Last Updated:
3/25/21 9:45 PM
overall rating:
keep going
Marshalls
Internal Representation & Support
53%
Public Commitment
61%
External Communication
60%
To evaluate this pillar, we take into consideration a range of factors, including but not limited to:
- Employee representation
- Diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI)
We weigh a company’s degree of public commitment primarily on their monetary contributions to DEI matters or organizations fighting racial injustice.
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Forms of monetary support we look for:
One-off donations
Recurring donations
Grant initiatives
Employee donation matching
Highlights
Marshalls' parent company TJX Companies has outlined in detail how it plans to promote equity among its associates, both in the short-term (e.g. education and career building) and the long-term (e.g. formalizing ongoing dialogue around unconscious bias).
Lowlights
Despite its parent company's internal DEI efforts, Marshalls has done little to build upon its June 2020 social media posts around BLM. The brand has partnered with Black influencers and bloggers but does not explicitly post anti-racism content.
We scour the company’s website and official social media channels to determine what message they are sending around racial injustice, how they are communicating it, and whether their communications are perceived as genuine or performative.
Public statement: We verify that companies have made a formal statement regarding racial injustice.
Social media: We consider how a company uses their platform(s) beyond performative allyship.
Representation: For companies that have the opportunity to showcase diversity in their feed, we consider whether they have adequate Black representation and BIPOC representation across their models.
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Deep Dive
I. Internal Representation & Support:
Board of Directors:
8% - 9% Black, 31% - 35% BIPOC, 46% - 50% Women
Executive Leadership:
0% (none) Black, 0% (none) BIPOC, 11% - 20% Women
> 40% BIPOC, > 50% Women
Workforce:
An appointed DEI senior leader and/or a dedicated DEI organization
DEI Support:
II. Public Commitment
Marshalls has pledged a donation of 0.01% - 0.09% of annual revenue towards racial injustice, specifically for Black lives. Additionally, Marshalls has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as partnerships with nonprofits or mission-based organizations, and sponsorship of individuals who use their platform to speak out on racial injustice.
III. External Communications
Marshalls has issued a public statement, both on social media and in a public memo, addressing racial injustice The public statement acknowledged that they can be doing better to combat racial inequality within their company and included specific calls to action, but did not explicitly state "Black Lives Matter." Since June 2020, 0.1% - 9% of the brand's social media content has been centered around racial injustice with posts seeming performative in nature. While the brand has made an effort to include ethnic diversity, specifically increasing Black representation, aside from a post for Pride, there is little to no evidence on social media of inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community (beyond posting for Pride), people living with disabilities, or a wide range of models with varying body types.
