Bestseller denies ‘damaging’ child labour allegations

Danish fashion giant Bestseller – the parent company of Jacks&Jones, Vero Moda and Only – has denied claims made against it by broadcaster TV 2 alleging evidence of child labour among its supply chain.

In a public statement, Bestseller specifically referenced two documentary episodes aired by the Danish media firm via TV 2 and TV 2 Play which detailed claims against textile companies in Bangladesh said to be associated with the fashion conglomerate. Here, it was alleged by four anonymous sources claiming to be former employees that the company turned a blind eye to greenwashing, critical working conditions, wage levels and environmental impact.

The most notable allegation was that of child labour, two cases of which were said to have been discovered among factories currently work with or have previously worked with Bestseller. One case pointed to clothing made for Bestseller’s brand Vila, which was alleged to have outsourced products from factories where minors were involved in the production. Concerns about child labour were also alleged further down Bestseller’s supply chain with a former collaborator of the company.

Bestseller accuses TV 2 of making ‘incorrect’ and ‘incomplete’ claims

Responding to the claims, Bestseller said it had attempted to engage in dialogue with TV 2, informing the broadcaster that it had “not collaborated with any of the companies that are included” in the episodes “for at least the past 20 years”. “We must state that this is information that TV 2 has ignored, as TV 2 has nevertheless broadcast content that is incorrect,” the company added, noting that it had attempted to provide related documentation to the media firm.

Calling the allegations “damaging”, Bestseller claimed that TV 2 had not attempted to document or reach out to the two Bangladesh-based companies it currently has a connection with or other companies on its open supplier list, despite offering interviews and factory visits “in several cases”. It further alleged that its request to view video recordings included in the programme in an attempt to clarify misunderstandings was rejected.

Bestseller, which chose not to participate in the programme, called the broadcast a “one-sided” and "incomplete" report that attempts to "paint a partially undocumented” story from which it wished to “strongly distance” itself. The company further highlighted its own efforts to address potential malpractice among its supply chain, including ensuring suppliers comply with applicable legislation, employing environmental specialists to monitor operations and deploying initiatives to make it safer for women to go to work.

“Among other things, the [TV 2] journalists have failed to disclose the truth in their research process, initiated surveillance of consumer products that has had direct consequences for our customer relationships, and withheld information for more than 20 months that they have since publicly acknowledged they should have shared with us,” the company concluded.