This Is How King Louie Uses Retraced to Power Everyday Supplier Collaboration

“We’re not a brand that shouts how sustainable we are. But we want to be transparent. Our customers care and so do we. That’s why we needed a way to show the work behind each product,” says Laura Tol, King Louie’s CSR Specialist. 

King Louie’s sustainability journey began well before regulation required it. But with each new audit, certification, or supplier assessment, the admin multiplied. Sustainability data lived in folders and spreadsheets. If this workflow had continued unchanged, a growing share of sustainability time would have stayed tied up in coordination and manual follow‑ups, leaving less capacity for strategic improvements and slower responses to buyers’ compliance deadlines. 

Teams relied on email for document collection. And requests from buyers like Zalando needed fast, accurate responses. Suppliers, meanwhile, were juggling expectations from multiple brands and systems. 

“At some point, we were spending more time chasing documents than using them. We needed a system that helped us stay on top of things without adding another layer of work.”  

If this workflow had continued unchanged, a growing share of sustainability time would have stayed tied up in coordination and manual follow‑ups, leaving less capacity for strategic improvements and slower responses to buyers’ compliance deadlines.  

Internally, teams needed aligned and verified data. Externally, King Louie wanted to offer customers visibility by showing the facts behind every product. 

King Louie implemented Retraced as a centralized system to support all of the brand’s supply chain activities from onboarding and compliance to communication and collaboration.  

Before choosing Retraced, King Louie explored other solutions such as tex.tracer and Fairly Made, but ultimately selected Retraced because its supplier communication tools and onboarding support aligned best with the brand’s needs. 

Retraced now underpins how King Louie: 

• Onboards suppliers and supports them with structured, guided workflows 
• Tracks audits and certifications, with automatic reminders and updates managed by suppliers 
• Maps supply chains beyond Tier 1, identifying potential risks and blind spots 
• Runs collaborative questionnaires, covering everything from energy use to wages 
• Hosts Digital Product Passports for every item, embedded online and accessible via QR code on hangtags 

Retraced also integrates with certification and audit systems like SLCP and (soon) amfori BSCI, reducing duplicative work for suppliers and enabling smoother data flows. 

Since introducing Retraced, King Louie has shifted from reactive, manual workflows to a more proactive, connected way of working.

• 100% of active suppliers are onboarded and managing their data in the platform 
• Digital Product Passports are live across the full assortment: online, in stores, and in B2B showrooms 
• Certification tracking is automated, reducing the need for monthly follow-ups 
• Sustainability data is now accessible to production, marketing, and sales – not just one person 
• Faster partner response times: The team can now provide Zalando-level audit and certification information in hours, not days 
• Supplier engagement is stronger, with clearer expectations and fewer miscommunications 

“It’s helped us take things we were doing already and make them easier to manage, easier to share, and easier to build on,” says Laura Tol. 

Retraced plays a key role in how King Louie communicates with its audience. 

Every product comes with a Digital Product Passport that shows the supply chain, including audit scores and certifications. The marketing team builds regular campaigns around transparency, while store staff and showroom teams are trained to use the QR codes and product pages as conversation starters. 

“We train our store teams to talk about it. Our marketing team uses it in campaigns. And our customers can scan the tag and see the full story. Some want just the basics. Others go deep. It works for both.” 

Even beyond the platform, King Louie has built its own sustainability content and community strategy, including swap events, upcycling workshops, and product styling tips to make sustainability more engaging and accessible. 

Retraced supports daily operations at King Louie by helping teams save time, make better sourcing decisions, and communicate more clearly across the board.

King Louie continues to push forward on its sustainability path. The brand is exploring deeper environmental performance tracking, circular product innovations, and more refined supply chain insights.

Photo credit: ©King Louie