David Jones

This company has formally undertaken not to use or sell real fur.
Source: Animals Australia (2017)

This company has taken angora items off the shelves and promised not to use angora again, following a PETA campaign launched in Dec 2013 which revealed the cruelty inflicted on angora rabbits in Chinese factory farms, where 90% of the world's angora is produced.
Source: PETA (2018)

David Jones use chicken from Australian RSPCA Approved farms for their range of RSPCA Approved chicken products. These farms raise their birds in an enriched barn environment. Chickens enjoy space to move, good lighting and can perch, dustbathe and forage.
Source: RSPCA (2020)

This company has a number of social responsibility & sustainability claims on its website under the headings ethical sourcing & raw materials; energy, waste & water; social development; health & wellness; and people & transformation.
Source: company website (2020)

This company is a member of the Textile Exchange, a global non-profit that works closely with its members to drive textile industry transformation in preferred fibres, integrity and standards and responsible supply networks. They identify and share best practices regarding farming, materials, processing, traceability and product end-of-life in order to reduce the textile industry's impact on the world's water, soil and air, and the human population.
Source: Textile Exchange (2019)

This 2013 report by The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) investigates the labour and human rights risks in supply chain sourcing. This company is identified on page 21 as a company which sources products from countries with known systemic labour and human rights concerns. However since this report was published David Jones has changed ownership and is reportedly improving its supply chain sourcing.
Source: ACSI (2013)

Wikipedia lists a number of controversies for this company: In October 2010, Woolworths came under fire as they opted to remove Christian magazines from their shelves and discontinue their sale; In 2012 the South African Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Woolworths' vintage cold drink range was an imitation of a rival soft drinks range; In September 2012 Woolworths was accused of racism by some groups for allegedly discriminating against white job applicants and staff; In October 2013 rumours of plagiarism surfaced when Euodia Roets, a South African artist, accused Woolworths of using her designs that were kept as sample after contract negations which failed.
Source: Wikipedia (2015)

In 2020 this company announced that more than 7000 staff members across David Jones and Country Road have been underpaid $3.7 million over the last six years. The company has pledged to pay all money owing.
Source: Inside Retail (2020)

This company is a member of the CanopyStyle initiative, which came about when research found that millions of trees are used every year to produce dissolving pulp, a key ingredient for fabrics such as rayon/viscose. The campaign seeks to phase out the use of endangered forest fibre in fabric.
Source: Canopy (2018)

In Nov 2012 the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) and Woolworths announced a broad-based, multifaceted partnership to drive greater sustainability through selected Woolworths products and operations. The three year partnership "recognises the growing congruence between WWF-SA and Woolworths interests in, among others: the conservation of energy; freshwater ecosystems; the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices; and the protection of fish stocks."
Source: WWF-SA (2012)

This company is a signatory to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, whose goal is to eliminate plastic pollution at its source.
Source: New Plastics Economy (2019)

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target; report climate change information in mainstream reports as a fiduciary duty; remove commodity-driven deforestation from all supply chains by 2020; improve water security.
Source: We Mean Business (2017)

This retailer has committed to being a fur free retailer, as recognised by the International Fur Free Retailer Program.
Source: Fur Free Retailer (2019)

Compassion in World Farming is a UK-based organisation which works with the European food industry to encourage and reward commitment, transparency, performance and innovation in the field of animal welfare. This company won their Good Egg Award in 2014 for their work with free-range eggs.
Source: Compassion in World Farming (2014)

This company was designated a "New Sustainability Champion" in this 2010 document (page 42) from the World Economic Forum and the Boston Consulting Group. New Sustainability Champions proactively turn constraints into opportunities through innovation, embed sustainability in their company culture, and actively shape their business environments.
Source: Boston Consulting Group (2010)

Follow link to see this company's latest sustainability reports.
Source: company website (2015)

In 2012 Woolworths Holdings won the International Responsible Retailer of the Year Award at the World Retail Congress for the third time in five years. Improved indicators include carbon footprint, water and packaging reduction, sustainable clothing and food products.
Source: World Retail Congress (2012)

This company is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, a voluntary program which encourages the adoption of better management practices in cotton cultivation to achieve measurable reductions in key environmental impacts, while improving social and economic benefits for cotton farmers, small and large, worldwide.
Source: Better Cotton Initiative (2019)

This company is a member of the Textile Exchange, a global non-profit that works closely with its members to drive textile industry transformation in preferred fibres, integrity and standards and responsible supply networks. They identify and share best practices regarding farming, materials, processing, traceability and product end-of-life in order to reduce the textile industry's impact on the world's water, soil and air, and the human population.
Source: Textile Exchange (2019)

This company is a member of the Leather Working Group, a multi-stakeholder group who's objective is to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the compliance and environmental performance of tanners and promotes sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry.
Source: Leather Working Group (2019)

This company is a member of the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex), a not-for-profit, membership organisation that leads work with buyers and suppliers to deliver improvements in responsible and ethical business practices in global supply chains. Tens of thousands of companies use Sedex to manage their performance around labour rights, health & safety, the environment and business ethics.
Source: Sedex (2018)

The United Nations Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of 10 values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. However it's non-binding nature has been widely criticised, and many signatory corporations continue to violate the Compact's values.
Source: UN Global Compact (2020)

In 2020, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts towards removing commodity-driven deforestation and forest degradation from its direct operations and supply chains. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Forests Score of C.
Source: CDP (2020)

This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 56/100 in the Retailing category of the 2019 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices. The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2019)