Author: otateam
Advocacy, Education, and Empowerment: Creating Cross-Community Solidarity Amidst Rising Anti-Asian Hate
Honoring Pride Amidst a Record-Breaking Number of Anti-LGBTQ Bills in State Legislatures
Three Additional Companies Declare Themselves Open to All in Commitment to Welcoming Everyone
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Kassidy Braziel, Open to All | kassidy@opentoall.com | 954-296-5280
[BOULDER, CO] JUNE 8, 2023 — An additional three major retailers have joined Open to All® and signed the pledge in commitment to maintain retail environments where everyone is welcome—regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, immigration status, religion, or ability.
Victoria’s Secret & Co. (Victoria’s Secret and Victoria’s Secret PINK) is the latest addition to Open to All’s Leadership Circle. Open to All also welcomed Brilliant Earth and Pandora as corporate partners. Corporate partners of Open to All have access to the organization’s unique diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming, featuring monthly corporate briefings, access to a community of like-minded peers, and collaboration opportunities like the Inclusive Retail Campaign and the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Brilliant Earth, Pandora, and Victoria’s Secret & Co. to Open to All,” said Calla Devlin Rongerude, managing director of Open to All. “Each company has demonstrated a commitment to deepening their diversity, equity, and inclusion work. We look forward to their contributions to our Inclusive Retail initiative, our Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter collaboration, and working together to have industry-wide impact as we strive to create a culture of belonging where everyone is welcomed and respected.”
This Pride season, Open to All is continuing their year-round work to protect and advance the lives of LGBTQ employees and customers. This support is especially important in light of recent legislative attacks on the LGBTQ community, including those limiting access to gender-affirming care for transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals. With over 600 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this year alone, these cruel, coordinated attacks brazenly disregard one’s right to live, work, and shop freely and safely.
“At VS&CO, we’re committed to empowering our communities, advancing equity, upholding human rights, and promoting social justice. We are especially focused on mitigating bias in retail for women, POC and LGBTQIA+ communities because we are confident that is where we can have the most direct and meaningful impact with our global footprint. We’re excited to partner with Open to All to help guide our actions and, along with other Open to All partners, make retail spaces more welcoming for everyone.” said Lydia Smith, chief diversity officer at Victoria’s Secret & Co.
Once again, Open to All is partnering with Yelp to make it easier to find safe and welcoming businesses to celebrate LGBTQ equality, which is more important than ever, given that hate violence is at an all-time high. Yelp helps users identify not only LGBTQ-owned businesses, but also the hundreds of thousands of Open to All businesses that will celebrate equality not only during Pride, but year-round.
EDUCATING PARTNERS ABOUT ONGOING ATTACKS TARGETING THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY
The current situation is extremely difficult for LGBTQ individuals, activists, and supporters due to the startling number of fronts from which LGBTQ people are being targeted. To better inform their corporate partners on recent anti-trans bills and actions companies can take to safeguard their employees’ rights, Open to All recently partnered with the Movement Advancement Project to host a rapid response briefing on the subject.
Logan Casey, senior policy researcher and advisor for the Movement Advancement Project, joined the conversation to share a summary of current laws influencing access to gender-affirming treatment. The Movement Advancement Project’s Tessa Juste co-hosted the meeting alongside Casey to address currently pending litigation against such legislation and the legal ramifications of businesses becoming involved in support of the LGBTQ community. This briefing focused on informing Open to All corporate partners on how to best support transgender and non-binary staff members and their transgender and non-binary family members during these unprecedented times.
Later in June, the Movement Advancement Project will collaborate with Open to All once more to host another briefing. The content will be uplifting and celebratory as corporate partners gather to participate in the organization’s annual Queer Trivia briefing. While current times are challenging, this briefing presents an opportunity for partners to celebrate the many positive ways the LGBTQ community has influenced our society throughout history.
