JJXX

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS

• Bangladesh
• Pakistan
• China
• India
• Myanmar
• Turkey
• Tanzania

It is possible that there are more production sites.

WORKING CONDITIONS & LIVING WAGES

JJXX produces in various countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, China, Turkey and Tanzania. Issues such as fairer wages, occupational safety and environmental protection are critical in these countries. JJXX meets these challenges with various measures, for example by participating in the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, which is now being continued as the International Accord. The company is also a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and the ACT initiative to promote fairer wages and more transparent purchasing practices.

The company works with a range of relevant certifications and instruments to safeguard social and ecological standards: These include SA8000®, Fair Trade Certified™, OCS, RCS and GOTS, which are brought in via supply partners such as REALKOM, Artistic Milliners or GMS. 

Environmental aspects are monitored via the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM) of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, which measures the use of water, energy and chemicals, among other things. Chemicals are also managed in accordance with clear guidelines, including membership of the AFIRM Group.

Relationships with suppliers are comparatively close. JJXX apparently works with a small circle of around 60 production partners, from which a core team of 24 manufacturers produces around 80 per cent of the collection. Many of these partnerships have been in place for over 20 years. According to the company, it carries out regular assessments of its production sites and classifies them internally based on social and environmental performance. Regular on-site visits and direct communication with the manufacturers also take place. 

The company does not have its own production facilities, but the cooperation with its partners is long-term.

Together with partners and NGOs, JJXX works to promote education, equality and health. Particularly noteworthy is the collaboration with the RISE™ programme, which has reached over 105,000 workers in 56 factories, and with HERproject™, which provides financial education and health knowledge to female employees, among other things. In cooperation with the BESTSELLER Foundation, charitable projects are also supported, for example as part of World Environment Day or through fundraising campaigns in the countries of origin of the products.

Within the company, the ​‘Human Collection’ concept pursues an approach that promotes mental health, personal development and professional growth. A group-wide diversity and inclusion strategy was published via BESTSELLER at the end of 2023, which includes training, fairer recruitment processes and monitoring.

MATERIALS

• Cotton 
• Better Cotton
• Organic cotton
• Recycled cotton
• Polyester 
• Recycled polyester e.g. from PET bottles or textile waste
• Polyacrylic
• Certified wool (recycled, mulesing-free)
• Certified down 
• TENCEL™ Lyocell
• TENCEL™ Modal
• LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose
• SPINNOVA® 
• INFINNA™ (from used textiles and cellulosic waste such as cardboard or straw)
• OnceMore® fibres (recycled cellulose fibres from used textiles + wood from more responsibly managed forests)
• Linen 
• Recycled metal (e.g. for zip pullers)
• Recycled polyester for care labels
• Leather

It is possible that other fibres are used.

The company relies on a wide range of materials, including natural and synthetic fibres, as well as innovative fibres such as TENCEL™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Modal, LENZING™ ECOVERO™, SPINNOVA®, INFINNA™ and OnceMore®. Do you know the benefits of organic cotton? And have you heard about the invisible environmental impact of the fashion industry? 

PACKAGING

Since the beginning of 2022, all polybags used to protect clothing during transport have been made from certified recycled plastic. Only 100% recycled material is used for online retail – from the shipping boxes and bags to the labels and adhesives, the latter of which is based on natural ingredients. Attention is also paid to recycling-friendly design: The packaging is made from one material, is uncoloured and can be easily separated to facilitate recycling.

The company is also working on reducing its B2B packaging: JJXX aims to reduce the use of polybags by 30% and uses FSC-certified paper for hangtags, jacrons and packaging elements. New shipping cartons have been designed to be smaller, thereby reducing material consumption and making transport more efficient. The aim is to make all consumer-orientated packaging material reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

WATER CONSUMPTION & CHEMICALS

As part of the Low Impact Denim concept, the brand works with innovative technologies such as ozone treatment, laser and E‑Flow from Jeanologia.

DyStar Liquid Indigo Vat 40% Solution is used for dyeing, which reduces the need for chemicals such as hydrosulphite and caustic soda and significantly reduces water consumption. 

Some manufacturing partners, such as Artistic Milliners and DNM, recycle at least 85% of their waste water in closed systems.

The company takes a two-stage approach to chemicals management. Firstly, products are regularly tested to ensure compliance with the company’s own Restricted Substances List (RSL). Secondly, all manufacturers must comply with safety precautions when handling, storing and using chemicals and keep a complete chemical inventory. 
The company is also a member of the AFIRM Group and uses digital tools such as the BHive app, which suppliers can use to check their chemicals in real time.

Polyester is increasingly being replaced by recycled polyester. It is explicitly pointed out that polyester is made from petroleum and can release microplastics, which is recognised and communicated as a challenge.

The company is a member of the Alliance for Water Stewardship and has developed its own water framework. In Bangladesh, the company participates in the FWD>ENV programme via BESTSELLER, which provides training on resource-efficient production. 
Partner factories are increasingly using low-temperature dyes and machines with a low liquor ratio in order to save energy and water during dyeing. Some manufacturers, such as GMS, also use treated process waste water for cleaning and gardening work.

