B&M Anti-Modern Slavery Statement 2024

This statement is published in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It discloses the steps B&M and relevant group companies have taken during the financial year ending 30 March 2024 to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in our business operations and supply chains.

Introduction
Our group and supply chain
▪ Our group businesses
▪ Our group supply chain
▪ Our supplier partnerships
Governance
Policies, communication and risk assessment
▪ Our policy
▪ Communication of policy
▪ Risk assessment
▪ Consequences of failure to comply with our policy by our suppliers
▪ Our commitment
Approval
Modern Slavery timeline

Introduction

This is B&M’s ninth Modern Slavery Statement issued under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the ”Act”). It sets out the steps we take as a group of businesses to prevent slavery and human trafficking in our operations and supply chains. We understand our responsibility to prevent the risk of slavery and human trafficking and the continuing need to develop and respond to this growing global issue. We are committed to promoting ethical business practice and the fair treatment of workers in our business operations and throughout our supply chain.

Our group and supply chain

Our group businesses

We are a general variety goods value retailer with retail stores located in both the UK and France. Our stores offer customers a range of grocery and general merchandise products. Our Group includes the following businesses:

the B&M general merchandise retail stores business, with over 750 retail stores located throughout the UK (“B&M”);
the Heron Foods discount convenience stores business, with over 320 retail stores located in the United Kingdom (“Heron Foods”);
the B&M France general merchandise retail stores business, with over 120 retail stores located across France (“B&M France”).

Our business operations extend beyond our retail stores to our network of distribution centres with six operational distribution centres throughout the UK and one in France. For all our stores and distribution centres, we take steps to ensure the fair treatment of our workers. B&M’s Workplace Policy Statement sets out the standards and principles that our colleagues can expect and our commitment to promote ethical and fair treatment for all our employees. The B&M Workplace Policy Statement aligns with the fundamental principles of the International Labour Organisation of freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; the effective abolition of child labour; the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation; and a safe and healthy working environment. A copy of this statement is here.

Our group supply chain

Overview

The majority of goods purchased in our supply chain may be summarised as follows:

Fast Moving Consumer Goods ( “FMCG”)

The majority of FMCG goods (such as ambient food products) are sourced in the UK from branded, household names.

Imported or general merchandise

The majority of products imported from overseas are sourced from China. These are predominately machine manufactured goods rather than labour-intensive handmade products, such as clothing and footwear.

Approximately one third of B&M UK imports are sourced through our Hong Kong-based sourcing agent, Multi-lines International Company Ltd (“Multi-Lines”);
Other imports are sourced directly by B&M UK;
Heron Foods sell a limited number of products imported from China, procured from the B&M supply chain; and
B&M France also sources certain goods via the UK B&M supply chain, procuring imported products from China.

Our supplier partnerships

At B&M, we have a close and collaborative relationship with our suppliers. We have built up long-standing and trusted supplier relationships and work collaboratively with our suppliers to minimise the risk of compliance issues occurring in our supply chain.

We take a risk-based approach to the level of diligence and vetting procedures needed for our supply base, and tailor our approach depending on the perceived level of risk.

FMCG relationships

The majority of FMCG goods are procured from leading brand name suppliers with existing policies and procedures. When procuring from leading UK domestic branded suppliers, we operate based on reasonable reliance being placed on those suppliers having comprehensive procedures and policies in place. We work closely with those suppliers to address any concerns that may arise from time to time in their supply chain.

Overseas supplier relationships

Import suppliers (both direct and those via Multi-Lines) are required to complete additional due diligence, including a compliance questionnaire and provide relevant audit verification that discloses compliance with local laws and regulations, including labour practices. Direct suppliers provide both completed supplier compliance questionnaires and independent audit certification. New suppliers trading directly with B&M also provide a new supplier questionnaire and audit verification as part of the on-boarding vetting and verification processes.

For those imports performed by Multi-Lines, supplier compliance audit reports are prepared by professional external providers from recognised inspection, verification and certification companies. The main accreditation provider is the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), which conducts audits using the well-established values and principles of the Amfori BSCI Code of Conduct. Auditing suppliers is a continuous process, with new audit reports obtained as part of an ongoing verification processes of approved and new suppliers.

