The merchandise on our shelves, the tables and chairs in our stores, the aprons worn by our baristas and more - we care how products manufactured for our stores are made.
And just like with coffee, we want to buy from suppliers who share our values and have a commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
Our buyers work directly with suppliers, negotiating contracts for the products we need in our operations or sell to our customers. Their purchasing decisions are influenced by many factors, including how well a supplier performs against our Supplier Social Responsibility (SSR) Standards for manufactured goods and services.
What We've Been Doing
Our approach to ethical sourcing includes Social Responsibility Standards for Manufactured Goods that end up in our stores—whether it be merchandise, retail supplies or store fixtures. We let suppliers know that we expect them to adhere to these Standards and offer them assistance when corrections need to be made to their business practices. Since starting the program in 2006 we have engaged in monitoring efforts in over 450 factories in 28 countries. Factory performance information is used to inform sourcing decisions and ensure we are working with suppliers and factories that share our commitment to Ethical Sourcing.
What We're Working On
Starbucks continues to strive for even better performance on the ethical sourcing front. We're committed to implementing Ethical Sourcing Standards across our global supply chain and increasing our support to advance social and environmental performance. Specifically we plan to:
- Continue to train new and existing suppliers on the program and expectations
- Continue to assess our supply chain to ensure social and environmental standards are being met
- Develop and promote improvement programs to identify root causes and sustainable solutions to meet business needs and responsibility expectations
- Continue to promote and reward supplier ownership through our Supplier Verification Program
- Build a network of resources for suppliers to improve their social and environmental performance
- Collaborate with the Fair Factories Clearinghouse to align with peer companies and influence our entire industry