“Pandora gives a voice to people’s loves, and regardless of how a person displays their love, we are there to help everyone capture life’s important and special moments with our jewelry. Pandora further promises to stand for diversity, equity, and inclusion in a way for everyone to feel comfortable being their authentic selves every day. We foster open dialogue, celebrate our unique characteristics, and embrace our many cultures and traditions. Every person is welcome within our stores and offices. Through our DE&I Council, we will continually evaluate our approach and techniques to enhance our culture of diversity, equity, and inclusivity, where we teach, learn, and grow together,” said Luciano Rodembusch, president, Pandora North America.
SAFEGUARDING GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR EMPLOYEES & THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS
In response to recently imposed medical care bans, some Open to All corporate partners have already enacted policies and benefits to ensure their employees and employees’ family members have access to the care they need. Companies are offering employees travel benefits, ranging from $4,000 to $10,000, if they cannot receive gender-affirming care in their states. These stipends cover transportation and lodging expenses employees may incur while seeking gender-affirming care outside of states where laws restrict or ban access to such services. Many of these benefits also apply to any family members covered by employer-sponsored insurance, such as employees’ spouses or dependents.
Since the majority of Open to All corporate partners have numerous locations across the country, retailers are also offering associates the opportunity to transfer to a store in a different state, with many companies offering relocation stipends to do so. In more ways than one, Open to All corporate partners are stepping up to serve as industry leaders in response to governmental attacks on LGBTQ rights.
“Our mission at Brilliant Earth is rooted in our work to bring transparency, inclusivity, and sustainability to the jewelry industry and to our company,” said Beth Gerstein, co-founder, CEO of Brilliant Earth. “We are proud to partner with Open to All as we continue our commitment to creating an equitable space that values the uniqueness of our employees and our customers, while driving real change that may inspire others to do the same.”
Open to All unites and galvanizes national leaders in business, civic engagement, and the nonprofit sector to take a stand for shared American values of fairness and equality. Never before have so many businesses and nonprofits joined together in a single, unified campaign that sends a message that everyone is welcome, valued, and respected. Because when a business is open to the public, it should be open to all. Businesses can sign the pledge at https://www.opentoall.com/business-members/#business-pledge. For more information about the Open to All coalition or today’s announcement, please visit www.OpenToAll.com.
The full list of companies that have pledged to be Open to All are Adidas, American Eagle Outfitters (American Eagle, Aerie, Todd Snyder, Unsubscribed), Ann Taylor, Bath & Body Works, Ben Bridge Jeweler, Ben & Jerry’s, Brilliant Earth, Burlington Stores, Cacique, Capri Holdings Limited (Versace, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors), CarMax, CBL Properties, Cartier, Club Monaco, Crocs, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Fossil Group (Fossil, Michele, Skagen, Watch Station, Zodiac), fresh, Gap Inc. (Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy), Glossier, H&M, J.Crew Group (J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, Madewell), Lacoste, Lane Bryant, Loft, LVMH, maurices, Misfit, Movado Group, Pandora, Petco, Ralph Lauren Corporation, REI Co-op, Rimowa, rue21, Tapestry (Coach, kate spade new york, Stuart Weitzman), The Body Shop, Tiffany & Co., Under Armour, URBN (Anthropologie, Free People, Nuuly, Urban Outfitters), UGG®, Victoria’s Secret & Co. (Victoria’s Secret and Victoria’s Secret PINK), VF Corporation (The North Face®, Vans®, Timberland®, Dickies®, Smartwool ®), Yelp, Zara, and Zola.
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ABOUT OPEN TO ALL: Open to All is a nondiscrimination program based around the idea that everyone should be welcomed, valued, and respected. Open to All is a growing coalition of more than 200 non-profits, including civil rights and racial justice organizations, disability groups, LGBTQ groups, faith organizations, and more. Open to All also unites thousands of large and small businesses across the country to defend the bedrock principle that when businesses open their doors to the public, they should be Open to All.
