Products and Sourcing

At Tokmanni Group, sustainability and low prices go hand in hand. For us, responsible sourcing means especially assuring that the principle rights of people working in our supply chain are met.

We are also working to reduce the environmental impact of our factories and supply chain. Increasing the certification of high-risk raw materials and sustainability labelled products are examples of the tools we use.

Due to businesses acquired in 2023, Tokmanni Group is in a transition phase in the integration of Dollarstore as well as Click Shoes and Shoe House operations into its sustainability target setting and reporting. Tokmanni Group consists of Tokmanni and Dollarstore segments. Tokmanni segment consists of Tokmanni stores, Miny stores, Click Shoes stores and Shoe House stores, as well as Tokmanni and Click Shoes online stores. When referring to Shoe House and Click Shoes store chains, name Shoe House is used to cover both shoe store chains, unless otherwise stated. Dollarstore segment consists of Dollarstore and Big Dollar stores. Majority of sustainability targets regarding 2023 cover Tokmanni segment. Sustainability targets for 2024 are mainly set for the whole Group. Tokmanni Group’s corporate responsibility will be discussed more broadly in the Sustainability Report.

Tokmanni's achievements and challenges in 2023

Achieved

• No serious product safety flaws in the products sold by Tokmanni (private label) or accidents caused by them (customer return %).
• Actively reducing or eliminating reasons for complaints in all products, leading to lower product complaint percentage (claim rate %).
• Update of human rights principles and continuing factory-specific human rights assessments.

Partially achieved

• Reducing the use of virgin plastic in selected products | Partially achieved: Decrease e.g. in pots packaging and projects at Shanghai sourcing company, no weight data of the decrease available.
• Further development of the supplier and contract management process | Partially achieved: Process has been developed and the work continues in 2024.
• 90 own factory inspections and 40 third party audits | Partially achieved: Amount achieved [135], ratio between own factory inspections and third party audits not.
• Targets set for products certified and labelled as sustainable | Partially achieved: Definition for sustainably labelled products continued, targets to be set in 2024.

Challenges (not achieved)

• Biodiversity-related targets according to our biodiversity roadmap implemented with regards to products and sourcing.
• Utilising factory and supplier sustainability data better to manage responsible sourcing more systematically.
• Implementing social compliance features into the supplier management system and increasing the impact of factory audits.

Targets for Tokmanni Group in 2024

People in the value chain:

Increase the impact of Group’s own assessments: 100 own assessments and third-party assessments.
BSCI Compliance Rate 100% for Tokmanni segment and 80% for Dollarstore segment.
Responsible sourcing guidelines adopted at Group-level (incl. Group-level human rights due diligence process definition).
Supplier management system project started in Tokmanni (excl. Shoe House).

Consumers and end-users:

No serious product safety flaws in products sold by the Group, and reducing complaints in private label products.
Promoting sustainable choices at Tokmanni (Reputation&Trust survey) (excl. Shoe House).

Environment:

Invite Tokmanni’s home textile factories to amfori BEPI environmental program (excl. Shoe House).
Develop Tokmanni’s targets for products certified and labelled as sustainable (excl. Shoe House).

Our actions

97% of factories in high-risk countries were BSCI audited in 2023 (2022: 98%, 2021: 92%)

We purchase our private-label products in e.g. China, Bangladesh, and India from BSCI audited factories. The audits are performed by a third party that inspects and assesses the working conditions at each factory.

62 own factory audits in 2023

In 2023, in addition to the BSCI audits, Tokmanni’s own experts conducted 62 (2022: 75, 2021: 62) sustainability and quality assessments at partner factories, and 73 (2022: 42) third-party audits in risk countries. These corresponds to 17% of factories in risk countries in active business relations to Tokmanni.

Cotton sustainable in 2024

We are committed to sourcing 100% of cotton in our private label products sustainably by the end of 2024. At the end of 2023, 39% (2022: 33%, 2021: 15%) of our cotton was sourced sustainably.

Supply chain

Majority of Tokmanni's products is purchased from Finnish suppliers

Tokmanni purchase the majority (79% in 2023) of our products from Finnish suppliers. The second biggest purchasing country is China (9% in 2023), where we own a procurement company together with the Norwegian discount store chain Europris. Tokmanni's largest sourcing countries after Finland and China were the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and Bangladesh (each with ≤ 2% of purchases).
Dollarstore has similar sourcing portfolio as Tokmanni. Dollarstore purchases its products from Swedish, European, and Asian suppliers.

