Bestseller (company)

Bestseller A/S is a privately held family-owned clothing and accessories company founded in Denmark in 1975. The company provides affordable fashion for men, women and children. They market their products in 70 markets across most of Europe, the Middle East, Canada, India and globally via E-commerce. They operate almost 9,000 shops worldwide, 6,000 in China and the rest mainly in Europe.[1]

History

The company was founded in 1975 by Troels Holch Povlsen in Brande, Denmark. Originally its focus was on women's fashion. It introduced children's clothing in 1986 and menswear in 1988. Bestseller is family-owned and the company employs around 17,000 people.

A December 2023 report funded by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats found Bestseller's China-based supplier had connections to forced Uyghur labor.[2]

Brands

Bestseller has a number of different brands under which it sells its clothing. The brands are listed below and are sold both in the company's own stores and through independent retailers.

Criticism

Supply chains

In June 2017, the Danish independent media and research center DanWatch documented in collaboration with The Guardian, what have been called "slave-like conditions" at Cambodian garment factories supplying Bestseller.[19] Lack of breaks, temperatures of up to 37 degrees in the work halls, insufficient ventilation systems, and strict rules regarding water and food intake led to workers fainting from exhaustion.[20] According to the reports, female garment workers often worked overtime under inhumane conditions and for below Cambodian living wages.[19]

Bestseller's Head of Communications stated in connection with a fire at a factory in February 2017 that Bestseller fundamentally stands by the supply chain transparency efforts they undertake at Cambodian garment factories. Reportedly, workers had to resume clothing production during the incident, even before the fire was extinguished and the smoke had cleared. Doctors, labor experts, NGOs, unions, and the women themselves attributed the ensuing mass fainting to heat, overwork, hunger, thirst, sheer exhaustion, and panic.[20]

A 2022 briefing of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, highlights allegations of union-busting and related abuse at factories who supply, or have recently supplied, Bestseller.[21]

Private jets

In 2024, Anders Holch Povlsen, CEO of Bestseller, was scrutinized by Danish news broadcaster DR for the environmental impact of his private jet usage. Povlsen owns the company Blackbird Air, which operates two private jets used for both business and personal travel, with over 1,100 flights recorded between 2020 and 2023. Despite Bestseller's public commitment to sustainability and reducing climate impact, these flights reportedly emit 17 times more CO2 per passenger compared to commercial flights. Bestseller has defended the flights as necessary for business, citing security and logistical reasons. However, the private jets were demonstrably used for extensive private commuting to Povlsen's private Aldourie Castle in Scotland, to which the CEO flew American singer Lionel Richie for his 50th birthday. Critics, including climate activists, have labeled this as excessive, particularly given the company's stated environmental goals.[22] Scottish media also reported on the private jet usage, pointing out the contrast with Povlsen's environmental donations and rewilding projects in Scotland. An NGO cited in the article described this as a case of greenwashing. As of October 2024, Bestseller declined to comment.[23]

type	Private
foundation	Brande, Denmark, 1975
founder	Troels Holch Povlsen
location city	Brande, Jutland
location country	Denmark
locations	2,700 retail stores & 15,000 wholesale customers
area served	Europe, Middle East, India, China and Canada
key people	Anders Holch Povlsen (sole owner)
industry	Clothing
num employees	17,000
homepage	https://www.bestseller.com/

Bestseller (company)

History

Brands

Women's clothing

Menswear

Children's clothing

Other

Retail stores

Stakes in other retailers

Bestseller Tower

Criticism

Supply chains

Private jets

External links

References