CIRCULAR PRODUCT DESIGN 

The majority of the current range consists of material blends. These mixed fibres make recycling difficult. This poses a challenge on the road to fully circular products. 
Nevertheless, the company is working on a Recycled Puffer Jacket, for example, in which almost all components – from the outer material to the lining and filling to the zip (with the exception of the metal zip puller) – are made from 100% recycled polyester. 
Such products are easier to recycle at the end of their life, as there is no need to separate materials. Designs made from a single material are an important step towards a circular economy.

The brand uses recycled materials from its own production, such as cotton offcuts, which are processed into new yarn in partnership with CYCLO®. These products are usually made from recycled cotton blended with LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose to ensure quality and durability. Such material blends can also make subsequent recycling more difficult.

JJXX offers a take-back system for consumers in selected countries such as the Netherlands, Germany and Turkey. In cooperation with Fashion to Fiber, I:Collect and Nivogo, old items of clothing are collected and, depending on their condition, resold, refurbished for second-hand use or recycled. The focus here is on ​‘reuse before recycling’.

In terms of repairability, the brand supports the principle of longer use through repair kits, care instructions on products and repair services in its own stores in cooperation with local tailors. 

In addition, garments are washed several times in the in-house laboratory (The LAB) and tested for durability. The aim is to produce robust products that are easy to care for and can be worn for as long as possible – a key aspect of circular product design.

CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL

The company offers a repair service to extend the life of its products. Customers can take advantage of repair services in cooperation with local tailors in all of the company’s own stores. The brand also provides repair kits so that customers can repair minor damage themselves. 

In addition, JJXX operates a take-back system for used clothing in several countries. In the Netherlands, used textiles are collected in all of its own stores in cooperation with Fashion to Fibre. In Germany, there is a similar co-operation with I:Collect, and in Turkey with Nivogo. The collected garments are sorted according to their condition, processed for reuse, resold as second-hand or recycled. 

DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN

• Bangladesh
• Pakistan
• China
• India
• Myanmar
• Turkey
• The head office is located in Brande, Denmark.
• The company sells worldwide.

It is possible that there are other locations within the supply chain.

80% of the products come from a core group of just 24 manufacturers, totalling around 60 production partners worldwide. 

TRANSPORT 

• JJXX is increasingly focussing on sea freight in international logistics in order to reduce CO₂ emissions. Together with logistics partner Maersk, clothing is transported from the production sites to regional warehouses by ship, fuelled by certified biofuel (ISCC-certified). The company is also working on converting its production processes to make transport routes more efficient – e.g. through standardisation and automated production.
• JJXX is currently switching to vehicles powered by biodiesel, hydrogen or electricity. The aim is to reduce emissions in the last delivery mile and make the entire transport chain more environmentally friendly.

• Wool
• Down
• Leather
   
• The wool is certified or recycled. JJXX plans to use only certified or recycled wool by 2025.
• The down is 100% certified and comes from farms that comply with animal welfare standards.
• The leather is mentioned without specific details of its origin or certification.

JJXX has a clear animal welfare policy, which is laid down by its parent company BESTSELLER. According to the brand, it follows an Animal Welfare Policy that regulates a more respectful treatment of animals in the supply chain.

In the information available, JJXX refers to ​‘certified wool’ and ​‘certified down’, but does not specify which specific certifications are used. Information on the origin or certification of the leather used is completely missing.

PRODUCT DESIGN

JJXX is aimed at women and combines high-quality denim styles with modern, versatile garments. The collection includes jeans in various fits, casual T‑shirts, blazers, urban outerwear and party dresses. The aim is to create individual looks for a wide range of everyday situations – from leisure to the office.

SLOW FASHION PROCESSES

The brand maintains a continuous range, which is regularly supplemented with new designs.

JJXX takes part in seasonal sales.

TRANSPARENCY OF THE PRODUCT

The JJXX product pages usually list the material composition, care instructions and fit details.

Countries of production are not specified and specific traceability is not possible. Although JJXX talks about increased transparency in its sustainability communication – for example through the direct-to-farm project for cotton – this is not yet evident on the product detail pages in the online shop.

TRANSPARENCY OF THE PROCESS

JJXX provides comparatively comprehensive information about its processes, materials and supplier relationships – albeit mostly on general information pages. Among other things, the brand provides information about its supply chain, partnerships with manufacturers, as well as specific social responsibility programmes, certifications and environmental protection measures. 

Individual product traceability is only available in isolated cases – for example via QR codes on selected jeans produced as part of the ​‘direct-to-farm’ project. This type of traceability has therefore not yet been implemented across the board.

An annual sustainability report is not available. Instead, the company regularly refers to the sustainability reports of its parent company BESTSELLER. These reports cover both social and environmental issues and include targets, progress and partnerships.