HalpaHalli combines low prices and responsible retail
2024 marked 55 years since HalpaHalli first opened its doors in Kokkola. The family business has grown into one of Finland’s largest discount store chains with 35 brick-and-mortars and a large online store.
A lot has changed in retail business over HalpaHalli’s history. Purchasing Manager Anne Flinck has witnessed the company’s evolution up close – starting from her childhood when she accompanied her father, HalpaHalli’s founder Esko Ylinen, on trips to China to visit manufacturers.
“Since the beginning, it has been clear to us as a family business that low prices must not come at the expense of people’s well-being or the environment. Still, our corporate responsibility practices are on a very different level today. One of the things we are focusing on right now is enhancing social and environmental responsibility throughout our whole supply chain”, Flinck says.
Forming long-lasting relationships with carefully selected suppliers has always been a priority for HalpaHalli. Solid partnerships spanning over decades have made it possible for the company to offer quality products while still maintaining low prices.
“All of our partners in the supply chain must comply with our strict responsibility standards regarding human rights and climate-friendly operations”, Flinck emphasises.
“One way we monitor our supply chain is by doing factory audits at manufacturers’ facilities. For example, in China, we have our own organisation that takes care of regular audits”, she continues.
In 2023, the retail industry faced a major change when the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) was introduced.
“This directive requires us to report how we manage environmental and social challenges at HalpaHalli. For consumers, this means a better possibility to evaluate our and other retailers’ responsibility measures.”
To help ensure that HalpaHalli continues to meet the evolving responsibility standards in the future, the company has joined the amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative). HalpaHalli follows the BSCI Code of Conduct that strives to protect the climate as well as workers’ rights in companies’ supply chains.
“Thanks to the training, tools, and auditing services amfori provides, we at HalpaHalli can build responsible retail more effectively with our partners”, Flinck states.
