Gallery Direct Ltd's Modern Slavery Statement
This statement is made pursuant to Section 54, Part 6 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It identifies the actions taken by Gallery Direct Limited to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking within its business operations and supply chains.
Our Business
Established in 1973 as a small family run business, Gallery Direct Limited has grown to become the leading British based designer, manufacturer and worldwide distributor of furniture, home decor and accessories.
Our head office is located in Sittingbourne, Kent with over 100 employees covering sales, design, operations, warehousing, and distribution. Additionally, we also operate a second warehousing and distribution hub in Chesterfield, Derbyshire which also employees over 100 staff.
Lastly, in addition to our UK operations, we are also strategically based in key countries around the world, with staff operating in China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Our Supply Chain
As a distributor of furniture, home decor and accessories, we work in collaboration with a range of manufacturing partners who are located across Asia, parts of Europe and the UK.
At present we work with over 100 active vendors and suppliers located in 8 source countries. In addition to this, a number of our ranges are sourced from our affiliate companies Dreamworks Beds Ltd and Endon Lighting Ltd.
Our Policies
At Gallery Direct we understand our corporate and global responsibilities and we are committed to the application of responsible, ethical and, where possible, sustainable business practises throughout our supply chain and across all operations. In regard to this we have made the following policies available to our stakeholders:
Equal Opportunities Policy
Equal Treatment & Fair Pay Policy
FSC Core Labour Requirements Policy
Due Diligence and Risk Assessment
At Gallery we understand that navigating global supply networks involving a diverse supplier base presents a potential risk of forced labour and human trafficking occurring within those supply chains.
Furthermore, we acknowledge that a number of our vendors operate in parts of the world where forced labour, exploitative working practises and human trafficking remains a significant risk within manufacturing industries.
Consequently, we recognise that the risk of such activities taking place within our supply chain is greatest during the manufacturing and pre-shipment stage.
Supplier Relationships
We collaborate closely with our vendors and the operational teams in the respective countries to ensure they share our zero-tolerance approach to forced labour and human trafficking and expect 100% visibility of all existing tier 1 manufacturing sites.
By collaborating cooperatively with our suppliers, we hope to promote a culture of accountability and transparency, with an emphasis on the provision of fair and safe working conditions.
New or potential vendors are required to demonstrate that they have undergone a valid social compliance audit in before they can proceed with the onboarding process.
Those suppliers who cannot meet this requirement must agree to undergo an audit conducted by a certified Gallery auditor. Providing the result of this audit is acceptable, the vendor may then be approved as a supplier, with the proviso that a valid audit is to be booked within an agreed timeframe.
In addition, we also expect our existing suppliers to undergo valid social compliance audits every two years as a minimum. The results of which are review and monitored by appropriate Gallery staff who have been trained to identify specific issues indicative of forced labour or trafficking.
Gallery is a registered Sedex member and is committed to encouraging adherence to the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) base code of labour practise.
Furthermore, Gallery employees make regular visits to each of our suppliers to conduct inspections and they are actively encouraged to be on the lookout for signs any of any illegal activities or malpractice.
Michael Last, Managing Director
24/06/2023