusive or accessible product across its ranges
- Answer no if your company has not set any formal targets related to inclusive and accessible products
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.NQ
About this question
Removing barriers for customers, making the shopping experience meaningful and usable for as many people as possible, and achieving an equitable experience for all is a critical part of a company’s social strategy.
This question asks for a structured and strategic approach, and especially the existence of targets, to improving accessibility and inclusion of the shopping experience throughout the customer journey. For example, systematically addressing access issues across brick and mortar stores, and/or ensuring websites and mobile platforms meet international accessibility guidelines. Companies can select the area in which their strategy is focused.
To drive effective progress, targets should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. Targets should be approved by the company’s senior management, and relevant employees should be accountable for the monitoring and achievement of KPIs.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has formal targets in place to increase accessibility and inclusivity for customers across the customer journey
- Answer no if your company does not have any formal targets related to inclusive and accessible shopping experiences
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.Ng
About this question
There are numerous approaches to developing social improvement programs for both accessible and inclusive products. Inclusive products and services refers to an intentional strategy to recognize and serve the needs of diverse customer groups.
There are many opportunities to make your company’s products relevant and available to a wider range of people and communities. Examples include increasing the range of sizes for all genders available at the same price point, having a process to check that language and imagery is respectful and inclusive of diverse cultures, offering face and body cosmetics for all skin tones, hair products for all hair types and so on.
This question seeks evidence that there is a strategic plan in place to achieve progress in inclusive and accessible products, systematically over time.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has a documented strategic plan in place for increasing accessible and inclusive products
- Answer no if your company does not have a documented strategic plan for increasing accessible and inclusive products
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.Nw
About this question
It is important for companies to develop an improvement program aimed at increasing the accessibility of the shopping experience for consumers.
This question seeks evidence that your company has a strategic plan in place to achieve progress in providing inclusive and accessible shopping experiences, systematically over time.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has a documented strategic plan in place for increasing accessibility and inclusivity of consumer shopping experiences over time
- Answer no if your company does not have a documented strategic plan for increasing accessible and inclusive shopping experiences for consumers
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.OA
About this question
Building the capacity of your company towards progress is enhanced by providing front-line employees and marketing staff with training and guidance on key topics.
Customer service, sales and marketing employees are the public face of your company, and it is important that they are trained and empowered to provide a high standard of service that welcomes and serves the needs of all customers. A pro-active, positive, motivated, and competent workforce is a way to ensure your company’s accessibility and inclusion goals are delivered.
This question seeks evidence of a proactive approach to increasing knowledge and awareness in the areas of accessible and inclusive products and services and responsible marketing.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company trained front-line employees and/or marketing employees on key topics relating to responsible, inclusive and accessible products and services
- Answer no if your company did not train front-line and/or marketing employees on responsible, inclusive and accessibility topics during the reporting period
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.OQ
About this question
Best-practice encourages a company to regularly provide designers and buying teams with training and guidance on responsible, inclusive, respectful and non-discriminatory products and services.
Designers and buyers are at the starting point of your company’s product strategies, and it is critical that they are trained in your company’s approach to responsible, accessible and inclusive products and empowered to bring the strategy to life. A proactive, positive, motivated, and competent workforce is a way to ensure your company’s accessibility and inclusion goals are delivered.
This question seeks evidence of a proactive approach to increasing knowledge and awareness, and building the capacity of your company to make progress.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company trained buyers and/or designers on key topics relating to responsible, inclusive and accessible products and services
- Answer no if your company did not train buyers and/or designers on responsible, inclusive and accessibility topics during the reporting period.training/ designers and buying
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTA
About this question
Compliance towards on-product environmental and/or social claims is an important responsibility within companies’ external communication strategies. There is increasing pressure from regulators to ensure that companies’ green claims do not mislead consumers into thinking that they are doing more to protect the environment / people than they really are. Companies are required to be able to provide robust evidence of any claims made.
This question asks whether your company has a system in place to ensure that it stays abreast of changing legislation and avoids greenwashing.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has implemented a process to ensure that it remains legally compliant and responsible in relation to any green claims made to consumers
- Answer no if your company has not implemented an internal process aligned with green claims guidance in the regions it serves
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTE
About this question
The products customers choose, how they use them, and what they do with them when they are no longer needed, all have a fundamental impact on the environmental footprint of the apparel industry.
As customers start to respond to the climate emergency, they are paying more attention to the environmental impacts of products, demanding more transparency, and making lifestyle changes. There is a growing business case for companies to provide consumers with low carbon products and services, to facilitate the circular economy to reduce waste and increase the durability and lifespan of products, to provide climate information, and guidance to consumers. However, alongside the need to take a lower impact approach to how products are made and sold, there is an overwhelming need for companies to address the issue of over production and consumption.
