ETI Forum
Purchasing Practices: Case studies to address impacts of purchasing practices on working conditions
Report from ETI members’ meeting, 29 November 2007
About this report
This report sets out some of the key issues presented and discussed at the ETI members’ meeting on 29th November 2007. The meeting provided a forum for members to explore potential solutions to some of the common purchasing practices which undermine working conditions in the supply chain. The meeting comprised presentations and workshops, during which members discussed real-life examples of purchasing practices and their impacts. This report includes details of the case studies discussed during the meeting, along with the possible solutions identified by members. It also sets out how the case studies could be used as a practical tool to help improve purchasing practices along supply chains.
Who is this report for?
This report is aimed specifically at:
- Retail staff with commercial responsibilities, with responsibility for purchasing, and/or with responsibility for ethical trade.
- Retail staff working with buying teams and/or suppliers to review and improve purchasing practices.
- Suppliers who want to engage with retailers to find solutions to some of the negative impacts associated with purchasing practices.
- Trade unions and NGOs who are working with companies to address purchasing practices.
Purpose of this report
This report aims to serve as an aide memoire for those who attended the members’ event. It is also intended to provide a tool for:
- raising awareness of the various impacts of purchasing practices amongst key buying staff within retailers; and
- helping key buying staff to explore practical solutions to some of the purchasing practices that undermine labour standards.
ETI Forum:
Purchasing Practices - Case studies to address impacts of purchasing
practices on working conditions [PDF, 176kb]
See also
ETI Activities: Experimental projects: Purchasing practices project.