AUCHAN’S COMMITMENT TO QUALITY: AN INSIDE LOOK AT THEIR PARTNER FACTORY

—————— Parveen S. Huda

The ready-made garment (RMG) sector has been the driving force of economic development in Bangladesh, creating significant opportunities for the estimated 4 million workers, 70% of whom are women. Most RMG workers are from disadvantaged backgrounds and are often migrants, leaving them vulnerable to various health problems. Malnutrition and anemia are believed to be two major issues facing many of the workers, and this has become a cause for major concern among development partners. To address this and other health and nutrition issues, the Auchan Foundation and ACE have joined forces to launch the Annapurna project, providing two fair-priced shops in two partner factories.

Auchan was able to establish their first Fair Price Shop, which has been a great benefit to the workers at Romo Fashion Today Ltd. On a visit to Romo Fashion Today Ltd., Auchan representatives had the opportunity to meet with the factory workers and learn about their experiences. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the benefits of this Fair Price Shop and the experiences that the workers shared with Auchan representatives during their visit.

One worker named Lima Akter shared her experience: “We can buy all the household items such as dal, salt, chili, etc. “The FPS has been very helpful for us as we take away the goods while going back home.”

The merchandiser, Ruhul Islam, said, “As a member of the Auchan Foundation, I feel privileged. The workers in the RMG sector, especially the about 1600 workers who are working here at Romo Fashion Today Ltd., can benefit from the shop.”

Nilufar Akhter, Project Coordinator of the Annapurna Project, shared her concern: “Through this Fair Price Shop, we want to ensure quality and create access to all kinds of household items and other products at a reasonable price.”

The Compliance Manager of South Asia and also Project Manager of Auchan Foundation Bangladesh, Syful Alam Mallick, shared his knowledge: “We have established our first FPS in Romo Fashion Today Ltd.,

Where a lot of grocery products are available under the same roof at a very affordable price. “On top of that, it saves a lot of time, and quality is assured.”