Suppliers and factories
We do not own any factories. Instead, our products are made by independent suppliers. We work with a limited number of suppliers through long‑term partnerships. This structure enables closer collaboration and consistency in how we work together. Long‑term partnerships enable us to commit to one another in terms of support, investment and long-term improvement projects.
Requirements and follow-ups
Before starting a collaboration with a new supplier or factory, we carry out an initial evaluation to ensure they meet our policies and requirements. This includes screening for our Zero Tolerance issues, which refer to severe human rights violations that must never occur. We also audit all factories before placing a first order, reviewing working conditions and management systems in relation to our Code of Conduct. If serious issues are identified, they must be addressed, and in some cases, it may mean that we do not start a collaboration.
Our Code of Conduct describes what we expect from our suppliers in areas such as wages, working hours, workplace safety and broader labour conditions. These requirements apply throughout the collaboration. At the same time, we recognise that challenges and non-compliances can occur and need to be actively managed.
To do this, we do regular audits during the collaboration, both through our production offices and independent third-party auditors. Audits may be announced or unannounced and help us identify risks, track progress and ensure follow up over time.
When we identify non compliances, we work together with the supplier to agree on corrective actions. Progress is monitored continuously, with the aim of creating lasting improvements in working conditions.
Read more about the Lindex Code of ConductSelf-assessment
Audits remain an important part of our compliance work, but we recognise that audits alone do not always support lasting improvements. Alongside audits, we are therefore developing a self‑assessment approach where suppliers are trained to assess their own operations and report the results to us. Self‑assessments are used together with audits and follow‑up activities and are intended to strengthen supplier ownership and accountability, while supporting suppliers in identifying risks and areas for improvement over time.
Integrating sustainability into suppliers decisions
To integrate sustainability into production in a practical way, we link it to our supplier management and commercial decision‑making. We use a Sustainability Scorecard to assess suppliers against defined criteria related to social and environmental responsibility and transparency. The sustainability assessment is part of our overall Business Scorecard, which is our main tool for managing supplier relationships. This means that sustainability considerations are included alongside commercial factors when deciding where to place orders.
Meet one of our suppliers
Meet Paramount, one of our long‑term suppliers in India. The factory employs more than 7,000 people, where women currently represent a minority of the workforce. Paramount has identified social sustainability and women’s empowerment as focus areas in its business values and works to integrate these topics into its business decisions and daily operations.