ABOUT VICTORIA’S SECRET & CO: Victoria’s Secret & Co. (NYSE: VSCO) is a Fortune 500 specialty retailer of modern, fashion-inspired collections including signature bras, panties, intimates, casual sleepwear, athleisure, and swim, as well as award-winning prestige fragrances and body care. VS&Co is comprised of market leading brands, Victoria’s Secret and Victoria’s Secret PINK, that share a common purpose of inspiring and uplifting customers in every stage of their lives, and Adore Me, a technology led, digital first innovative intimates brand serving women of all sizes and budgets at all phases of life. We are committed to empowering our more than 30,000 associates across a global footprint of approximately 1,350 retail stores in approximately 70 countries. We provide our customers with products and experiences that make them feel good inside and out while driving positive change through the power of our products, platform, and advocacy.
ABOUT BRILLIANT EARTH: Brilliant Earth is a digitally native, omnichannel fine jewelry company and a global leader in ethically sourced fine jewelry. Led by our co-founders Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg, the Company’s mission since its founding in 2005 has been to create a more transparent, sustainable, and compassionate jewelry industry. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA and Denver, CO, Brilliant Earth now has 31 showrooms and services customers in over 50 countries worldwide.
ABOUT PANDORA: Pandora is the world’s largest jewelry brand. The company designs, manufactures, and markets hand-finished jewelry made from high-quality materials at affordable prices. Pandora jewelry is sold in more than 100 countries through more than 6,500 points of sale, including more than 2,500 concept stores. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, Pandora employs 32,000 people worldwide and crafts its jewelry at two LEED-certified facilities in Thailand. Pandora is committed to leadership in sustainability and will purchase only recycled silver and gold for crafting its jewelry by 2025 and halve greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2030. Pandora is listed on the Nasdaq Copenhagen stock exchange and generated sales of DKK 26.5 billion (EUR 3.6 billion) in 2022.
Open to All Statement Reaffirming Support for the LGBTQ Community and Condemning Backlash Against Pride
Strength in Numbers: Mitigating Racial Bias in Retail Collaboration Honored by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards
Seven Leading Retailers Join Open To All, The Movement Galvanizing Businesses To Advance Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion
Programming Includes the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter, Monthly Educational Sessions, and Collaboration with 200+ Nonprofit Organizations
[BOULDER, CO] APRIL 13, 2023 — National nonprofit Open to All® announced today that an additional seven major retail brands have signed the Open to All pledge committing to maintain a welcoming and safe environment for people—including team members, visitors, customers, vendors, and clients—regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, immigration status, religion, or disability.
Open to All welcomes Petco, REI Co-op, and UGG® to their Leadership Circle. Bath & Body Works, Burlington Stores, VF Corporation (The North Face®, Vans®, Timberland®, Dickies®, Smartwool ®), and Zola also signed the Open to All Business Pledge as corporate sponsors.
“In the five years since Open to All’s inception, we have had over 600,000 businesses sign the pledge,” said Calla Rongerude, Managing Director for Open to All. Our corporate partners work beyond the walls of their stores to bring the business community together to join Open to All in building a thriving, inclusive, competitive America where customers and employees are valued, respected and welcomed regardless of who they are. This exemplifies the spirit of Open to All and creates true transformation—especially for everyone out there who is struggling and wants to know where they will be safe, welcomed and accepted.”
Open to All’s corporate partners have access to Open to All’s unique diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming, which includes monthly corporate briefings, collaboration opportunities such as Inclusive Retail and the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter, and access to a peer-to-peer network. One of Open to All’s most popular offerings is their monthly briefing series. Some recently covered topics include how to best support Muslim employees and customers during Ramadan presented by Muslim Advocates; combating anti-AAPI hate with Asian Americans Advancing Justice; access and accommodation—disability inclusion in the workplace presented by the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN; how employers can support and protect employees and customers from gender-based violence and harassment with Futures Without Violence; and States of LGBTQ Equality: How Companies Can Support Employees Across the Country.
“On behalf of everyone at Petco, we’re delighted to be joining Open to All as both a leader and a champion of inclusion and equality across all of retail,” said Liz Consuegra, Senior Vice President of People and Head of DEI at Petco. “As a purpose-driven company, this partnership is a natural extension of our promise of taking the very best care of our people, building partnerships with businesses and organizations that support each other’s DEI journeys, and fostering communities of belonging and inclusion for our people and our customers.”
