Lacoste's response to 'Who pays for the crisis' tracker allegations - March 2024
Quantum Clothing Group
- Can you confirm whether the facility linked to the allegation(s) is within your supply chain?
This establishment is no longer part of our supply chain since December 2023.
- We request more information on the allegation(s), including what your company has done to investigate it and ensure remedy for workers.
Our regular social audits have not revealed any bad practices at Quantum; therefore we have not taken any specific action on these points.
Our collaboration has come to an end for business reasons. The end of a commercial activity is a normal business practice. It was carried out gradually, over the course of a year, without any particular problems. The suspensions and terminations you mentioned came after our last audits and in the context of the end of our business with Lacoste. Quantum never solicited us about them.
- How are you ensuring that your purchasing practices (fair prices; lead times; payment terms; order volumes) in relation to this facility meet the standard required to protect workers rights and livelihoods?
We apply a strict ethical charter to all our suppliers, ensuring that our purchasing practices are in line with market best practice. These conditions are the same as those applied to our suppliers based in Europe, where the market is highly regulated in terms of fair purchasing practices (fair prices, delivery times, payment terms, order volumes).
The social audits carried out according to ICS (Initiative for Compliance and Sustainability) include checks on employees’ conditions: these audits, and particularly the last one, carried out on May 16, 2023, showed a result in line with requirements (score: 93% B).
PouYuen Vietnam
- Can you confirm whether the facility linked to the allegation(s) is within your supply chain?
This establishment is no longer part of our supply chain since September 2022. This footwear supplier was indirectly part of our supply chain, being managed by Pentland Asia, with whom we collaborate.
- We request more information on the allegation(s), including what your company has done to investigate it and ensure remedy for workers.
Our regular social audits have not revealed any bad practices at PouYuen's.
- How are you ensuring that your purchasing practices (fair prices; lead times; payment terms; order volumes) in relation to this facility meet the standard required to protect workers rights and livelihoods?
We apply a strict code of ethics to all our suppliers. PouYuen was managed directly by our partner Pentland Asia, which has its own code of conduct, similar to ours in terms of requirements.
The social audits carried out according to ICS (Initiative for Compliance and Sustainability) include checks on employees' conditions: these audits, and particularly the last one, carried out on December 4, 2019, presented a result in line with requirements (score: 98% B).