When monitoring sustainability, we focus especially on high-risk countries such as China and Bangladesh, according to the World Bank Worldwide Governance indicators where there is a higher risk for violations in labour and human rights. Of our own products, about 72% is purchased from high-risk countries.

We assure the sustainability of our products and operations by visiting factories ourselves and by only purchasing products from factories where a third party has conducted a BSCI audit or equivalent and inspected the working conditions and the fulfilment of employee rights. During our own factory visits, we check the working conditions, product quality and production capacity as well as the factory's management capacity.

Sustainable sourcing at Tokmanni

We are committed to sourcing our products responsibly and respecting human rights. In developing sustainable sourcing, we focus especially on the manufacture of our private label products as well as direct imports from high-risk countries. In these we have the greatest opportunities to influence and we have a bigger responsibility.

Tokmanni Group focuses on risk countries, which are defined as countries that have the greatest risk of systematic and widespread labour and human rights violations according to the World Bank Worldwide Governance indicators. The aim is to integrate Tokmanni’s sustainable sourcing practices to Dollarstore operations in 2024.

In Tokmanni's general terms of purchasing, the requirements of responsible sourcing are defined on a general level.

In our general terms of purchasing, we require suppliers

1. Comply with applicable international sanctions and to act in compliance with anti-money laundering regulations and anti-bribery policies.

2. Comply to the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct principles by signing the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct and to carry out self-evaluations and audits according to amfori code of conduct.

If the product is manufactured in a high-risk country, we require a factory audit. Approved audit systems for high-risk country factories are amfori BSCI, SA8000, and on a case-by-case basis ICTI, SMETA (4-pillar) and BRCGS.

Read more about amfori and factory audits in the section “Audits for all factories in high-risk countries” below.

For certain raw materials, we also require raw material certification. These raw materials, such as cotton, have significant environmental and human rights risks in their production. Approved raw material certifications are for example GOTS, OCS, Better Cotton, Fair Trade, RSPO, MSC, FSC, PEFC. Read more about high-risk raw materials and our related sustainable sourcing goals in the section “Sustainability policies and Certified Products” below.

3. If requested, the Supplier agrees to supply their carbon footprint information (CO2 emissions) and information about the other environmental impacts of their actions.

In accordance with the guidelines of BSCI, Tokmanni has zero tolerance for the following issues: child labour, bonded and forced labour, inhumane treatment, occupational health and safety and unethical behaviour, e.g. an attempt to bribe auditors or falsify information about the supply chain. If such cases occur, Tokmanni will freeze the purchases immediately and contact the supplier for further investigation of the problems. After further investigation, each case and the continuation of cooperation with the factory will be evaluated separately. In the amfori BSCI system, zero tolerance problems are dealt together with all amfori members using the factory, and amfori coordinates this process. Zero tolerance problems are very rare in the factories we use. The most common grievances detected by audits and self-inspections were related to overtime, pay and minor deficiencies in compliance with safety instructions.

Tokmanni allows suppliers to use subcontracting, but the subcontracting factories must also be BSCI audited and approved by Tokmanni. All factories and subcontractors and their changes must be approved by Tokmanni in advance.

Tokmanni 2023

Audits to all factories in high risk countries

In 2023, 97% of Tokmanni’s direct purchases from risk countries were from factories with a valid third party audit. We strive to ensure that 100 % of factories’ BSCI audits are valid both at the time of purchase of a specific product and at the time of production. Sometimes the audit of the factory has not been renewed in time, and thus, 100% coverage is difficult to achieve in practice.

Amfori BSCI is an international system that reviews and audits the realisation of employee rights, the quality of working conditions, and safety issues at factories. In the BSCI audit, several things are assessed in accordance with amfori BSCI Code of Conduct and System Manual, for example fair remuneration, overtime, occupational health and safety, use of forced or child labour and the right of employees to join a trade union. Amfori BSCI audit results are assessed on a five-step scale, using the grades A, B, C, D or E.

Most of our partner factories received a C (acceptable) overall grade. This is not an average number of the 13 performance areas, rather, scoring a D (insufficient) in two and A (very good) or B (good) in rest will bring down the overall grade to a C.