“At REI, we have long believed that the co-op and the outdoors are for all. To make this a reality, we must ensure that our employees, members, and customers feel welcome and affirmed whether they’re in our stores, on the trails, or online,” said Wilma Wallace, REI Chief Diversity & Social Impact Officer. “We look forward to partnering with Open to All and peers across the industry as we continue to put this belief into action.”
“UGG® exists to make self-expression comfortable to all, and that is why we are proud to sign onto the Open to All pledge and stand alongside our peers who have also signaled an ongoing commitment to radical inclusion in the retail industry,”Nicks Ericsson, Sr. Director of Brand Purpose at UGG®, said in a statement. “We are excited to work with the Open to All team and their nonprofit partners to continue creating valuable resources that ensure retail experiences, both online and offline, are truly welcoming to all consumers.”
PROTECTING FRONTLINE WORKERS
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Open to All announced a groundbreaking initiative, Inclusive Retail, a campaign that puts tools and resources in the hands of businesses and customers to ensure the inclusion, safety, and acceptance of those on the frontlines of retail: floor staff and sales associates. Frontline workers can face the brunt of customer frustration, which can often manifest in racist or discriminatory ways. The Inclusive Retail campaign reaffirms that everyone —including employees, visitors, vendors, and clients—has a hand in the creation of environments that are safe and inclusive to all.
Inclusive Retail offers two resources to practice effective allyship and create safe shopping experiences for everyone in retail environments: the Customer Action Center and the Inclusive Retail Toolkit. In March 2023, Open to All debuted an updated Inclusive Retail Toolkit that includes resources on addressing gender-based harassment and violence in the workplace developed by Futures Without Violence. These free tools contain videos, articles, and supplemental materials that continue to build on Open to All’s library of resources available to those who believe in the culture of inclusion and belonging necessary to being Open to All.
“As an off-price retailer, Burlington is committed to offering great merchandise values every day and we are dedicated to adding value through the power of inclusivity for our customers and associates. We’re honored to participate in the Open to All Business Pledge, as it shares our commitment of creating welcoming and safe spaces for everyone,” stated Mecca Mitchell, SVP, Leadership & Organizational Development, DEI, and Community Impact.
GALVANIZING THE RETAIL SECTOR TO MITIGATE RACIAL BIAS
In May 2022, Open to All debuted the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter inspired by the findings of Sephora’s Racial Bias in Retail Study, a groundbreaking national study that explored the ways in which BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) shoppers experience discrimination in retail settings.
To date, over 45 retail brands have signed the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter, a commitment to take concrete steps to ensure a more welcoming environment for all shoppers by reducing racially biased experiences and unfair treatment. Signatories of the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter gain access to a two-hour Reducing Racism in Retail training, monthly meetings and a collaborative network of DEI-focused professionals.
Last October, Open to All surveyed Charter members and supporters to identify priorities for the coming year. Using those results as a guide, Open to All hosted panel discussions covering hiring and retention/advancement diversity policies, reevaluating return policies, and diversifying marketing and product assortment, among other topics. Open to All aims to draw upon their corporate community by inviting companies to take turns facilitating discussions about how they are addressing racial bias, preferably in a cross-departmental fashion.
“We’re proud to join Open to All because at Bath & Body Works, everyone belongs,” says Kelie Charles, Bath & Body Works Chief Diversity Officer. “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Make Us Stronger is one of our core values and we’re committed to creating a culture where we live our values and maintain an environment of respect, civility, empowerment and equity. It’s not just the right thing to do for our people; it’s the right thing to do for our business.”
“Joining the Open to All Business Pledge as Corporate Sponsors is more than just a statement of our values, it’s a call to action for business. VF Corporation is committed to ensuring our physical and online spaces are safe and welcoming to everyone,” said Leah Vescovi, Senior Manager, Society and Movements, Global Inclusion, Diversity Equity & Action (Idea) at VF Corporation. “Open to All creates a network of likeminded peers who are dedicated to creating inclusive retail experiences and pushing each other to create best in class service for folks of all backgrounds and we’re excited to be a part of that.”
