TRACE YOUR PRODUCTS
K Group is constantly striving to improve the transparency of its purchasing chains. On this website, our customers can find out more about where the products they purchase from K Group stores come from.
THE PRODUCTS
Where do mywear t-shirts, Pirkka and K-Menu tuna products, Pirkka Fairtrade roses, and PROF Timber sold in our stores come from? We want to increase the transparency of our purchasing chains by providing information on the origin of our products and their journey to our stores. Choose a product to find out more.
BANANA
Bananas are a long-standing favourite among Finns and one of the best-selling fruits in K Group grocery stores. By choosing an organic Pirkka Fairtrade banana, you can make a responsible purchase decision.
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The story of a T-shirt
The men’s Cole T-shirt made of GOTS certified organic cotton is the most popular product in K-Citymarkets’ own mywear selection.
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TRACING TUNA
Tuna is one of the most popular fish species and easy to cook. All our own brand Pirkka and K-Menu tuna has been sustainably caught.
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FAIR ROSES
Finland sells the most Fairtrade flowers per capita in the world. Fairtrade premiums have a significant positive local impact on local communities in Kenya.
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SUSTAINABLE TIMBER
The PEFC label on the timber sold at K-Rauta building and home improvement stores indicates its sustainable origin and shows that the timber comes from certified, sustainably managed forests.
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Canned pineapple
Is it ok to add pineapple into a pizza? This question really has divided opinion. Anyhow, canned pineapple is a favourite of the Finns. Take a look at the supply chain of Pirkka and K-Menu canned pineapple in more detail.
MoreMore sustainable cotton
Sourcing is guided by our cotton policy
We are committed to sourcing all of the cotton for our clothing and home textile brands as certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, Better Cotton or Fairtrade cotton by the end of 2025.
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Organic cotton is a good choice
Organic cotton is cotton manufactured according to the principles of organic farming. No artificial fertilisers, pesticides or genetically modified seeds are used in the farming of organic cotton.
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Fashion for the whole family
K-Citymarkets’ own mywear selection offers outfits for women, men and children. In addition to outfits, the mywear selection includes accessories, underwear, socks, nightclothes, shoes and bags for the whole family.
Read moreCotton production provides livelihoods but also some challenges
Cotton is the most widely produced natural fibre in the world. About half of all textiles are made of cotton. Cotton production provides a livelihood for more than 250 million people. The majority of cotton farmers and people working in cotton production live in the developing countries. Cotton is farmed mostly on small farms with an area of less than 2 hectares, of which there are more than 100 million across the world.
Cotton production involves several risks related to environmental responsibility, social responsibility and economic responsibility. Cotton farming consumes a lot of water. If pesticides are used recklessly, they could harm the environment or endanger workers’ health. Human rights risks encountered in the production chain include the use of child labour and forced labour, overlong working hours, low pay and a lack of gender equality.
GOTS CERTIFIED ORGANIC COTTON
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a leading certification system for organic textiles worldwide. GOTS certification covers the whole production chain. GOTS also includes social criteria covering the entire manufacturing chain which guarantee fair working conditions for those participating in production.
A product with the label grade 'organic' must contain a minimum of 95% certified organic fibres.
WE SUPPORT MORE SUSTAINABLE COTTON
In accordance with our cotton policy, we are committed to sourcing all of the cotton for our clothing and home textile brands as certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, Better Cotton or Fairtrade cotton by the end of 2025.
Kesko is a member of Better Cotton. Better Cotton exists to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. Kesko is committed to improving cotton farming practices globally with Better Cotton.
The cotton supply chain is complex. Better Cotton is not physically traceable; the cotton is sourced through the Mass Balance system. Even though Better Cotton is mixed with conventional cotton in its journey, its total content in the supply chain remains the same.
We control the sustainability of production
We pay special attention to human rights and working conditions in our supply chains in countries with the greatest risk of human rights violations.
FACTORIES ARE AUDITED ON A REGULAR BASIS
We ensure social responsibility of our suppliers’ production through third-party audits. During audits, attention is paid to the working conditions in production, including occupational safety, salaries, working hours and compliance with the ban on child and forced labour, among other aspects.