The most common issues found in amfori BCSI audits in the factories we use are generally related to management systems and working times.

If the result is a D or a C with significant shortcomings, a corrective action plan with clear timeline is requested from the factories. If the result is D or E (unacceptable), the factory cannot be used until the issues have been solved. SA8000-audited factories automatically receive a good overall assessment using the amfori BSCI system. Based on case-by-case judgement, the SMETA audits, the toy business' ICTI Care audits and BRCGS audits for groceries can also be accepted.

In addition to the BSCI audits, Tokmanni carries out its own factory inspections. All new suppliers are evaluated before the start of cooperation or in the initial phase, and at the same time the need for a factory inspection is evaluated.

In 2023, in addition to the BSCI audits, Tokmanni’s own experts conducted 62 (2022: 75) sustainability and quality assessments at partner factories, and 73 (42) third-party audits in risk countries. These correspond to 17% of factories in risk countries in active business relations to Tokmanni.

The most common issues found in these audits involved overtime, social insurance, and minor safety non-compliances. Corrective action plans were required from all factories. The choice of factories to be inspected is influenced by, among other things, the country's and industry's risks, as well as the spend. For example, manual work or the use of migrant workers are risk-increasing factors.

Making our supply chain for clothing more transparent

In order to increase supply chain transparency, we disclose all factories that manufacture Tokmanni Oy´s private label clothing, shoes, bags and accessories.

The list includes e.g. names and addresses of factories. Our private label clothing brands include Force New Attitude, Future TT Sport, Peuhu, Pola, Pola Plus, R-Cover, Vaeltaja and Catmandoo.

We do not own any factories, we always work with independent manufacturers.

The factory list is updated annually. The latest update was made on August 27th 2024.

Read the latest factory list here

CASE | We are making sustainable choices available to all

Our Tokmanni stores typically have a selection of tens of thousands of products. Tokmanni’s employees have an impact on what types of products the selection includes. The Pisara Skin Menu product line, one of our private labels, is an example of how we make sustainable choices available to all.

We are making sustainable choices available to all

Our Tokmanni stores typically have a selection of tens of thousands of products. Tokmanni’s employees have an impact on what types of products the selection includes. The Pisara Skin Menu product line, one of our private labels, is an example of how we make sustainable choices available to all.

The Pisara Skin Menu product line was introduced in Tokmanni stores and the online store in the summer of 2021. The guiding principle for the product line was clear, says Tiina Lipponen, Home and Personal Care Buyer at Tokmanni.

“We wanted to create a new series of personal care products for our Pisara brand that not only reflects current trends and our customers’ wishes, but also exhibits an impressive price-to-quality ratio.”

Designed together with the manufacturer

The Pisara Skin Menu product line consists of shower gels, liquid soaps, hand creams and body lotions.

“Based on our customers’ and employees’ wishes, we decided to focus on vegan content and natural ingredients, for example. We also paid attention to the recyclability of packaging,” Tiina explains.

Tokmanni quickly found common ground with a Polish manufacturer.

“Instead of buying readily available products from the manufacturer, we worked together to create highly customised products for Tokmanni based on our wishes. Our Skin Menu products are vegan, with the exception of a liquid soap that contains honey extract. As much as 92% or 94% of the ingredients in the products are of natural origin, depending on the product.”

RSPO certification ensures the sustainability of raw materials derived from palm oil

What makes the Pisara Skin Menu products special is the fact that they were Tokmanni’s first private label personal care products that included RSPO certified raw materials derived from palm oil.

The Skin Menu products were developed and sourced according to Tokmanni’s recently released palm oil policy. Through this policy, we are committed to, among other things, increasing the portion of palm oil derivatives that are RSPO certified in our private label detergents and cleaning and personal care products.

The shift to sustainably produced palm oil is important because it prevents palm oil production from spreading to new tropical rainforest areas and threatening biodiversity as well as causing deforestation and significant greenhouse gas emissions.

“Palm oil is a significant source of income in the regions in which it is produced. Sustainable palm oil production also promotes the realisation of human rights for production workers and indigenous peoples,” Tiina says.

Did you know?

The RSPO certification is issued by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, a non-profit organisation. It promotes sustainable palm oil production, taking into account ecological, social and economic aspects. Its hundreds of members include palm oil producers and processors, food industry companies and retail chains, as well as non-governmental organisations. Tokmanni joined RSPO in early 2021.

