Organisation
This statement sets out BrandAlley's actions to understand all potential modern slavery risks related to its business and to put in place steps that are aimed at ensuring that there is no slavery or human trafficking in its own business and its supply chains. This statement relates to actions and activities during the financial year 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.
Organisational structure
BrandAlley is an online members-only flash sales retailer for the fashion and homeware industry. We partner with over 500 luxury and premium brands across all categories acting as an “outlet” partner. The Group operates by securing stock directly from many of the leading brands in the markets, selling to our customer via our website at a discount to RRP (typically 40% - 80%).
The BrandAlley Group is based in the UK, specifically London and the East Midlands and has a smaller business in France. BrandAlley UK was founded in 2008 with the French business being acquired in December 2019. The UK business went through a management buyout in January 2013 and the current management structure has been in place since July 2020. In 2023, BrandAlley acquired parts of a UK business, namely the warehouse and customer experience teams, and has imbedded them into the group, ensuring they are aligned to all existing policies and processes.
Definitions
BrandAlley considers that modern slavery encompasses:
- human trafficking
- forced work, through mental or physical threat
- being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse of the threat of abuse
- being dehumanised, treated as a commodity or being bought or sold as property
- being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.
Commitment
BrandAlley acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. We understand that this requires an ongoing review of both its internal practices in relation to its labour force and, additionally, its supply chains.
BrandAlley does not enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.
No labour provided to BrandAlley in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. The Organisation strictly adheres to the minimum standards required in relation to its responsibilities under relevant employment legislation in the UK and France and in many cases exceeds those minimums in relation to its employees.
Supply chain
BrandAlley does not own companies or factories that produce goods, it acts as a partner to other retail brands to sell their produce at a discount. We also source some products from 6 product suppliers based overseas in China, India and Portugal, all of which work with other large retailers. Our buying team oversee the process by which we select the right suppliers to work with in terms of what they provide and how they will provide it. We believe that it is important to engage with product suppliers who are reputable and considered to be ethical suppliers globally.
Our organisation is committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery and human trafficking in its corporate activities, and to ensuring that its supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking.
Potential exposure
The Organisation considers its main exposure to the risk of slavery and human trafficking to exist in its clothing supply chains and distribution centre.
In general, the Organisation considers its exposure to slavery/human trafficking to be relatively limited. Nonetheless, it has taken steps to ensure that such practices do not take place in its business nor the business of any organisation that supplies goods and/or services to it.
Steps
As part of our initiative to identify and mitigate risk within our product supply chain, we undertake the following activities:
- Ensure that our employees are aware of our whistleblowing procedure/policy so that risks such as modern slavery in our business dealings can be reported in confidence for subsequent investigation. We want to make sure that there are no barriers in reporting.
- Ensure all staff have completed training on modern slavery.
- Adhere to strict recruitment guidelines to ensure accurate Right to Work documents, personal bank details etc
- Require all new suppliers to provide their policy and statements on modern slavery so we evaluate potential suppliers before they enter the supply chain; and
- Review existing supply chains and where applicable evaluated existing suppliers.
BrandAlley remains committed to tackling the problem of modern slavery, human trafficking and servitude in our global society, and we will continue to take steps to mitigate the risk and prevent the occurrence of the same in any part of our business.Policies
BrandAlley has the following policies which further define its stance on modern slavery which can be accessed by all employees:
- Whistleblowing Policy
- Code of conduct (both for Employees and Suppliers)
- Equal Opportunities Policy
This statement is made in pursuance of Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and will be reviewed for each financial year.
Rob Feldmann – Chief Executive Officer