By utilising the compliance expertise in Multi-Lines, B&M. takes steps to ensure that there is a consistent and robust local compliance framework being applied to products sourced from China. This process has the advantage of local knowledge, language and understanding of culture.

In addition to the Multi-Lines process detailed above, the B&M Internal Audit function reviews the audit certification provided to Multi-Lines by their suppliers. The Internal Audit team have also taken steps to visit Multi-Lines and review the application of the compliance framework as part of their established annual auditing procedures.

Governance

The Executive Directors, together with the General Counsel, are responsible for delivery of Modern Slavery Act compliance processes across the B&M group of companies. Overall accountability for the policy is held by the Board of Directors.

Policies, communication and risk assessment

Our policy

We have a zero-tolerance policy on slavery, forced labour and human trafficking of any kind concerning our business and supply chains. We support the promotion of ethical business practices and policies to protect workers from any kind of abuse or exploitation. In the last year, all three of our group businesses have continued to communicate our Workplace Policy on the welfare rights of workers to their existing and new suppliers. The standard terms and conditions of purchase used with all suppliers make it a condition that they adhere to these Workplace Policy standards.

Our policy is set out in the B&M Workplace Policy Statement (a copy of which is available by clicking here).

In the last year we have taken the following steps in relation to our policy on anti-slavery and human trafficking:

Communication of policy

B&M has continued to communicate the Group’s Workplace Policy to suppliers along with B&M’s standard terms and conditions of purchase, which make it a condition of trading with B&M that suppliers adhere to our Workplace Policy standards;
Heron Foods has continued communicating the Group’s Workplace Policy standards to suppliers. Heron Foods' standard terms and conditions of purchase also make it a condition that suppliers adhere to the policy; and
Our French business, B&M France, has adopted and communicated the Group’s Workplace Policy standards and provided them to its suppliers. Its standard terms and conditions of purchase also make it a condition that suppliers adhere to the policy.

Our Workplace Policy will be reviewed from time to time, at least once annually, to determine if any changes are required and if any further communication with employees and suppliers is needed.

Risk assessment

In relation to the Group’s assessment of risk, the business adopts a proportionate approach dependent upon the source of its products which are those products:

sourced from leading household brand name suppliers;
sourced through our Hong Kong-based sourcing agent, Multi-Lines; or
imported into the UK by B&M, mainly sourced from China.

A balance is drawn between reasonable reliance on leading household brand name suppliers who have their own comprehensive procedures and policies in place, and, those where other forms of verification processes are required by our Group businesses or our sourcing agents.

Consequences of failure to comply with our policy by our suppliers

In the event of any suspected failure by a supplier to comply with our Workplace Policy Statement, we will investigate the circumstances of it with the supplier. In the event of a policy breach, we will review the appropriate remedial action the supplier must take and determine whether our trading relationship with that supplier should be monitored, suspended or terminated on a case-by-case basis.

FY24

Concerning the year under review, no reports have been made to the Group of any instances of actual or suspected modern slavery or human rights abuses relating to human trafficking or other kinds of forced labour in our supply chain.

Our commitment

The B&M Group is committed to promoting ethical business practices and policies to protect workers from any kind of abuse or exploitation concerning our group businesses and supply chains.

We continue to work closely with our suppliers to promote adherence to ethical business practices and assessment of risks and we welcome feedback from stakeholders to enable continuous improvement. Our policies, procedures and approach to verification processes are geared toward what we think are balanced, reasonable, practical and effective.

Approval

This statement is made under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and is our anti-modern slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year 2023/2024.

This statement has been approved by the Board of Directors and a copy of it has been signed by Alex Russo the Group’s CEO.

Modern Slavery timeline

2016 ▪ Published first Modern Slavery Policy made under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015
2017 ▪ Published Modern Slavery Statement v2
2018 ▪ Published Modern Slavery Statement v3
2019 ▪ Published Modern Slavery Statement v4
2020 ▪ Published Modern Slavery Statement v5
2021 ▪ Published Modern Slavery Statement v6
2022 ▪ Published Modern Slavery Statement v7
2023 ▪ Published Modern Slavery Statement v8
2024 ▪ Published Modern Slavery Statement v9

July 2024

2024-07-bmstores-modern-slavery-statement-v8

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