This article was published in early 2022.

Living wage

Tokmanni respects and demands that our partners respect human rights. We promote human rights, adequate living wages, and appropriate and safe working conditions in our supply chain through dialogue, audits and training.

Living wage is one of the issues that comes up in human rights assessments. We are committed to promoting a living wage for employees in our supply chains.

Our products are subcontracted and we do not own factories. Because we do not pay wages in the supply chain ourselves, we cannot influence living wages alone.

Both the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct and Tokmanni's Supplier Code of Conduct contain the principle of fair remuneration, which enables the employee and his family to earn a reasonable living sufficient to meet basic needs. We ask about salaries through both our own and BSCI audits and thus stimulate constructive dialogue on the subject at factories. The amfori BSCI audit includes a Fair Remuneration Scan, where workforce’s decent standard of living is calculated. Anker-methodology is normally used.

We also strive to promote living wages together with others, as this can only be resolved through long-term commitment and close cooperation with global and local stakeholders. Key stakeholders include other companies, legislators, local trade unions and other employee representatives. We are a member of amfori BSCI and support their initiatives that aim to achieve living wage in supply chains. More about amfori’s living wage journey can be found here.

One channel for living on a wage in high risk countries would be freedom of association and collective bargaining. Raising the national minimum wage would effectively promote living wages.

In 2020, we became
Bangladesh Accord signatory

The 2018 Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh expired in 2021, and Tokmanni was among the first brands to sign the newly negotiated agreement on September 1st, 2021. Like its predecessor, the new International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry in Bangladesh works towards increasing fire, structural, and electrical safety at factories in Bangladesh. As a signatory to the Accord, we are committed to only sourcing garments from Accord covered factories in Bangladesh. In 2024, our Tokmanni Group became a signatory to the Accord, meaning that the acquired companies are also committed to the agreement.

Work with amfori BEPI since 2020

Amfori’s environmental assessment programme (BEPI) is a business-driven initiative, aimed at improving the environmental performance throughout supply chains. It covers a scope of 11 environmental performance areas ranging from greenhouse gases and water consumption to chemical management. The first step for the factories is to conduct an amfori BEPI Self-Assessment on their environmental performance. According to the self-assessments conducted so far, our factories need focus on greenhouse gasses, waste management, emissions to air and environmental nuisances.

Tokmanni joined the amfori BEPI environmental assessment programme in 2020 to enhance environmental performance within its supply chain in high-risk countries. In 2023, Tokmanni invited 19 of its biggest amfori BSCI Responsible Partner (RSP) suppliers to the BEPI system and more systematically encouraged its new suppliers to join the system. At the end of 2023, 309 of Tokmanni's active factories were enrolled within the BEPI program.

Sustainability policies and Certified Products

We have defined cotton, palm oil, wood, fish and coffee as our key high-risk raw materials , because the environmental and human rights risks in their production are significant. Special attention must be paid to the origin of these raw materials. In 2020, we updated our policies for cotton and fish and in 2021, we updated our policy for palm oil. In 2022 we have updated we have updated our policy for wood-based materials and defined a coffee policy. Progress in achieving these goas is reported yearly.

To ensure the origin and responsible production of raw materials, we strive to increase the number of certified products.

We prioritise the following certificates: Nordic Swan Ecolabel, Organic, Natural cosmetics, MSC, FSC, PEFC and Rainforest Alliance.

We require our suppliers to report the country of origin of the selected high-risk raw materials (cotton, wood, palm oil and fish) and any sustainability certifications the related products might have, and, to provide additional information on the origin of the raw materials, if necessary. We are currently developing our supplier management system. An important part of this development work is to increase the transparency and the traceability of our supply chain.

Cotton Policy

Cotton – especially in clothing and home textiles – is the world’s most widely manufactured natural fibre, and its production involves various environmental and human rights risks. Through its cotton guidelines, Tokmanni seeks to reduce these risks and thereby meet the company’s own needs, as well as consumers’ and other stakeholders’ wishes, concerning the use of cotton.

