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ESG in the multiline and specialty retailers & distributors industry encompasses a variety of retailing categories such as department stores, mass merchants, home products stores, and warehouse clubs, as well as a smaller segment of distributors like electronics wholesalers and automotive wholesalers. Common to these companies (except for the distribution segment) is that they manage global supply chains to anticipate consumer demands, keep costs low, and keep products stocked in their brick-and-mortar storefronts. This is a highly competitive industry, in which each company category generally has a small number of key players, characterized by generally low margins. The relatively substitutable nature of retail makes companies in this industry especially susceptible to reputational risks.

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Range of ESG risks in appliance manufacturing:

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• Management of Chemicals in Products

• Labour Conditions in the Supply Chain

• Environmental Impacts in the Supply Chain

• Product Lifecycle Environmental Impacts

• Product Safety

• Raw Materials Sourcing & Innovation

• Packaging Lifecycle Management