Open to All unites and galvanizes national leaders in business, civic engagement, and the nonprofit sector to take a stand for shared American values of fairness and equality. Never before have so many businesses and nonprofits joined together in a single, unified campaign that sends a message that everyone is welcome, valued, and respected. Because when a business is open to the public, it should be open to all. Businesses can sign the pledge at https://www.opentoall.com/business-members/#business-pledge. For more information about the Open to All coalition or today’s announcement, please visit www.OpenToAll.com.
The full list of companies that have pledged to be Open to All are Adidas, American Eagle Outfitters (American Eagle, Aerie, Todd Snyder, Unsubscribed), Ann Taylor, Bath & Body Works, Ben Bridge Jeweler, Ben & Jerry’s, Burlington Stores, Cacique, Capri Holdings Limited (Versace, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors), CarMax, CBL Properties, Cartier, Club Monaco, Crocs, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Fossil Group (Fossil, Michele, Skagen, Watch Station, Zodiac), fresh, Gap Inc. (Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy), Glossier, H&M, J.Crew Group (J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, Madewell), Lacoste, Lane Bryant, Loft, LVMH, maurices, Misfit, Movado Group, Petco, Ralph Lauren Corporation, REI Co-op, Rimowa, rue21, Tapestry (Coach, kate spade new york, Stuart Weitzman), The Body Shop, Tiffany & Co., Under Armour, URBN (Anthropologie, Free People, Nuuly, Urban Outfitters), UGG®, VF Corporation (The North Face®, Vans®, Timberland®, Dickies®, Smartwool ®), Yelp, Zara, and Zola.
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ABOUT OPEN TO ALL: Open to All is a nondiscrimination program based around the idea that everyone should be welcomed, valued, and respected. Open to All is a growing coalition of more than 200 non-profits, including civil rights and racial justice organizations, disability groups, LGBTQ groups, faith organizations, and more. Open to All also unites thousands of large and small businesses across the country to defend the bedrock principle that when businesses open their doors to the public, they should be Open to All.
ABOUT PETCO, THE HEALTH + WELLNESS CO.: Founded in 1965, Petco is a category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and our own Petco partners. We’ve consistently set new standards in pet care while delivering comprehensive pet wellness products, services and solutions, and creating communities that deepen the pet-pet parent bond. We operate more than 1,500 pet care centers across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, which offer merchandise, companion animals, grooming, training and a growing network of on-site veterinary hospitals and mobile veterinary clinics. Our complete pet health and wellness ecosystem is accessible through our pet care centers and digitally at petco.com and on the Petco app. In tandem with Petco Love (formerly the Petco Foundation), an independent nonprofit organization, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, we’ve helped find homes for nearly 7 million animals.
ABOUT THE REI CO-OP: REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of 21.5 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 181 locations in 42 states and the District of Columbia. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI Outlet or the REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. Adventurers can take the trip of a lifetime with REI’s active adventure travel company that runs more than 100 itineraries across the country. In many communities where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to advanced-level classes and workshops about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to—and steward—the outdoor places that inspire us all.
ABOUT UGG®: Founded in 1978 by an Australian surfer on the coast of California, UGG® is a global lifestyle brand renowned for its iconic Classic Boot. First worn by Hollywood royalty, fashion editors, and then the world, UGG® designs and retails footwear, apparel, accessories, and homewares with an uncompromising attitude toward quality and craftsmanship. UGG® is an environmentally and socially conscious brand which strives to be socially just, economically inclusive, and environmentally restorative. Delivering more than $1.5 billion in annual sales, UGG® partners with the best retailers globally and owns concept and outlet stores worldwide in key markets, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing. For more information, please visit http://www.ugg.com @ugg #FeelsLikeUGG
ABOUT BATH & BODY WORKS: Home of America’s Favorite Fragrances®, Bath & Body Works is a global leader in personal care and home fragrance, including the top-selling collections for fine fragrance mist, body lotion and body cream, 3-wick candles, home fragrance diffusers and liquid hand soap. Powered by agility and innovation, the company’s predominantly U.S.-based supply chain enables the company to deliver quality, on-trend luxuries at affordable prices. Bath & Body Works serves and delights customers however and wherever they want to shop, from welcoming, in-store experiences at more than 1,800 company-operated Bath & Body Works locations in the U.S. and Canada and more than 425 international franchised locations to an online storefront at BathandBodyWorks.com.