We are committed to sourcing 100% of cotton in our private label products sustainably by the end of 2024. We define sustainable cotton as organic, recycled, or produced in line with Better Cotton (BC) or the Fairtrade International. At the end of 2023, 39,1% (2022: 33%) of the cotton in our private label products was sourced more sustainably. In 2023, 36.9%* (2022: 29) of the sustainable cotton was produced in line with Better Cotton, while 0.8% (2022: 3%) was organic cotton and 1.4% (2022: 1%) recycled cotton.

Cotton from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Xinjiang, China is prohibited due to risk of forced labour. We have therefore started to track origin of the cotton on region/province level in China from January 2021. In addition, products are not manufactured in Xinjiang either.

We joined Better Cotton in the beginning of 2021 and thus support making global cotton production better for both the environment and people who produce it. Better Cotton is sourced via a system of mass balance and is not physically traceable to end products.

*Reporting follows Better Cotton platform’s data. In Tokmanni’s internal systems, the share of Better Cotton of total cotton consumption is significantly higher. This is due to challenges in transferring purchased Better Cotton units to the Better Cotton platform. Improvement measures will be implemented during 2024.

Palm oil policy

Palm oil is a controversial raw material. New palm oil plantations threaten biodiversity and palm oil production may be associated with human rights violations. On the other hand, oil palm is the most productive of oilseeds, i.e., the same amount of oil is obtained from a smaller area. Palm oil is also a significant source of income in its production area. Promoting more sustainable palm oil production is therefore important.

In Tokmanni's products palm oil can be found in food and candles. In addition, raw materials made from palm oil (i.e., palm oil derivatives), such as surfactants, are used in washing and cleaning products as well as in cosmetics.

We are committed to ensuring that palm oil in our private label products is RSPO-certified (Mass Balance [MB], Segregated [SG] ja Identity Preserved [ID]) by the end of 2021. In addition, we will increase the use of RSPO-certified palm oil derivatives in our private label cosmetics as well as washing and cleaning products. In 2021, we launched our first cosmetics products (the Pisara Skin Menu -range) that contained RSPO-certified raw materials.

At the end of 2023, 100% of palm oil in our private label products was RSPO-certified. At the end of 2022, we offered 16 (2022: 16) personal care and cleaning products with RSPO-certified palm oil derivated.

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is a non-profit association that promotes responsible palm oil production and considers both ecological, social and economic aspects. RSPO certified palm oil is therefore a more responsible option. Tokmanni joined the RSPO at the beginning of 2021.

Fish Policy

Our updated fish policy is based on WWF seafood guide.

The origin of the fish in all our fish products must always be known and we do not accept fish species that are on the WWF seafood guide red list. In addition, we promote fish species on the WWF seafood guide green list as well as domestic fish.

We are committed that the fish in our private label products is caught responsibly. This means that they have MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) or ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) certificate or is documented not to be in WWF seafood guide red list.

At the end of 2023, seven out of seven (100%) of our private label fish products (tuna) were MSC certified.

Policy for wood-based materials

Tokmanni sells a lot of products made of wood-based materials, from disposable tableware to furniture and from tissue paper to picture frames.

By setting requirements for the origin and certification of wood-based products, we will be able to contribute to reduction of deforestation and help preserve biodiversity.

We are committed to ensuring that all wood-based raw material comes from FSC or PEFC certified forests or is recycled. Endangered wood species are not used in Tokmanni's products. In addition, all private label tissue papers are ecolabeled (Nordic Swan Ecolabel or EU Ecolabel), made from recycled fiber or FSC or PEFC certified. We will also increase the certification of our private label wood-based products such as notebooks, furniture and disposables (FSC, PEFC, Swan Label, EU Ecolabel) and the use of recycled wood-based raw materials in these.

Wood-based raw material in Tokmanni’s new products is always intended to be from FSC or PEFC-certified forests or recycled. However, re-ordered products with woodbased raw materials that have been part of the product selection before setting the policy for wood-based materials may remain uncertified.

In 2023, Tokmanni had achieved the following: 334 FSC-certified products (2022: 260), 3 PEFC-certified products (2022: 3) and 57 wood-based products from recycled wood (2022: 63) 100% of tissue papers Nordic Swan -labelled.

Coffee Policy

Coffee production involves various environmental and human rights risks.

Climate change and the decrease in biodiversity also bring challenges to coffee cultivation. Through its coffee guidelines, Tokmanni seeks to reduce these risks and challenges.