SOURCING COOPERATION WITH ICA
We purchase the mywear clothing sold in K-Citymarkets from Asia in cooperation with ICA in Sweden. The ICA Global Sourcing (IGS) team, which operates in Asia, is responsible for ensuring social responsibility at the factories in cooperation with Kesko. With a total of around 100 employees, IGS has offices in China, Hong Kong, Bangladesh and India.
An essential part of the cooperation is to ensure social responsibility at the suppliers’ factories as well as the safety and quality of the products. Beside third-party social responsibility audits, IGS performs its own social responsibility audits. IGS also organises social responsibility training for suppliers in Asia.
Where does the mywear Cole T-shirt come from?
The organic cotton for mywear Cole T-shirts is produced in India. From the factory of Gomatha International or Expoknits International in India, the T-shirts are taken by rood to Tuticor port. From there, their journey continues in a container on a large ship via Colombo in Sri Lanka to Antwerp, Belgium, and then on a smaller vessel to Vuosaari port in Helsinki and finally by truck to K Group’s central warehouse in Hakkila, Vantaa.
From cotton fibre into a t-shirt
The ginning process of cotton includes drying, cleaning, ginning, classifying and baling. The cotton is then spun into yarn. During the spinning process, cotton lint is blown to fluffy, various bales are blended together, carded and spun into yarn. Next the yearn is knit and after comes the next stages of the manufacturing of the T-shirts: colouring, cutting, sewing and finalizing.
PRODUCT SAFETY IS IMPORTANT
A lot of chemicals, such as colouring and finishing agents, are used in the textile industry. The choices made in production of what chemicals to use have an impact on the environment and people’s health. We closely monitor any changes made in legislation regarding forbidden and restricted chemicals, and we choose the use of less-harmful chemicals. At Kesko, we maintain an up-to-date list of forbidden and restricted substances which is even more strict than the EU REACH regulation itself.
T-shirt factories
Factory:
Gomatha International Cotton is sourced from India. It is yarned by Royal Classic Mills, knitted by Anugraha Fashion, dyed and finished by Freelook Fashion. The sewing and finishing is done at Gomatha International factory.
Factory:
Expoknits International Cotton is sourced from Intia. It is knitted by Maran Fabs and S.S. Process, and dyed and compacted by Best Textiles Process and Trinity Colours. The sewing and finishing is done at Expoknits International factory.
Audits:
Gomatha and Expoknits Third-party audits are regularly conducted at Gomatha International and Expoknits International factories, SMETA audits at Gomatha and SA8000 audits at Expoknits. SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) and SA8000 Standard are one of the most widely used social responsibility standards in the world.
Gomatha International employs
250
people
Expoknits International employs
310
people
Latest audit at Gomatha in
2023
Latest audit at Expoknit in
2024
Can affordable products be sustainable?
Absolutely. An affordable T-shirt can be sustainable. With continuous, long-term agreements with the factories, the price level can be kept affordable. We do not produce unnecessary surplus, either. Everything that we buy is sold.
At K-Citymarkets we offer long-lasting clothing. Beside seasonal models, our selection includes basic clothing that is sold for a longer period with a focus on sustainability and timeless elegance. Long-term usability has also been taken into account in seasonal clothing.
We wish to provide our customers with more information on the sustainable production of our products. Customers must be happy with our products, aware that they are sustainably produced.
RECYCLING OLD CLOTHES
We provide our customers with diversified recycling services for waste and discarded items and develop innovative circular economy solutions in cooperation with other operators.
Next to many K-stores, UFF, Fida or the Salvation Army have their clothes collection points, for example. Check the location of the Rinki eco take-back point nearest to you from the Rinki website.
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LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY WORK
Kesko Corporation is the only company in the world to have been included on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list by Corporate Knights every year since the list was first established in 2005.
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DRESS FOR ALL OCCASIONS
K-Citymarkets offer you suitable clothing for everyday wear, parties and sports. We welcome you to familiarise yourself with K-Citymarket’s extensive clothing selection.
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Stylish comfort for all ages
In Finnwear's new clothing collection, you will find a wide selection of easy-to-combine everyday basics and stylish outfits that embody the joy of life & practical elegance.
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