We’re proud to announce new investments in purchases of Nest Ethical Handcraft product and a commitment to double investments in Fair Trade USA® programs by 2025. As the first retailer to set such an ambitious goal, we continue to lead the home furnishings industry on sustainability goals and reporting on progress by partnering with independent third-party partners like Nest and Fair Trade USA. These key partnerships will help facilitate our pledge of having 75% of all products meet one or more social and environmental initiatives by 2030 – a commitment that represents $1B in product purchases annually.
“We invest in programs that positively impact the people that make our products and the communities where we source our products from. Our work with partners like Nest and Fair Trade help support a resilient, sustainable supply chain that delivers concrete business value.”
Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
With the addition of a new commitment to double Fair Trade Premiums by 2025, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will have paid nearly $20M in Fair Trade Premiums since the partnership began in 2014. For every Fair Trade Certified product sold, WSI pays a Premium that goes directly back to workers who collectively decide how to spend the funds to improve the lives of themselves and their communities. Workers have invested premium funds in solar panels in homes to create light for their children to study by, provided bulk purchase food staples and PPE to support workers during COVID-19, built a clinic to provide health services to the broader community, and more.
“This type of commitment at scale is exactly the kind of leadership we need right now – for workers, for the environment, and for conscious consumers who demand responsibility from brands today,” said Paul Rice, Founder & CEO of Fair Trade USA. “We are pleased to see WSI take its commitment to responsible sourcing to the next level and excited at the added impact it will create for producers.”
WSI’s partnership with Nest also began in 2014 by partnering on the development of the Seal of Ethical Handcraft to ensure ethical production in handcraft supply chains. Four years later, WSI became the first ever retailer to offer product with the Nest Seal and today WSI offers over 400 ethically handcrafted products across our family of brands. These products are made in partnership with eight suppliers who have earned the Nest Seal of Ethical Handcraft in four countries, impacting the lives of over 3,600 global artisans.
“Since we began our partnership in 2014, WSI has demonstrated a deep commitment to protecting workers throughout their supply chains – including the homeworkers and handworkers who create handcrafted product at scale,” shared Rebecca van Bergen, Nest’s Founder & Executive Director. “By playing a pivotal role in the launch of the Ethical Handcraft program, WSI has both impacted the lives of thousands of handworkers in their own supply chains, as well as over 45,000 handworkers that we’ve reached through the program to date.”