We are committed to sourcing 100% of Tokmanni's private label coffee more sustainably, i.e., that they are certified with certificates such as the UTZ, Rainforest Alliance or Fair Trade certificate. Currently, 100 % Priima coffees have UTZ certification.

Certificate guide

Certificate guide
– What do the certificates say about the responsibility of a product in Tokmanni's assortment?

Organic

PRODUCTS LABELLED WITH THE ORGANIC logo are made from at least 95% organically produced ingredients. Organic products cannot contain colourings or flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG). The EU’s leaf shaped logo is a requirement for all organic products produced within the EU. The requirements for the Finnish organic logo are the same but its use is voluntary and states that a product is under the supervision of Finnish authorities.

Most environmentally friendly in its product category

THE NORDIC ECOLABEL, or the Nordic swan, is awarded to products and services, which are the best in their product category from an environmental perspective. The criteria consider the most salient environmental impacts of a specific product category throughout its entire life cycle. A product or service may, for example, have requirements on energy or water usage, chemicals and recyclability of materials.

Farmers paid a fair price

THE FAIR TRADE logo shows that the producers of a product’s ingredients in developing countries receive a guaranteed price, with a fair trade bonus on top of that. Fair Trade also promotes environmentally sustainable farming.

Fish from wild, sustainable stocks

THE MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) logo shows that the fish and seafood in a product can be traced back to certified fishing vessels and are caught from sustainable wild stock, using methods that protect local ecosystems. The impacts of all MSC certified fisheries businesses have been assessed independently.

Textiles without harmful chemicals

THE OEKO-TEX CERTIFICATE restricts the use of chemicals in textiles. If a product is marked with an Oeko-Tex certificate, it means that an equivalent product has been tested in a laboratory to ensure that it does not contain, for example, allergy inducing or carcinogenic dyes, harmful pesticides or heavy metal residues.

From well-managed forests only

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) labelled wood and paper products come from traceably well-managed forests. An FSC certified forest owner must, among others, uphold the diversity of their forest and the rights of their workers and indigenous peoples. There are three FSC labels. A label on the products tells whether the raw materials are 100% from FSC sources (FSC 100%), at least 70% from FSC sources (FSC mixed) or recycled (FSC recycled).

Responsible wood

THE PEFC label means that wood from sustainably managed forests has been used in the product. In the PEFC certification, numerous requirements are set for the management of forests, which are aimed, for example, at securing the diversity of forests, maintaining the health and growth of forests, and recreational use. Independent inspectors ensure that the origin of the wood raw material is traceable.

Organic cotton

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is an international organic cotton standard that has requirements also social responsibility in the production chain. Impartial certification bodies ensure that the entire chain from cotton growers to finished products is GOTS certified and thus fulfil all the requiremnets. The Organic Content Standard (OCS) of the International Textile Exchanges guarantees the traceability of organic cotton from field to garment.

Cotton from educated producers

BC or Better Cotton is the most extensive responsibility system in the production of cotton. BC is a sustainability programme, which among other things guides farmers towards good practices. Farmers are guided and supported on the sustainable use of water, pesticides, fertilisers and the soil, respecting nature’s diversity and improving working conditions. Better Cotton is sourced via a system of Mass Balance and is not physically traceable to end products. Companies participating in the BC are committed to improving cotton farming practices globally with the Better Cotton.

Natural Cometics

The COSMOS and NaTrue natural cosmetics certificates ensure that only naturally occurring renewable raw materials have been used in the cosmetic product. Requirements are also set on e.g. packaging and environmental systems in production facilities. Certified products has been assessed by an impartial certification body.

More sustainable palm oil

The RSPO (Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil) certificate indicates that palm oil is produced in a more sustainable way. The certification takes into account the ecological, social and economic sustainability of oil palm production.

Recycled raw materials

The GRS-certificate verifies the use of recycled materials in the product. It also sets social and environmental requirements for the production.

RCS set the same criteria for recycled material as GRS. However, it does not have social or environmental requirements for the production.

Made in Finland

Key Flag Symbol demonstrates that the product has been manufactured in Finland,

Finnish ingredients

The Hyvää Suomesta (Produced in Finland) label is used by food industry companies operating in Finland that manufacture their products using Finnish ingredients.

Minding animal welfare

These guidelines guide us in paying attention to animal welfare in our purchasing.

