THE KIND SOCIETY: PEOPLE

From store teams to HQ, to RI’s warehouse, suppliers and YOU – the community is the heart of River Island. RI are helping fashion become a force for good, sprinkling extra kindness on the everyday. That means making sure we protect and support everyone in the network: creating a culture that’s fair, open and kind to all.

These commitments are a snapshot of what RI are working on, and there’s  more going on behind the scenes.

Fashion is for everyone, so, River Island are working to ensure that RI is a diverse and inclusive workplace across all areas of its’ business.

Over the past year, RI has been celebrating and supporting the diversity of their Islanders, launching our Your ID action group, hosting diversity workshops and introducing a blind recruitment tool.

Looking ahead, RI pledging to continue actively promoting the recruitment of candidates from diverse social backgrounds and improving the representation of diverse groups at a senior level.

River Island is building a culture centred on protecting the well-being of everyone at RI.

The Mental Health Allies project launched in 2021, offering support for all Islanders whenever they need it. RI also hosted training and workshops that help teams place well-being at the heart of day-to-day work life.

Next year RI want to take this further: leading more workshops and conducting a survey to assess the well-being of all its Islanders.

Everyone in the RI network, from the people making our clothes, to the Islanders on the shop floor, deserve a safe, fair, supportive workplace.

RI are continuously improving working standards for employees and for those in the supply chains, underpinned by a commitment to eliminating Modern Slavery.

RI have already made a start with a rigorous code all suppliers must follow. In 2021, the RI team visited over 300 of its suppliers to ensure conditions meet standards. RI are set to introduce programmes that will help our factories improve their social and environmental practices.

Community is everything to River Island; they’re giving back to the RI network and beyond.

Last year over £1.6m was raised partnering with charities and social enterprises, and RI’s internal teams donated over £100k to causes close to their hearts – with their Giver Island scheme matching individual charity donations.

River Island will be growing this practice in the future, creating a strategy for community investment, supporting initiatives in the UK, and throughout the international supplier network.