In order to make the world a better place for future generations, we understand that we must operate our business in a way that reduces waste and minimizes the impact of our operations on the planet.

​

Lifestyle brands like ours face the challenge of producing and marketing fashionable, consumer-focused products in a sustainable manner. We strive to work with supply chain partners who comply with applicable environmental regulations and take responsibility for reducing waste, pollution, and carbon emissions.

​

Tommy Bahama, our largest operating unit and a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, is actively working with its supplier base to assess sustainability activities and environmental impacts vis-à-vis the HIGG Index. Tommy Bahama has begun and will continue to train and assess the majority of its Tier 1 supplier factories on the HIGG Factory Environmental Module. In addition, Tommy Bahama underwent a comprehensive third party Sustainability Materiality & Baseline Assessment at the end of 2018 to identify strengths and weaknesses and to prioritize key areas of focus in order to build its sustainability strategy.

​

Lilly Pulitzer and Lanier Apparel are also taking active steps to ensure their supplier base is engaged in and committed to incorporating sustainability into their operations by working with partners that have already been assessed under the HIGG FEM, are Oeko-Tex Certified, or have undertaken a comparable sustainability benchmarking assessment. Further, Lanier Apparel requires that certain fabric mills conduct waste water testing in order to assess their environmental impact and is focused on working with farms that are certified in the humane treatment of sheep and other animals.

We encourage our vendors to purchase and use recycled materials in their packaging and support them in waste reduction efforts. When opportunities present themselves, we also encourage vendors to ship products to us using only recycled fiber packaging instead of virgin fiber or plastic poly bags.

​

In addition to our supplier base, we incorporate sustainability activities into other areas of our operations by focusing on: (1) energy efficiency initiatives; (2) waste minimization efforts; (3) the use of recycled materials within our supply chain; (4) the implementation of environmentally responsible solutions at our physical locations; and (5) working with trade organizations to keep up with industry developments and opportunities.

​

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

​

Protection of our planet’s natural resources is a critical issue facing the world. With 250+ owned and leased locations throughout the United States and operations in several other places around the globe, we recognize that we have opportunities to invest in initiatives that reduce our consumption of resources. To that end, among other things:

​

• Our Corporate and Lanier Apparel headquarters are part of a Class A, Energy Star rated and LEED-EB Silver certified building in midtown Atlanta;

• Tommy Bahama opened its 120,000 square foot headquarters in a state-of-the-art LEED Gold-certified building near Lake Union in Seattle, WA in 2015;

• We routinely assess and implement energy-efficient lighting technologies within our physical locations, including the use of LED lights in most of our Tommy Bahama and Lilly Pulitzer retail locations;

• Where appropriate, we have implemented high-efficiency HVAC systems into our operations, including at retail locations;

• We converted the lighting systems in one of our key distribution centers, thereby reducing electricity consumption by almost 35%; and

• Where feasible, we encourage our personnel to use mass transit or alternative modes of transportation as part of their commutes.
   

WASTE MINIMIZATION

​

While waste is an unavoidable by-product of any business operation, we recognize that minimizing our carbon footprint is critical to the long-term sustainability of our company and communities. Simply put, the “take-make-dispose” model that has worked for consumer products companies in the past is not the model for a sustainable future. To address these concerns, we have undertaken a number of efforts, including the following:

 

• Maintaining recycling programs in the majority of our offices and in all of our distribution centers;

• We use only recyclable paper shopping bags at our retail stores, eliminating thousands of plastic bags that litter the environment, harm wildlife and are non-biodegradable;

• Southern Tide has eliminated the use of tissue paper in t-shirt packaging;

• Tommy Bahama’s restaurants are implementing a compostable option for carryout food packaging and are working to eliminate the use of plastic straws; and

• We routinely explore opportunities to recycle and recover “post-consumer” waste in an effort to move towards a more circular economy
   

SUSTAINABLE RAW MATERIALS

​

We rely on the natural environment for the raw materials that are incorporated into our products and recognize that, even without the ability to have a fully circular product cycle today, we can still have a positive impact on the world by implementing organic and/or sustainable materials into our products:

​

• Tommy Bahama and Southern Tide work with REPREVE®, the branded performance fiber made from recycled materials (including plastic bottles) in some of their products;

• We are working with our vendors to eliminate or minimize the use of plastics in our product packaging and presentation materials and use recycled materials where possible;

• Tommy Bahama has completed a garment packaging assessment and is working to eliminate excessive packaging as well increase the use of recycled materials and FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council) paper;

• We are working towards creating policies and starting to source more sustainable and/or recycled raw materials to utilize in the products that we deliver to our consumers; and

• We are working to develop a methodology for selecting lower-impact materials at the design stage and setting short- and long-term goals, by material, for responsible sourcing.
   

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

​

Protecting the environment and improving resource usage efficiency is critical to our long-term sustainability as a company, as well as to our team members and guests. We recognize that within our retail stores and restaurants, offices and distribution centers, we have opportunities to implement initiatives that minimize our impact on the environment. Among the things we are already doing:

​

• Build-out initiatives in the construction and/or remodeling of our locations that incorporate environmentally friendly solutions, such as zero-VOC paint and primer, recycled tile, natural wood and vinyl wallcoverings;

• The utilization of daylight harvesting systems in suitable locations;

• The implementation of digital and virtual technologies to reduce paper consumption and travel;

• The use of environmentally friendly cleaning solutions in our operations; and

• The effective implementation of motion sensors and sleep modes to control lighting and certain equipment.
   

EMERGING TRENDS

​

While we appreciate and understand the need for instituting sustainability initiatives within our organization, we also recognize that we can’t do it alone and that the positive impact of our efforts can be magnified by working with like-minded partners:

​

• We are a member of the American Apparel & Footwear Association and actively participate in knowledge sharing and planning among its members to enhance sustainability initiatives;

• Tommy Bahama is a member and contributor to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the apparel, footwear and textile industry’s leading alliance in developing strategies and tools to measure and evaluate environmental and social sustainability. The SAC developed the Higg Index, a holistic measurement standard with the aim of creating alignment, greater transparency and better sustainability performance across the apparel and footwear industry;

• Lilly Pulitzer provides funding to support the environment and the planet through its partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute and the Rainforest Alliance;

• Southern Tide has a strong partnership with OCEARCH, whose mission is to bring awareness to oceanic ecosystems and its species; and

• Lanier Apparel, through its Duck Head brand have partnered with Ducks Unlimited to provide funding for land conservation efforts.