Dutch textile discounter Zeeman has managed to raise its sales by more than 14 % in 2022, thanks in part to price increases. Second-hand sales are a success, reports the retailer.
Sustainable materials
Zeeman realised net sales of 774.2 million euros in 2022, a double-digit growth compared to its 2021 sales of 687.5 million euros. The company does not provide profit figures. The retailer sold a total of 290.7 million items, which is ‘only’ a growth of 4.6 %: the sales growth is thus largely due to price increases, the textile discounter acknowledges in its annual social responsibility report.
The sale of second-hand clothes is going fast, CEO Erik-Jan Mares reports in his foreword: in 2022, the retailer sold over 33,000 second-hand garments, saving over 33,000 kilograms of CO2. Zeeman wants to continue along those lines in 2023. The share of sustainable materials in its clothing is also increasing: almost three quarters of the cotton used last year was organic, recycled or Better Cotton.
Need for legislation
Zeeman is also working more sustainably in its new shops, for example with as many recyclable promotional materials as possible, such as paper and cardboard, and as little plastic as possible. Furthermore, the retailer is working on responsible sourcing practices, including the introduction of living wage in four factories in Bangladesh, India and Turkey.
Nevertheless, there are still major challenges and Zeeman cannot do it alone, the CEO says: “That is why we think it is important to have international legislation in the field of sustainable business. Because the more parties participate, the more impact we can make together.” Zeeman employed 6,575 people at the end of last year in 1,313 stores in seven European countries.
