Fashion retail business The Sussan Group has gained B Corporation certification with a score of 84.7.
The parent company of Sportsgirl, Sussan and Suzanne Grae joins more than 50 other Australian fashion companies that are B Corp certified, with recent scorers including R.M.Williams, Camilla & Frankie4. It also joins more than 9,000 businesses globally.
Sussan Group’s score of 84.7 is just above the qualifying score to gain a B Corp certification of 80 and is well above the median score of 50.9 for all businesses that have attempted to certify.
Across the five core measured categories, the fashion retailer scored highest in workers - hitting 23.1 - followed by environment at 23.0, community at 20.9, governance at 14.1, and customers at 3.5.
“We’re thrilled to achieve B Corp Certification,” Sussan Group retail CEO Rebecca Hard said. “This recognition aligns with our commitment to enacting the change that our customers want to see. We’re also here to continue leading the change we as a business want to see from the Australian fashion industry.
“This certification independently verifies that The Sussan Group meets high standards of performance, accountability, and transparency – not just in environmental factors but in social and governance too, this is something we are very proud of and committed to building upon.”
This ESG win for Sussan group comes after the retailer signed on as a foundation member of the Seamless scheme, joining eight other founding members including Big W, The Iconic and David Jones.
Regarding its high score in the workers category, Sussan Group confirmed that the brand’s workforce is 99 per cent women, which includes a female-led senior leadership team.
Alongside signing onto Seamless and its new B Corp status, the brand has also released a Reconciliation Action Plan and signed onto the Better Cotton initiative, with a commitment to source 50 per cent of its cotton via the initiative by 2025.
B Lab Australia and New Zealand CEO Andrew Davies welcomed The Sussan Group to the platform, adding up to 750 in the region alone.
“In an industry know for its complex supply chains and significant environmental footprint, their certification demonstrates a willingness to be accountable and a genuine commitment to improving proactive in the fashion industry,” Davies said.
“By meeting our rigorous and holistic standards, The Sussan Group is setting an example for how business can contribute to our shared vision for a more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.”