Wacoal’s goal is to “contribute to society by helping women to express their beauty.” This ambition has been embodied in the social contribution activities promoted by Wacoal in various ways. We believe that the many experiences we have gained through our main business should be reflected in our business activities to increase their social significance. By consistently continuing with such efforts, we will be able to deeply engage with society at large and our presence will be strengthened.
Social Business
Social businesses use business methods to tackle social problems. As well as having both social and business facets, they need to be innovative and sustain their activities. In order to ensure our social businesses continue, we believe heightening their business facets and establishing tie-ups with various organizations while extending their activities throughout society is important.
The Remamma Project
Aiming to assist women that have undergone breast removal surgery, we established the Social Welfare Section directly under the control of the president in 1974, and began providing specially made Remamma innerwear and pads.
Our Remamma products are for women that have had an entire breast removed as a result of surgery. Of course our greatest wish is to see advances in breast cancer treatment eliminate the need for this type of project. However, the reality at present is that many women have problems finding inner wear after surgery. We believe giving all such women access to Remamma products benefits society.
Individual counseling desk
Products display corner
Dublevé Business
Normally, the brassieres we sell at stores are available in approximately 50 sizes. Sometimes, however, even this range of sizes does not cater to all body shapes. To rectify this problem, we established Wacoal Dublevé as a brand of semi-order-made products in 1999. The Dublevé approach to product design is to offer innerwear that perfectly fits each woman’s body shape at prices not significantly higher than those of ready-made products.
The greatest differentiating capability of Wacoal Dublevé is that its specialist consultants are able to provide innerwear that fits each individual exactly by measuring the left and right verge’s line, the circumference of the underside of the bust, and then selecting the most appropriate innerwear from among 3,030 sizes.
Good Age Business
While some need nursing care, most senior citizens – despite feeling their bodies weakening as they age – are active individuals leading independent lives. Further, more than half of women aged 65 or above are going out more often. One of the chief complaints of such individuals is the lack of apparel suited to their body shape and the difficulty of buying apparel in the styles they prefer locally.
Aiming to mitigate the wardrobe-related frustration of such women aged 65 or above and cater to their desire for perennial beauty, Wacoal established the Good Age business in 2002. Emphasizing ergonomic design, this business has developed products with greater functionality and comfort. For example, under the Rakuraku Partner brand, the business has designed products that are easy to put on and take off. Also based on the Human Science Research Center’s body shape data, we have analyzed the body shapes of women aged 60 or older and established propriety “comfort size” standards that differ from the normal Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) sizes.
These initiatives have enabled us to roll out a lineup of products that provide overall support for everyday life. Designed to fit the body shapes of women aged 65 or older and ensure their comfort, this product range includes everything from innerwear and nightwear through to outerwear. The Good Age business will plan and develop products with its sights set on an increasingly aged society. To inform a greater number of energetic senior women about these product lineups, Wacoal will invigorate the senior market—which has been subsumed in the nursing-care and rehabilitation markets—and strengthen this business as a brand that enhances seniors’ quality of life.
Initiatives to Support Recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake
We would like to extend our sincere sympathy to all those affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and pray for the earliest possible reconstruction of the affected areas.
The Wacoal Group supports the reconstruction of disaster-hit areas to the best of its ability.
As of March 16, 2011, we offered 32,000 items of underwear as relief supplies. Later on, we provided a total of 250,000 items of underwear to disaster victims via central and local governments as well as our business partners (as of May 31, 2011).
In addition, a donation of \100 million from Wacoal Holdings Corp. was made to the victims via the Japan Red Cross Society. We also implemented a volunteer leave program for regular employees from April 1,2011 to March 31, 2012, under which some employees participated in volunteer activities in disaster areas. We at the Wacoal Group will continue to provide the maximum possible assistance.
Matching Contributions
Wacoal sends its shareholders Wacoal essence check gift certificates as a shareholder benefit.
Normally, the system gives shareholders the option of donating these gift certificates to the Japan Cancer Society as a way of supporting Pink Ribbon Activities. However, in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, on this occasion we provided the additional option of donating the gift certificates to the Japan Red Cross Society.
Furthermore, Wacoal matches the amount of the contributions from shareholders with its own donations to these organizations.
Fiscal 2012 Report
| Donation recipient | Number and amount of donations from customers |
|---|---|
| Japan Cancer Society Wipe Out Breast Cancer Smile Fund |
April 2011 - end of March 2012 784 donations ¥1,212,000 |
| Japan Red Cross Society Donation in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake |
June 2011 - end of February 2012 582 donations ¥1,354,000 |
Project to support recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake: “ART no CHIKARA” @ SPIRAL
SPIRAL is a complex of cultural facilities established by Wacoal Corporation in Aoyama, Tokyo in 1985, aimed at integrating cultural aspects into business. To support recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, an unprecedented disaster that hit the northeastern part of Japan on March 11, 2011, we decided to hold the gallery exhibition “ART no CHIKARA (Power of Art)” at SPIRAL. On March 18, we started to invite artists to participate and cooperate in this event. About 100 artists who supported our project aim provided their messages and works to the event that was launched on March 22. The full proceeds from sales and live performances and other money raised from the event were donated to disaster-hit areas via the Japan Red Cross Society.