Tokmanni’s Animal Welfare Principles are based on the universally accepted Five Freedoms: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury or disease, freedom to express normal behaviour and freedom from fear and distress.

These Animal welfare principles apply to all suppliers of Tokmanni’s products of animal origin and their supply chains. Some of the principles only apply to private label products¹, including exclusive products, over which Tokmanni has greater influence and may therefore be subject to more specific requirements. These principles are identified below. The principles are followed when the product component² contains > 5% of the material mentioned in these principles. If the product is marketed with that material (e.g. as a wool or leather product), the principles must be followed regardless of the amount of material in the product.

We require that our products of animal origin come from animals that have been bred for food production or are derived of fish³ or mollusc origin. Animals may not
be slaughtered primarily for the sale of their skin, fur, horns, feathers or other parts.

¹ Private label products are defined here as private label and exclusive products.
² A component is a structural part of a product, for example, the components of a shoe include a sole, laces, insole, etc.
³ We also have a fish policy that applies to fish products.

Animal hair

• We only accept fur from slaughtered production animals that have been raised for meat in all the products we sell.
• We will not accept rabbit hair (including Angora rabbit hair), or the hair of caged or endangered species in any of the products we sell.
• We strive full traceability of the origin of hair right back to the farm in our private label products. The country of origin of the hair must always be reported to us.

Wool

• We do not accept the mulesing method in any of the products we sell. For wool from Australia, we require the wool to be declared as Non-Mulesed wool in accordance with the National Wool Declaration.
• We strive full traceability of the origin of wool right back to the farm in our private label products. The country of origin of the wool must always be reported to us.
• We do not accept Mohair wool in our private label products. We stopped using Mohair wool completely in the 2020 range.

Fur

• We do not accept real fur in any of the products we sell.

Down and feathers

• We do not accept down or feathers plucked from live birds or from farms where this is practiced in any of the products we sell.
• We do not accept down or feathers from farms where animals are force-fed in any of the products we sell.
• We will only accept down or feathers from slaughtered birds bred for meat production (excluding foie gras production) in the products we sell.
• We will not accept the down or feathers of endangered species in any of the products we sell.
• All down and feathers intended for our company’s use must be sterilized.
• We require Responsible Down Standard (RDS) in our private label products.

Leather, hides and skin

• We will only accept leather, hides and skin from cows, sheep, buffalos, goats, fish or pigs from slaughtered production animals that have been raised for meat in our private label products.
• We will not accept cow, calf or ox leather, hides or skin from India in our private label products. The reason for this is that cow is a sacred animal in Hindu culture.
• We will not accept leather, hides or skin from Bangladesh nor Myanmar in our private label products because of the poor conditions in tanneries.
• We will not accept leather from aborted animals (including caracul or Persian lamb) in our private label products.

Exotic skin

• We will not accept real exotic animal skins (including snakes, lizards and alligators) in any of the products we sell.

Animal testing

• We follow EU Cosmetic Regulation (1223/2009) and will not accept animal testing on any cosmetic products we sell during any stage of production (production or on finished products).

Other animal products

• We do not sell toys intended for researching and/or capturin animals/living organisms/insects.
• We do not accept living organisms intended for educational purposes for children.
• In the handling of living organisms sold for practical uses (e.g., fishing bait), the correct transportation, storing, and disposal practices must be considered.

Communications and marketing in private label products

• In our private label products, we do not use images of dogs or cats suffering from health problems as a result of breeding. Extreme physical traits harmful to the animal's well-being include, for example, a short or non-existent snout, short legs, abundant skin folds, and a disproportionate structure with short legs and a long back

Chemicals

Our products are safe and do not contain unwanted chemicals.

We are committed to complying with EU chemicals legislation and require the same from our suppliers. We also strive to avoid harmful chemicals in our products by identifying harmful chemicals in our products and then restricting their use or substituting them.

We are e.g. committed to substituting substances of very high concern (SVHC) with less harmful chemicals. If is not possible to substitute these, the product will not be sold.

The amfori BEPI environmental programme helps us to manage the chemicals in the production chain. We also restrict certain chemicals in cargo container gases and desiccants. In addition, depending on the product type, we require suppliers to submit chemical test reports and have a list of banned chemicals in textiles that is stricter than the legislation. The list covers both chemicals in clothing and chemicals used in production. E.g. perfluorinated compounds, nonylphenol ethoxylates and azo dyes are excluded form use.

