Fair price-performance ratio for our products

One example: The PVC-free primary material used in our Made in Germany panniers is up to 80 % more expensive than a standard PVC-containing material that is controversial because of the plasticizers it includes. For the planned transition of our softshell jackets to recycled polyester made from recycled PET bottles, we expect a material procurement surcharge of approximately 10 % compared to newly produced polyester.

Other additional expenses are incurred for complex chemical management systems and environmental certificates that reflect resource conservation and the greatest possible freedom from hazardous substances in material production and production processes. In addition, there are costs for environmental management training and, of course, for fair wages paid in production plants – compliance with which must be regularly monitored. We also have additional costs for a wide range of measures relating to sustainable products in R&D, for our strong commitment to a good work-life balance (we offer a wide range of part-time work models and childcare) and for our commitment to healthy employees (we support them with sports activities and our organic canteen, for example). And last but not least, we have additional expenses for climate compensation payments for unavoidable emissions at our headquarters in Germany.

Of the total additional costs incurred for these measures, only a small proportion can be passed on, as the willingness for retailers to charge higher prices in stores and to consumers has its limits. We sometimes deliberately forego profits here. We can only do this by avoiding expenditures in other areas such as by foregoing expensive advertising marketing measures or by not paying out large profit distributions to external shareholders, as we are a family-run company.

Companies that neglect these sustainability aspects save considerable costs. However, these don’t just disappear; they are merely externalized and passed on to others. If rivers are contaminated with chemicals from textile dyes because there are no sewage systems in place or if companies forego occupational health and safety measures or social benefits, it is ruthlessly accepted that nature will be destroyed and that workers will have to lead a life that’s inhumane. The real costs are therefore not borne by the companies that have commissioned these production facilities and are causing the damage. This form of cost reduction is at the expense of nature and the people in the production process. The price and the true costs of restoring destroyed ecosystems and habitats later or helping people who have fallen ill as a result are then paid by uninvolved parties, the general public and future generations.

There are many reasons for once more manufacturing our apparel products in Germany to a greater extent. We could minimize CO2 emissions and capital-intensive pre-financing through shorter transport routes, and our proximity to producers would enable us to react more flexibly to demand and adjust production volumes. All this would also be advantageous from a business management point of view. Unfortunately, this is counterbalanced by wage costs. If we were to produce our clothing in Germany, average production costs would more than triple. The sales price would have to at least double in order to remain profitable as a company.

Even if customers were willing to pay these prices, production in Germany would not be possible. The majority of the clothing industry shifted to Asia at the end of the 1980s. This means that there are no longer any production facilities for functional clothing in higher quantities in Germany. In addition, the production of the materials used in our apparel is also primarily located in Asia. The materials for production in Germany would therefore have to be transported here. There would only be CO2 savings through fewer transport routes if the supply industry were to relocate back to Germany as well. All this could perhaps be implemented in the long term. The question remains whether the recovery or reconstruction of the textile industry in Germany would really be more sustainable, because jobs would be lost in Asia and globalization can also be an opportunity for people worldwide to achieve a good standard of living.

For all these reasons, our current focus is less on where we produce our clothing and more on how. As a member of Fair Wear with Leader Status, we are committed to fair wages in Asia and would like to provide the people who produce our clothing there with working conditions that we can stand behind with our values. More about Fair Wear

When thinking about a fair price-performance ratio, the durability of a product plays a decisive role. In the long run, buying a comparatively more expensive but higher quality jacket will be cheaper than buying a lower quality but cheaper jacket when you have to replace the cheaper version more often, throw it out because of broken parts, or you simply get tired of it and feel like buying something new. And in terms of sustainability, this also has the advantage that more eco-conscious consumer behavior can save valuable resources that are needed to manufacture new products.

In order to use a product for as long as possible, you can make an impact and improve your CO2 balance yourself by taking good care of it and, if necessary, making small repairs. That is why we already focus on good durability with robust materials and high-quality workmanship during the manufacturing of our products and make it possible to repair products yourself. We offer spare parts, repair instructions and an in-house repair service to achieve this. Read more about "Eternally yours".

We see it as our corporate obligation to take responsibility for our own actions and to achieve added value for the common good. We therefore deliberately accept additional expenses for ecological and social reasons. However, our economic system doesn't reflect this – entrepreneurial success is still only measured by economic indicators such as sales growth and profit maximization. This promotes the maxim of “pure cost reduction”, and political regulations for compliance with sustainability criteria in global supply chains are too often lacking.

We are therefore campaigning at the political level for legal regulations, such as the German Supply Chain Act. It obliges companies to comply with due diligence requirements that serve to protect people working in their global supply chains. The law also creates a level playing field by applying uniform standards.

We have also proactively supported the realization of the German governmental "Grüner Knopf" seal and are fans and a pioneering company in the Economy for the Common Good with an audited Common Good Balance Sheet. The Economy for the Common Good is a vision for a long-term stable and fair economic system in which human rights and the environment are respected. The Common Good Balance Sheet measures entrepreneurial success not only in terms of economic indicators but also in equal measure in terms of social and ecological aspects. Read more about "Economy for the common good".

In addition, we rely on long-term partnerships with our producers and suppliers, but of course also with you. Only by working together can we make sustainable and fair business possible.