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Article: Data-Driven Sustainability: How Alife & Kickin Leveraged Retraced

Data-Driven Sustainability: How Alife & Kickin Leveraged Retraced
Customer Stories

Data-Driven Sustainability: How Alife & Kickin Leveraged Retraced

Founded in 2008 in the German 3000-soul community of Ellefeld, Alife & Kickin has grown from a small garage wholesale operation to a significant player in the fashion industry. The company’s journey of continuous improvement is embedded in its philosophy, as highlighted by George Kara, Head of Product, Sourcing and Sustainability: "We are changing from a classic wholesale fashion company to a tech company who sells fashion."

Alife & Kickin prides itself on their commitment to sustainability. From using organic cotton and recycled polyester to being PETA approved for not using any animal products, sustainability is woven into the DNA of the company. However, they are careful not to use their sustainability efforts as a marketing gimmick, instead striving for genuine impact over greenwashing. “We have visited all our suppliers, all factories ourselves, and made sure each of them was audited correctly. Alife & Kickin had all the data to prove sustainability, but it was not centralized anywhere,” Kara remembers.

Implementing Retraced for Enhanced Sustainability and Transparency

In 2021, Alife & Kickin sought to further their sustainability and transparency goals by implementing Retraced as their compliance solution. George Kara explains the motivation behind this move: "On the one hand we needed a central platform for all our compliance data. On the other hand, we needed to be able to present our supply chain to show the world how sustainable we are. Retraced is the perfect solution to achieve both goals."

The brand onboarded all their suppliers to Retraced within four to six weeks. Many were not just willing but eager to be on Retraced and map their own supply chain on the platform as well. Suppliers who were not willing to share their data were replaced by more transparent actors. Today, the brand only onboards suppliers who are also willing to share their compliance data via Retraced. Alife & Kickin is very diligent with their supply chain. Kara explains: “I visit every supplier before we start negotiations. I want to see how they work, whether they are a good fit for our philosophy. Onboarding them to Retraced is the next step.”

How Retraced Transformed Alife & Kickin’s Compliance and Supplier Management

  1. Compliance data is now centralized: Retraced serves as a comprehensive compliance tool, storing all certifications, audits, and compliance documents in one place. Kara notes, "Everything is centralized in Retraced and that’s a huge benefit. We can see directly if any certificates or audits need to be renewed.”
  2. Retraced serves as the main supplier communication tool: The platform facilitates better communication with suppliers through various assessments. This includes sustainability assessments and operational queries. “We use Retraced to communicate with suppliers to do different kinds of assessments,” Kara mentions. Alife & Kickin is close with their suppliers and good communication is key to a successful collaboration.
  3. Transparency is now possible for the brand and their customers: Alife & Kickin is on the verge of sharing their transparent supply chain for every product on their own platform. “With Retraced, we have the possibility to share a product’s journey through their Digital Product Passport feature. We are currently implementing it in our web shop and can’t wait to show our customers exactly, where their clothes come from, and under which circumstances they were made.” Kara states, emphasizing the importance of transparency to both the company and its customers.
  4. All compliance data is 100% accurate: Retraced has helped identify discrepancies in supplier certifications, ensuring the validity and authenticity of sustainability claims. Kara explains, "We discovered that some certifications from suppliers were not up to date, or the terms and conditions were not correct. Retraced notified us of issues like these that we had overlooked in the past. We simply did not have the time to check everything thoroughly enough. Now we can be sure that all our compliance data is correct."
  5. Retraced saves the brand time and effort: By centralizing data, the platform has streamlined compliance processes, reducing the time and effort previously spent on manual data collection and checks. “We save time as all compliance documents are now available in Retraced, a clearly structured platform. Previously they were spread across different folders and Excel sheets in our network,” Kara notes. “The increase in efficiency is remarkable.”

Ultimately, Alife & Kickin’s commitment to sustainability and transparency continues to drive their innovation and operational improvements. With Retraced, they feel they are well positioned to lead by example in the fashion industry, showing that ethical practices and business success can go hand in hand. “Sustainability should be the norm in fashion, not a selling point. You need to like a product for what it is, not because it is sustainable. If you want it and it is sustainable on top, great! I believe that Retraced gives power to the consumers to make conscious decisions. That is why we are implementing their Digital Product Passport feature for all our designs.”

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