Stockmann made progress in its sustainability targets in 2019 – efforts to increase sustainable offering continue

Stockmann plc, Responsibility news, 26 February 2020

In 2019, Stockmann made determined progress in its sustainability targets, and this year our goal is to communicate about responsibility more visibly to our customers. The newly published CSR Review tells about the work done last year and its highlights.

Stockmann wants to inspire and support customers in making responsible choices and work for a more sustainable future. In 2019, our CSR highlights included for example extending our selection with sustainable offering, introducing charity donations as part of the MyStockmann loyal customer program, and deciding to use renewable electricity in our distribution centre in Tuusula, Finland.

Lindex released its new sustainability promise and 2025 targets, with focus on empowering women, respecting the planet, and ensuring human rights. With this promise, Lindex also launched a new Code of Conduct that integrates gender equality as a basic requirement for textile production and all its business partnerships.

Extending the sustainable selection

In 2019, Stockmann’s selection was extended with new responsible brands and products, as well as our own brand products made with sustainable materials. This year, Stockmann’s goal is to improve the visibility of responsible products in its selection, making it easier for our customers to find and identify responsible products and brands in department stores and online.

Stockmann increased the share of more sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, lyocell and recycled materials in Stockmann’s own brand garments to 46 %. Already 73% of own brand jersey garments were made of more sustainable cotton. Last year, Stockmann joined the Better Cotton Initiative to promote more sustainable cotton production. As a result, Better Cotton will also be seen in own brand products. In 2019, 65% of Lindex garments were made of sustainable choice materials and approximately 98% of cotton was organic, Better Cotton or recycled cotton. Both Lindex and Stockmann introduced more environmentally produced LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose in their selections.

The department stores in Tallinn and Riga collaborated with the Estonian designer Reet Aus, encouraging customers to hand in their used denim garments for upcycling. The designer’s upcycled clothing collection was on sale in Stockmann’s deparment store in Tallinn already in 2018, and last year, the co-operation was extended to Riga.

More responsible materials are also considered in e-commerce, as Stockmann has reduced the use of plastic in e-commerce packaging; seal bags used for cosmetics will be renounced and gradually replaced with seal stickers.

Energy efficiency measures and accurate sorting

Energy efficiency was improved by over 10% in our operations in Finland from 2016 to 2019. A further target is to improve energy efficiency by 7.5% by the end of 2025. In 2019, the Group’s comparable GHG emissions decreased by 12% and were 39 700 tCO2e. Stockmann committed to using certified renewable wind electricity in its distribution centre from the beginning of 2020, which will further decrease emissions.

In the international Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Stockmann’s actions to climate issues continued to be on a good level, with the score B. The recycling rate in department stores continued to be on a high level, 73%. In Finland, the rate was 76%.

Read more about Stockmann’s CSR work in the newly released CSR Review.

For more information:
Johanna Stenbäck, CSR Manager, tel. +358 9 121 3757
Anna Bjarland, Head of Communications, Stockmann, tel. +358 9 121 3194

Stockmann offers a diverse and high-quality selection of fashion, beauty and home products for a wonderful everyday life. We inspire our customers to make sustainable and responsible choices. Stockmann has 8 department stores in Finland and the Baltic countries and the online store stockmann.com. Further information can be found at stockmanngroup.com.