Kekäle
Pitämisen puolesta

Starting point

Kekäle is a Finnish clothing store of 200 employees, with over 2 million customer encounters a year in 13 stores and a webstore.

The main idea of Kekäle’s operations has for years been “Pidä enemmän” (like more and wear more) – yourself and your clothes. The goal is for customers to only buy their favourite clothes to minimize the need of buying.

In 2022, Kekäle started a determined sustainability work. Fabrik’s strategic partner Rainbow Collection was selected as Kekäle’s consult and adviser. When Kekäle’s first sustainability strategy was finished for years 2023-2025 and they made the decision to apply for international B Corp certification, it was time to start the sustainability journey from the view of communicating, reporting and commiting.

Solutions

Concept of sustainability communication. As the work launched, we defined a new level on communications, as the earlier visual policies and messages were designed to serve a different purpose. Together we figured, with which kind of tone and catalogue could Kekäle promote its sustainability work inspiringly, transparently and credibly in their sustainability report, stores and other channels.

The concept “Pitämisen puolesta” (in favour of keeping/liking) continues the “Osta vähemmän, pidä enemmän” (Buy less, wear and like more) thought especially from the view of boosting a customer’s self-esteem: for Kekäle, clothes are not only temporary fashion vanity, but an essential part of how great it feels to be yourself.

Sustainability report. The report was based on a freshly done sustainability strategy. It was to be built by the standards but with inspiration, courage and a big heart. A strategy was made concrete by doing interviews and the new concept was used to bring clarity among with infographics and photographs.  Get to know more >

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Culture Handbook. Staff and their well-being was highlighted in Kekäle’s materiality assessment. Kekäle is a family business and the staff is the heart of their success: “We want our staff to grow, glow and experience their job as a meaningful thing to do.”

Using the new concept, a new Culture Handbook was built from the view of leading a business culture and developing employer image. Staff experience surveys, theming and folding were done. The Culture Handbook will be in a constant development from now on.

B Corp certification. Whilst making the sustainability strategy Kekäle decided to apply for the international B Corporation certificate. It is a respected and a hard work demanding recognition, which requires a holistic sustainability of the operations and a verifiable positive impact. The certificate is due to be received by the end of 2023 which allows Kekäle to make its sustainability transparent and receive internationally credible standards for its operations. We helped with the certificate questions, designing, collecting documents and clarifying the meaning of the application.

“In the report publishing a year from now we are able to tell a lot more about our work. With our work, we hope to encourage other businesses to seize the sustainability theme.

Results

Through their actions Kekäle has taken brave steps towards a more sustainable business, in which Kekäle’s role changes from an individual seller to an accountable clothing companion and a trendsetter. At the same time, Kekäle’s brand has started to grow towards a direction which consumers and stakeholders expect from the achievers of the future.

Interested in making sustainability a credible part of your business?