VF Corp. is making available to consumers the “sourcing maps” for ten of its brands' most iconic products. The sourcing maps, which can be viewed on VF's sustainability website, are meant to ensure transparency about every step in the production of VF's apparel and footwear. The interactive maps show the number and locations of suppliers in a region. Users can also look at detailed information about each supplier, including onsite inspections, verifications and associate interviews. A consumer can now follow, for instance, the creation of Vans' classic Checkerboard slip-ons starting with the cotton fibers that are woven into material for the shoes. Other products for which a supply chain is available are Napapijri's Rainforest anorak, The North Face's Denali 2 jacket, and Timberland's Earthkeepers boots. Mapping the products was not a simple task, the company explained. For example, for a single Vans product, VF identified 78 unique suppliers in the full supply chain of that one product. VF sources products from 60 countries and thousands of contract suppliers.

Topics