Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Sets New Worker Wellbeing Goal to Educate and Empower Workers in its Supply Chain

SAN FRANCISCO , March 08 /Businesswire/ - In honor of International Women’s Day and in celebration of the company’s long-standing partnership with worker wellbeing programs such as the HERproject™, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM), announced today that it successfully met its goal of educating and empowering over 100,000 workers in its supply chain by 2020. The company is also proud to announce a new goal to produce 75% of company-made products in factories offering worker wellbeing programs by 2030.

To achieve this new goal, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will continue to partner with BSR’s HERproject™ and VisionSpring to empower workers in supply chains by providing vision services and workplace programs promoting health, financial inclusion, and positive gender relationships.

“In honor of International Women’s Day, we are proud to announce the achievement of our 100,000 worker wellbeing goal and our new commitment to empower even more workers in our supply chain by 2030,” said Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer. “As many of the workers in our supply chain are women, we believe that it is even more important to provide trainings, resources, and services that are focused on the specific challenges and opportunities faced by women. Working with organizations such as BSR and VisionSpring allows us to accelerate transformation and sustainable growth in the places where we operate.”

“BSR’s HERproject is proud to have partnered with Williams-Sonoma, Inc. on its remarkable effort to train and empower 100,000 workers in its global supply chain by 2020,” said Aron Cramer, President and CEO of BSR. “By training and educating both women and men, Williams-Sonoma and BSR have demonstrated how engaging all workers in women’s empowerment creates stronger, sustainable impacts that benefit the educational and financial well-being of families far beyond the workplace. We look forward to our continued partnership and expanded impact over the coming years.”

HERproject™ stands with women as they take greater control of their lives, ensuring that they can make and act on choices they value. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. recognizes that true gender equity cannot be achieved without engaging both men and women, and for this reason all factory workers were invited to participate in the program to celebrate the positive impact of a gender-equal world. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. runs HERhealth™ and HERfinance™ programs in factories to offer trainings to workers in these areas. These programs have reached over 64,000 workers in five factories and 52 countries since 2014.

VisionSpring provides low-income workers with easy, affordable access to eyewear and exams. These resources are crucial elements of care for weavers, artisans, and anyone whose vision affects their ability to earn a living and support a family. Since the program began in 2016, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. provided exams and eyewear to over 38,000 workers in India, Nepal, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the world’s largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer. The company’s products, representing distinct merchandise strategies — Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Williams Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham — are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs and retail stores. These brands are also part of The Key Rewards, our free-to-join loyalty program that offers members exclusive benefits across the Williams-Sonoma family of brands. We operate in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offer international shipping to customers worldwide, and have unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea and India, as well as e-commerce websites in certain locations. We are also proud to lead the industry with our ESG efforts. Our company is Good By Design — we’ve deeply engrained sustainability into our business. From our factories to your home, we’re united in a shared purpose to care for our people and our planet.

For more information on our ESG efforts, please visit: https://sustainability.williams-sonomainc.com/

ABOUT HERPROJECT™

BSR's HERproject™ is a collaborative initiative that strives to empower low-income women working in global supply chains. Bringing together global brands, their suppliers, and local NGOs, HERproject™ drives impact for women and business via workplace-based interventions on health, financial inclusion, and gender equality. Since its inception in 2007, HERproject™ has worked in more than 950 workplaces across 14 countries and has increased the well-being, confidence, and economic potential of more than 1,000,000 women.

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