Corporate Responsibility
Marketplace
Marketplace issues are all about how we manage the environmental and social impacts of the products we sell and how we interact with our customers and our suppliers. We have a responsibility to make sure that customers receive the level of service and the quality of product that they have come to expect from WHSmith. We also have a duty to ensure that the people making our products work in decent conditions and are treated fairly, and the impact of our products on the environment is minimised.
Ethical Trading
We have been assessing labour standards in our own-brand Asian suppliers for several years to monitor compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct. This year, we appointed a specialist WHSmith audit team within our Far East sourcing office. This is enabling us to build closer relationships with our suppliers, giving us greater visibility of the risks and increasing our capacity to influence improvement. This year, the audit team completed 126 supplier factory audits, most of which were in China. This is up from 64 last year. After each audit, we agree necessary improvements with the factory management and a timescale for implementing these changes.Forest sourcing
WHSmith offers a wide range of wood and paper products that come from forests located all over the world. It is our ultimate objective that all virgin (i.e. non-recycled) material used in our products be from known, legal, well-managed and credibly certified forests.Engaging suppliers and buyers
As our main interface with suppliers, it is important that our buyers have a good understanding of ethical trading and forest sourcing issues and what we expect of our suppliers. We have followed up on last year’s training programme by incorporating ethical trading and forest sourcing within buyers’ personal objectives.
Product stewardship & responsible marketing
Product Stewardship
As part of the implementation of our forest sourcing policy, and in response to increasing consumer interest in environmental issues, last year we set a target to pilot at least three new lines of recycled or FSC-certified stationery. Our buying teams responded with trials of new recycled lines, including new correspondence stationery, copier paper and the “I used to be…” fashion stationery range. We will continue to develop our range of recycled and FSC-certified products. Marketing Code of Conduct
We take our responsibility for the products we sell seriously. We are committed to listening to our customers and acting responsibly in their interests. Customers often have strongly differing views about the products we sell, so we aim to strike the right balance to meet the needs of all our customers. We aim to offer our customers choice, whilst also respecting customer views and protecting the interests of vulnerable groups, particularly children.
We already operate according to internal guidelines regarding the responsible retailing and marketing of our products. This year, we agreed a formal Marketing Code of Practice, which has been signed off by the Board. The Code sets out the standards we will follow in all aspects of promotional activity, marketing and advertising. During the year ahead, we will ensure that buying and marketing teams understand the Code and what it means for them.
Customer Service
Customer Service continues to be one of our core business values which underpins everything that we do.
A major High Street store focus this year has been on transactions specifically the successful implementation of our Two in a Queue policy, and prompt and efficient service both at the till and during the refund/exchange process.
We have rolled out new queuing systems to all airside airport stores this year and we received our best ever, independent mystery shopper results; 86% vs. 82% last year.