This question asks whether your company has taken steps to raise awareness and encourage responsible consumption among its consumers. This could include marketing approaches, eco-labelling, lower impact products, promoting longevity, encouraging emotional durability of garments, providing access to end-of-life routes for re-use.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has implemented campaigns and initiatives to encourage consumers to make more responsible and ethical choices
- Answer partial yes if you can provide evidence that your company is beginning to identify its approach to support conscious consumption, and has taken some steps towards implementing it
- Answer no if you cannot provide evidence of campaigns or initiatives aimed at encouraging consumers to make more responsible choices
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTI
About this question
The products customers choose, how they use them, and what they do with them when they are no longer needed, all have a fundamental impact on the environmental footprint of the apparel industry.
As customers start to respond to the climate emergency, they are paying more attention to the environmental impacts of products, demanding more transparency, and making lifestyle changes. There is a growing business case for companies to provide consumers with low carbon products and services, to facilitate the circular economy to reduce waste and increase the durability and lifespan of products, to provide climate information, and guidance to consumers.
This question asks whether your company is using its influence to promote responsible use of products. It asks whether your company has implemented any initiatives to promote clothing care practices that increase the longevity of the garment, or which have a lower environmental impact. This could include customer education initiatives, promotion of repair services, initiatives to encourage the re-use of clothing items, a shift away from dry-clean only, encouragement to wash at lower temperatures.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has implemented one or more consumer-facing programs to promote responsible, or lower impact clothing-care practices
- Answer no if your company has not implemented consumer-facing responsible clothing-care practices
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTM
About this question
Accessible products and services remove barriers for customers, ensuring that the shopping experience is an equitable experience for everyone, whatever their needs.
This question asks for examples of external validation of your company’s progress towards more accessible and inclusive products and services (certification, standard achievement, public award).
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has achieved a standard, verification, certification, award or formal benchmark in one or more areas of accessibility or inclusion
- Answer no if you cannot provide any evidence of progress of this kind
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTQ
About this question
This question asks whether your company met the targets or milestones it has set for its strategy on accessible and inclusive products and services during the most recent reporting period. This is an opportunity to evidence accessible and inclusive product development.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that 100% of your company annual milestone targets have been fully met
- Answer partial yes if you can provide evidence that at least 50% of your company annual milestone targets have been fully met
- Answer no if less than 50% of your company annual milestone targets have been fully met
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTU
About this question
Companies who make, import, distribute or sell consumer products are responsible for making sure they are safe for consumers to use and following the legal requirements of the region in which they are sold, in relation to issues such as safety testing, record keeping, labeling and recalling faulty or unsafe products.
This question is about safety compliance. It asks for a robust internal process to ensure customers are protected if a safety breach is reported.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has a documented process in place to respond to reports of a breach of product safety regulations
- Answer no if you cannot provide evidence of a documented process to respond to a reported breach of product safety regulations
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTY
About this question
Companies who make, import, distribute or sell consumer products are responsible for making sure they are safe for consumers to use and following the legal requirements of the region in which they are sold, in relation to issues such as safety testing, record keeping, labeling and recalling faulty or unsafe products.
A product recall is a process to remove potentially harmful products from the market. It is a request to return an entire production run of a product to the maker. This is usually over safety concerns, design defects or labeling errors. Companies typically recall products when defects seem to have safety concerns for customers and affect a large number of customers.
This question asks whether your company has a documented process in place to effectively recall products. We are looking for the process only – whether or not the process was required during the reporting period, is not relevant to the answer.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company had a documented process in place to recall unsafe or faulty products
- Answer no if you cannot provide evidence of a documented process to recall unsafe or faulty products
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTc
About this question
Progressive companies state and publicly explain their approach towards accessibility, inclusion and responsible marketing. This question is an opportunity to demonstrate leadership through transparency of reporting.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company has reported publicly on its targets and progress in improving customer accessibility, inclusion and responsible marketing
- Answer partial yes if you can provide evidence that your company has reported publicly on at least one of the three areas above
- Answer no if there has been no public communication of your targets and progress in improving customer accessibility, inclusion and responsible marketing, or if there is no targets and/or progress to report in this regard
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTg
About this question
This question is an opportunity to demonstrate that your company works collaboratively with stakeholders on strategies to address consumer facing risks and opportunities. Participating in initiatives with other businesses, civil society or governmental groups is an effective way to drive progress in complex issues. Examples could include working with a cross-sector group, NGO’s, a group of businesses, a membership organization.
- Answer yes if you can provide evidence that your company engaged with stakeholders as part of the development and implementation of its consumer strategies or programs
- Answer no if your company did not engage with stakeholders in relation to its consumer strategies or programs, or if you cannot provide evidence of stakeholder engagement
Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer
Reference ID: scn.MTk