Renowned fashion firm Benetton Group has released its Integrated Report 2019 and showed growth in various segments of business and sustainability. The company with 4,468 stores in 81 markets had an online presence in 25 markets with a net sale of €1,158 million in 2019.
Focusing a lot on the training of its workforce, in 2019, more than half of the company’s workforce was involved in training and development initiatives. This percentage increases to 70 per cent if the staff of the directly operated stores is also taken into consideration.
As far as its Indian suppliers are concerned, out of its 113 suppliers, 86 per cent of them were assessed. Sakhi, AARHOI, United by Light, Nanhi Kali, Sampark projects are some of the initiatives taken by the company to support society in India.
Notably, The United Colors of Benetton e-commerce platforms will be launched in India and Japan.
2020 is an important year for the brand United Colors of Benetton, as its repositioning in terms of affordable fashion will continue through the rationalisation of the collections and consolidation in prices.
The company is also focusing on Casa Benetton, the new United Colors of Benetton collection, which includes home textiles, tableware and kitchen utensils, developed by integrating the brand’s multicoloured style with sustainability-oriented materials and processes.
Sisley Future Labs, another new initiative of the company, is a platform dedicated to sustainability that will involve the brand and its consumers in imagining a different future for fashion, summarised by the claim ‘Look Good. Do Good’.
‘B-Green’ project of the company is a new sustainability-based store format characterised by the use of innovative materials, the transformation of the shop windows in digital environments and increased energy efficiency.
“Sustainability will become a cornerstone of our collections and we will pay more and more attention to designing garments with distinctive characteristics of recyclability and reduced environmental impact,” the company says.
“Many things will change. Maybe even the way we are and behave as human beings. We, on our part, will try to react as best we can. In its long history, Benetton Group has faced and overcome many difficult challenges, taking the necessary steps and always looking to the future. In this case, too, we will remain loyal to our values and close to our store managers-entrepreneurs, who are fundamental to our success,” said Luciano Benetton, Chairman, Benetton Group.