Ralph Lauren Corp. (Ralph Lauren), U.S. mid-luxury and premium apparel company, ranks joint 10th out of 65 companies. Compared to 2021, the company improved its rank by two places. This is because, among others, the company disclosed a supplier list accounting for 88% of the first tier of its supply chain, began disclosing some information on forced labour risks identified in its supply chains, data on women and migrant workers its supply chains, and a new example of worker fee remediation, and clarified that its grievance mechanism is open to affected stakeholders. The company’s score is based on its stronger performance on the themes of Commitment & Governance and Traceability & Risk Assessment. Notably, Ralph Lauren is among the two highest-scoring companies in the premium & mid-luxury segment. However, with a score of only 42/100, the company continues to have substantial scope for improvement on its prevention and management of forced labour risks.
KnowTheChain identified 2 public allegations of forced labour in the company’s supply chains. Concerning the alleged presence of Uyghur forced labour in the company’s supply chain, the company denied the relationship with the supplier concerned and reports using tracing technology “as a broad auditing tool”, albeit not to verify individual shipments. However, the company does not disclose the steps it has taken to address the risks of alleged Uyghur forced labour across raw materials and supply chain tiers.
The company has an opportunity to improve its performance and disclosure on the themes of Purchasing Practices, Worker Voice, and Remedy.