Product Quality

Product quality is part of sustainability and means to us product safety, legality, durability and customer experience. It is important to us and we work hard to ensure it.

Tokmanni’s quality department in Mäntsälä takes care of, for example, the regulatory compliance of the products we sell, the labelling of packaging, the definition of quality criteria, and testing various products. Dozens of new products and finished product quality inspection reports from tools to toys are inspected daily. Our Shanghai sourcing office also has its own quality team. This enables us to react to possible quality deviations in good time before the goods leave for Finland from the manufacturing countries.

At our own factory social compliance inspections, focus is placed also on product quality and quality management.

Tokmanni is responsible for the correctness of the texts and packaging labels of the goods we sell. All our private label brand products state the country of manufacture and the recyclability of the packaging materials. Tokmanni reviewed or renewed 5,004 private label entries in 2023 (2022: 4,740). We also have products tested by third parties.

We measure product safety and the quality of experience in terms of the number of product types that do not meet all our requirements. In 2023, we identified 23 (2022: 27) such cases, most of which were due to poor product quality detected through self-monitoring or customer returns.

There are also a few decisions to stop selling goods due a possible non-compliance every year. In 2023, Tokmanni Group carried out three market withdrawal procedures for its own brands or imported brands. In Finland, Tokmanni carried out two withdrawals, one related to a potential safety risk related to private label macaroni, and the other related to its own imported fruit bar. Both withdrawals were voluntary measures to mitigate potential health risks. In addition to withdrawals, Tokmanni announced one voluntary-based sales ban for its own brand billhook to prevent potential risks to consumers. In Sweden and Denmark, Dollarstore conducted one withdrawal for sun beds for potential health risks. In Sweden, Dollarstore announced one voluntary-based sales ban for its own imported Halloween items to prevent potential risks to consumers.

CASE | Quality assurance at Tokmanni

Product quality and safety are key priorities at Tokmanni. We aim to ensure that all products sold at Tokmanni are safe to use and of high quality. Tokmanni is responsible for ensuring the safety and legal compliance of the products we sell.

Quality assurance at Tokmanni

Product quality and safety are key priorities at Tokmanni. We aim to ensure that all products sold at Tokmanni are safe to use and of high quality. Tokmanni is responsible for ensuring the safety and legal compliance of the products we sell.

A product’s quality assurance journey

Tokmanni’s quality control process is extensive. Once we identify a new product that we wish to offer our customers, we begin the search for a supplier. When possible, we choose suppliers we have already worked with before.

Once potential suppliers have been identified, the factories send samples of the new product to Finland. The product’s quality is tested by an independent partner. The supplier is then selected based on criteria such as quality-price ratio and supply reliability. We only select products with high quality standards. If possible, a Tokmanni representative visits the factory before the final decision.

After the supplier has been chosen and production begins, an independent quality control partner inspects each product batch before it is shipped to Finland. Once the products arrive at our central warehouse, a quality specialist checks them on-site.

Our Shanghai office

Our Shanghai office makes sure that the products we procure are up to our high standards. With the help of the Shanghai team, Tokmanni can ensure the quality and sustainability of our products, even when manufactured on another continent.

The Shanghai office has 33 employees in total, and it houses two teams: the commercial team and the quality and compliance assurance team. In 2021, Tokmanni increased the number of quality and compliance employees at the Shanghai office from three to five.

“Strengthening the capabilities of the Shanghai office to conduct quality control and to ensure responsible procurement has become especially important during COVID-19, as inspections have become difficult,” explains Mikko Kalmi, Quality Manager at Tokmanni.

In practice, the Shanghai team’s quality assurance operations include factory checks and ensuring timely delivery. Factory checks are conducted at potential new suppliers’ factories and at factories where the risks of human rights violations are the highest.

“Because of our local team, we have been able to ensure quality, responsibility and logistical flow also during these challenging times. This is a clear advantage compared to other operators,” says Kalmi.

In 2021, Tokmanni’s buyers further increased communication and collaboration with the Shanghai office to ensure product quality.

Further improvements in quality assurance

Next, Tokmanni will be focusing on improving supplier information management and identifying supplier risk. We are committed to continuous improvement in every aspect of our business, including quality control.