ABOUT BURLINGTON STORES, INC.: Burlington Stores, Inc., headquartered in New Jersey, is a nationally recognized off-price retailer with Fiscal 2022 net sales of $8.7 billion. The Company is a Fortune 500 company and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “BURL.” The Company operated 927 stores as of the end of Fiscal 2022, in 46 states and Puerto Rico, principally under the name Burlington Stores. The Company’s stores offer an extensive selection of in-season, fashion-focused merchandise at up to 60% off other retailers’ prices, including women’s ready-to-wear apparel, menswear, youth apparel, baby, beauty, footwear, accessories, home, toys, gifts and coats. For more information about the Company, visit www.burlington.com.
ABOUT VF CORPORATION: Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the world’s largest active-lifestyle companies which connects people to the activities and experiences they cherish most through a portfolio of outdoor, active, workwear and streetwear brands including Vans®, The North Face®, Timberland® and Dickies®. Our purpose is to power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. We connect this purpose with a relentless drive to succeed to create value for all stakeholders and use our company as a force for good. For more information, please visit vfc.com.
ABOUT ZOLA: Zola is where today’s couples are planning their weddings. The most trusted authority in the industry, over 2 million couples have chosen Zola as their partner for their entire wedding planning journey. With the most innovative tools, insightful team of experts, and the largest community of engaged couples, Zola supports couples in bringing their unique, authentic wedding visions to life. To learn more, visit Zola at www.zola.com and follow @zola on all social platforms.
42 Leading Retailer Brands Join National Effort to Stop Retail Racism
Cartier, CBL Properties, Ben Bridge Jeweler, Glossier, LVMH, Maurices, URBN, The Body Shop, and Yelp are the latest companies to sign the national charter aimed at reducing racially-biased and unfair treatment in retail.
Media Contact: Kassidy Braziel, Open to All | kassidy@opentoall.com | 954-296-5280
December 1, 2022 — National nonprofit Open to All today announced that an additional 42 retail brands and two other major retail industry supporters have signed the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter, a commitment to take concrete steps to ensure a more welcoming environment for all shoppers by reducing racially biased experiences and unfair treatment. New signatories include Cartier, CBL Properties, Ben Bridge Jeweler, Glossier, LVMH, Maurices, URBN (Anthropologie, Free People, Nuuly, and Urban Outfitters), The Body Shop, and Yelp.
Since the Charter launched with 28 retailers in May, Open to All has continued to hear from retailers who acknowledge the pervasiveness of discriminatory treatment and want to take action to address the problem and create spaces that are truly open to all.
“LVMH is proud to sign the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter alongside many of our Maisons, including the co-initiator Sephora, to drive lasting change in the retail industry,” said Anish Melwani, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, LVMH North America. “LVMH creates products that maintain a standard of excellence by bringing together diverse talent, skills, and experiences to serve all of our customers. Signing the charter is an actionable step in our ongoing commitment to eradicating racism from the retail experience and ensuring that all of our customers feel valued and respected in our stores.”
The Charter, co-initiated by Open to All and Sephora, was inspired by the Racial Bias in Retail Study, a groundbreaking national study commissioned by Sephora that explored the ways in which BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) shoppers experience discrimination in retail settings. The report found that two in five U.S. retailer shoppers have personally experienced unfair treatment based on their race or skin tone, and that BIPOC retail shoppers were three times more likely than white shoppers to feel most often judged by their appearance.
“At Sephora, we’re proud to have co-initiated the Charter with Open to All and applaud these new U.S. retailer signatories in joining all of us in championing industry impact. This cross-collaboration is key in working to address and prevent systemic racism in U.S. retail environments and the culture at-large,” said George-Axelle Broussillon Matschinga, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Sephora. “We lead with a values-first mindset at Sephora – it’s a guiding principle in all we do as an organization, and having a coalition of like-minded businesses able to share and exchange ideas and best practices is especially encouraging to drive meaningful change for shoppers everywhere.”
