It’s with great horror that the world is witnessing the monstrosity of war in Europe. BESTSELLER’s thoughts are with all the Ukrainian families and those caught in the conflict.
BESTSELLER does not have any stores, staff or sourcing in either Russia or Ukraine. But this doesn’t mean that there’s no opportunity to help the Ukrainian people.
"It is in every way horrible and unbearable what the people of Ukraine are going through. And while our contribution is merely a humble attempt to help and support where we can, we hope the overall donation will make a difference over time. What is happening in Ukraine these days, including the result of it, is affecting the entire world and we all have a lot to fight for. Our solidarity and our unity have never been more important, and our values oblige us to act and help,” says Anders Holch Povlsen, CEO and Owner of BESTSELLER.
DONATION OF DKK 100 MILLION
So far, BESTSELLER has taken the following initiatives:
- We have stopped all sales in Russia which was handled by a few distributors through Finland and Poland
- Any BESTSELLER employees who need to take time off to support the Ukrainians can do so with paid time off
- Our courageous colleagues already assist with different initiatives, especially at our Polish locations, and
- BESTSELLER supports this in any way possible
- BESTSELLER is donating clothes to Ukraine and neighboring countries, Ukrainians are fleeing to, and
- BESTSELLER is welcoming refugees with care packages, when arriving in Denmark.
- BESTSELLER will help refugees with jobs and housing as needed
BESTSELLER's parent company HEARTLAND has donated DKK 100 million to humanitarian efforts and other initiatives that will make a difference for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Initially, HEARTLAND has donated DKK 10 million to the Red Cross, UNICEF and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), all of which work to help Ukraine. Later, donations to a number of other aid programmes will follow.
“For us, it is important to donate and support initiatives that make a real difference. That is why we want to contribute to the vital, humanitarian effort which is under way right now and which is crucial. At the same time, we want to be persistent and support the Ukrainians throughout the entire process, which is why we will continuously make donations to aid programmes and organisations that can make a difference as things develop,” explains Lise Kaae, Director of HEARTLAND.