The Woody Group
Who is… The Woody Group?
The Woody Group is the Belgian company behind Woody, a brand that since its launch in 1993 has been synonymous with colourful pyjamas, nightgowns, homewear, underwear and swimwear for babies, children, women and men. Woody items are not only cheerful and comfy; they are also known for their quality and are often passed on to brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces. Fast fashion gets the cold shoulder here: because Woody items are totally up for a second life, there’s less need to produce new pieces.
Resources
Sustainable fabrics like organic cotton and Tencel®
Woody recently released a clothing line for babies in organic, GOTS certified cotton, and they’re planning on expanding it. Woody underwear is Oeko-Tex certified, so you can be sure no harmful chemicals ever came near it. In addition, Woody has a brand-new underwear collection for men and women in the pipeline, for which it will use Tencel®. This is one of the most sustainable materials available today, guaranteeing daily comfort to boot.
Design
Looking for eco-friendly dyes
The prints of those cute animals Woody is famous for are made in Belgium with nontoxic, water-based inks, doing both people and planet a favour. At the moment, Woody is looking for a partner to help dye all of its fabrics in an environmentally friendly manner. In addition, the brand is trying to find a way to recycle its 3% fabric waste.
Production
Proud FWF member and 'Leader'
On June 1st, 2019, Woody became a proud member of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF). The Woody Group needed only one presentation about the FWF to become convinced that membership was the next logical step. With its own Turkish sewing workshop taking care of nearly 90% of the production, Woody’s approach already scored well in terms of internal transparency. The workshop applies the LEAN concept and puts both people and product centre stage. For their warm winter fabrics, in turn, Woody has been relying on the same Chinese suppliers for more than a decade – and with good reason, because they fit the Fair Wear story like a glove. More recently, Woody decided to team up with a few Indian suppliers, based on their well-developed CSR policy. The brand’s production process clearly revolves around strong collaborations with specialised partners, who respect the Code of Conduct.
In 2022, Woody also succeeded in becoming a Fair Wear Leader, a status only granted to members who make an extra effort to put fair working conditions into practice. To gauge the result, an audit and satisfaction surveys were conducted in their Turkish factory.
Retail
Sustainable packaging and marketing material, support for charities
Woody focuses on environmentally friendly packaging materials and said goodbye to the balloons that used to decorate their gift wraps. Their hang tags are produced in the country of origin and are FSC ® certified. The new Tencel® underwear collection that Woody will soon be spoiling us with will be wrapped in recycled cardboard which – to add icing on the cake – will be cut as efficiently as possible. Less paper waste: check. Less empty packaging space (hence, less of the silly business of transporting air): double check. Woody gave their goodies for the little ones a sustainable makeover. They now treat their smallest customers to bamboo toothbrushes, for instance. Finally, Woody is donating € 0,10 to charities supporting children or animals for every pair of pyjamas sold.
Consumption
Providing maintenance tips and getting customers involved
Woody sends its customers home with maintenance tips and the plea to never, ever use fabric softener. Moreover, the brand intends to better inform them about what to do with Woody items they no longer wear. Postcards and the Woody World website are the communication channels par excellence for this. Clearly, the label wants every customer involved in the sustainability story.
End of life
A second life for Woody items
Quality always comes first for Woody. Their items last long and beg to be passed on to others. That’s why the brand is planning on collecting discarded pyjamas to donate to charity and stimulates the resale of surplus stock. And there’s more … The team is currently looking into the possibilities for recycling old pj’s, in collaboration with the Lenzing Group, a fibre and textile manufacturer best known for developing Tencel®.
What challenges are you currently facing?
Van de Velde: “Selecting sustainable materials is of our biggest challenges. Though they are often harder to find and though they come with a heftier price tag, we do think it’s important to push on. We keep up with innovations and hope that sustainable resources will eventually become the norm in the industry. It obviously makes all the difference if more companies start to invest in these materials, so we can buy larger quantities together.”
Steven Van de Velde (CEO The Woody Group)
What does sustainability mean for you?
Steven Van de Velde: “Sustainability has become one of our standard concepts. It forms the foundation for the many innovations and economic, ecological and social projects we’re working on. We’re always on the hunt for sustainable alternatives and we constantly question our own approach, trying to do our work as best as we can and as sustainably as possible.”
Which lesson(s) do you want to share?
Van de Velde: “For Woody, sustainability comes from the heart. I really want to take the lead in this. To create a success story, you have to take time as a CEO to get inspired and to expand your knowledge, so you can make the right decisions. For instance: in 2019, I went to the Copenhagen Fashion Summit for the first time, and I came home inspired, full of energy and with tons of leads.”
This page was created in August 2019. Curious to find out where The Woody Group
stands now? Feel free to get in touch with them via info@thewoodygroup.com!