OUR MISSION

Operations

When it comes to improving our local operations and minimising their impact, we follow the mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle - it’s pretty simple really.


Operations

At Our Head Office
Did you know our Head Office is a green space? Our solar powered building uses LED lighting to reduce heat and power usage. We also only use environmentally friendly cleaning products. We’ve eliminated 100% of single use plastics in our office, and to further ensure a limited rubbish output we use colour coded recycling bins for paper, recycling, organics and rubbish - recycling is second nature for us. We even have a worm farm for organic waste! We’re also trying to use less paper, by utilising digital technology instead of the printer.

We’re committed to minimising our environmental impact and moving towards becoming a carbon neutral business by 2023. We believe every little step counts, and we follow the mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle across our business. This ethos applies to our Distribution Centre and Head Office, as well as our logistics chain.

 

Our Distribution Centre
We try to recycle everything we can, making this process simple by using colour coded recycling bins (paper, recycling, organics and rubbish) for all smaller day-to-day stuff. For the big things, we have large reclaim/recycling cages for all non-reusable cardboard, and separate cages for soft plastics like pallet wrap and garment bags. Our Distribution Centre is also 100% paperless when it comes to picking stock and receipting.

 

Operational Packaging
We’re in the process of designing reusable cartons from recycled post-consumer waste. We have also introduced new reusable cartons with many of our overseas suppliers, meaning they can be used again for store replenishment, rather than being single use. This eliminates the need to purchase new cartons every year, and cuts down on our cardboard waste at our Distribution Centre. Our aim is to use reusable cartons for 90% of what we send out by 2019. We are also shifting towards our courier bags being made from 100% biodegradable packaging. 


In Our Stores
All our stores are 100% LED lighting to reduce heat and power usage. As we have removed as much packaging as possible coming from our suppliers, We’re proud to say we now use responsibly sourced paper for all our carrier bags that are FSC, that are fully compostable. All our stores use EcoStore cleaning products and we also have several other initiatives that minimise waste in our stores and for our customers, and are exploring more ideas all the time.           

   

Freight
In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, we consolidate stock from different suppliers and manufacturers before it’s shipped to New Zealand. And when we say shipped, we mean it; we avoid air-freighting stock as much as possible. We also consolidate stock at our Distribution Centre, sending stores both new stock and replenishment in one (well filled) box.


Stock Allocation
We’ve put a lot of work into the depth, spread and placement of our stock in stores - we need to have the right stuff in the right place. If it’s not, that stock either isn’t sold, or is moved to other stores - both of which we don’t want! Instead of shifting stock from store to store, we keep as much as possible at our Distribution Centre, and send consolidated assortments to stores only when they need it. By improving our stock allocation, we help reduce our carbon footprint. We are currently developing an AI stock management system with our IT partner to add further efficiencies to stock management in the future.

 

Dead Stock
We know that faulty or damaged stock is a reality in retail (ours is less than 1% of our total product - which is pretty good) but we never dump any garments. Everything we make is sold; if it can’t be sold, rather than destroy it like other businesses do, we donate it to local charities such as the Salvation Army - surplus fabric is donated to craft users. We also encourage our customers to invest in the life-cycle of the garments they buy from us, prioritising mending and charity donations.

 

Garment Care
Caring for your clothing correct can prolong its lifetime and greatly reduce the amount of product you purchase, which means less stress on the environment. We believe that with proper care our garments should last you many seasons. We have put together guides to help you look after your garments, from the washing process through to mending those small tears and lost buttons.


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