“The Charter collaboration is rooted in impact and action, and specifically calls on companies to prevent exclusionary treatment before shoppers enter a store and during their in-store experience,” said Calla Rongerude, director of Open to All. “Open to All is grateful to our corporate and nonprofit partners, who are demonstrating a commitment to training their workforce, diversifying marketing and product assortment, and taking other tangible steps that create a culture of belonging for BIPOC shoppers and employees.”
Since June, Open to All has been holding monthly meetings with members and supporters to discuss how to track the impact of the Charter’s DEI initiatives. Work is also ongoing with loss prevention departments to address how to curtail harassment, racial profiling, and bias in loss-prevention practices. The monthly curriculum features experts and guest speakers including leaders from Diversity Best Practices, Sephora, and Mentor Spaces to provide ongoing learning for all companies that sign the Charter.
“We are proud to join with a number of our retail partners and sign on to this important Charter,” said Stephen Lebovitz, CEO of CBL properties, a company that owns malls and shopping centers across the nation. “We are looking forward to working with Open to All and the rest of the Charter companies to find solutions and drive change that will reduce racial bias and promote fair treatment to all of the visitors to our properties.”
On October 17 and 18, Charter members gathered in San Francisco to share best practices and set goals for 2023. In advance of the meeting, members completed a survey to assess their work in the Charter’s key areas of focus:
- Increasing diversity across marketing, products, branding, and the workforce to help prevent exclusionary treatment before shoppers enter a store.
- Providing critical employee training on the experience of shoppers of color to help address the disconnect between how BIPOC shoppers and store employees interpret interactions.
- Creating a feedback mechanism to improve service and report back on any meaningful actions and progress toward fostering more inclusive experiences for BIPOC shoppers.
Our survey found that 44% of respondents signed the Charter to generate a collective impact at the industry level. Others cited changing in-store shopping experiences (28%) as well as learning and sharing best practices (22%) as their primary motivations for joining the collaboration. Upon signing the Charter, companies have cultivated buy-in by partnering with other teams (83%), involving chief executive officers or additional executive-level managers (39%), establishing internal working groups (39%), and working externally with BIPOC clients (11%).
In terms of training, 59% of those surveyed reported using or planning to use Open to All’s Reduce Racial Bias in Retail training. Released in June 2022, the two-hour Reduce Racial Bias in Retail (R3) training combines live instruction and self-directed learning to educate staff on what racial bias looks, sounds, and feels like in retail settings. Built for signatories and supporters of Open to All’s Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter, the R3 training equips employees with practical strategies to decrease racial bias incidents and foster inclusive shopping experiences.
In 2023, Open to All will begin reporting on the impact of the Charter to coincide with future annual convenings.
“We are proud to partner with Open to All in our ongoing journey to ensure everyone feels welcome in our stores,” says Frank Conforti, Co-President & COO of URBN. “We look forward to partnering with Open to All and our peers in the retail industry to continuously improve the customer and employee experience.”
The full list of U.S. retailers and retail companies that have joined the Charter are American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (American Eagle, Aerie), Ben & Jerry’s, Ben Bridge Jeweler, The Body Shop, Capri Holdings (Versace, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors), Cartier, CBL Properties, Crocs, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Fresh, GAP, Inc., Glossier, H&M, J. Crew Group, Levi Strauss & Co., LVMH, Maurices, Michaels, Movado Group, Rimowa, Tapestry (Coach, Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman), rue 21, SEPHORA, URBN (Anthropologie, Free People, Nuuly, Urban Outfitters), and Zara.
Non-retail companies, institutions, NGOs, and nonprofits can also support the Charter by becoming a supporter of the Charter and taking the Open to All pledge. Those supporters, to date, include American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), Bend the Arc, Benefit Cosmetics, CenterLink, Disability:IN, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), KENDO Brands, Mentor Spaces, Moët Hennessy USA, Muslim Advocates, National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), National CARES Mentoring Movement, Right to Be, The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing, Travel Unity, Wundher, and Yelp.