First introduced as a denim jeans company, GUESS is now a wildly popular clothing brand, selling both men’s and women’s clothing, accessories, watches, jewelry, shoes, purses, and more.
The company was started by four brothers, Georges, Maurice, Armand, and Paul Marciano in 1981.
With a constant expansion of its product lines, GUESS continues to be one of the most successful American clothing brands of all time.
Today, GUESS markets itself as a “Global Lifestyle Brand.”
Is GUESS A Good Brand? (10 Reasons It Is)
1. Huge Variety Of Affordable Products
If you like to shop, GUESS is your place.
They have product lines for just about every article of clothing, including jeans and denim, dresses, jumpsuits, tops, jackets and coats, hoodies and sweaters, t-shirts, activewear, swimwear, pants and shorts, intimates, and underwear.
In addition, they have a wide variety of footwear options, like sandals, boots, sneakers, and heels.
GUESS also sells watches, sunglasses, wallets, belts, hats and scarves, and cologne and fragrances, as well as having a large collection of bags and purses.
As a nod to its origins, GUESS maintains some of its original designs, but it is also constantly updating its product line by launching seasonal collections.
Though GUESS was one of the first companies to create designer jeans, a product usually associated with outrageous prices, the products remain affordable, yet maintain constant, reliable quality.
GUESS doesn’t just make products for women.
They also have a giant men’s collection, as well as a kids’ and baby collection.
They want to appeal to a wide age range, as well as all races and genders.
Additionally, they also produce an upscale line called Marciano.
GUESS also created The World of GUESS, which tailors to those in specific countries like Russia, Canada, Hong Kong, and Mexico.
It also contains its own European section.
2. Customized Shopping Experience
In order to get their products into the hands of as many shoppers as possible, GUESS offers a number of ways to purchase their goods.
This includes in-store or curb-side pick-up and same-day delivery from Uber when shopping in-store or after booking a personal shopping appointment.
They also ship to UPS Access Points, making it easy to order online and pick up quickly.
GUESS offers a personal stylist service and free attendance to virtual stylist events.
You can also book virtual shopping appointments if you’re unable to make it into a store.
Subscription boxes are also available to those who want to try something new each month.
Subscription boxes are tailored specifically for you by your own personal concierge stylist and often include the latest seasonal offerings and newest styles.
GUESS List is a benefits program that gives you points based on how much you spend.
You then get a $10 reward for every 200 points you earn.
There are different tiers to the program, including The List, Noir List, and Elite List, with each tier giving you different rewards and benefits.
Every GUESS customer can customize their shopping experience, making it unique and accommodating for them.
3. Eco-Conscious Clothing
As an addition to their normal products, GUESS has an eco-friendly clothing line that is totally committed to being environmentally friendly.
In the past two years, over 20% of their denim has been used in the GUESS Eco collection, with an aim of 75% by 2024.
GUESS Eco denim also contains at least 20% environmentally preferred materials and uses production methods that reduce environmental impact.
GUESS Eco’s non-denim products contain 20% to 100% environmentally preferred materials that are recycled, organic, and innovative.
By 2023, GUESS Eco aims to make 30% of its global materials portfolio more sustainable, as well as create and use a circular product design for every major category of their products.
Also by 2023, 100% of their accessories and footwear will be made from recycled material and 50% of eCommerce shipments will use recyclable packaging.
By 2024, they hope to use 100% recycled or biobased polyester for their main line of clothing, and by 2029, they aim to extend that to all of their products.
In conjunction with the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), GUESS supports classes that teach zero waste pattern making, innovative materials, responsible denim production, lifecycle assessment, and circular fashion in order to prepare young fashion designers to think globally and sustainably for the future.
Vision GUESS
Through Vision GUESS, their plan for sustainability, GUESS promises to use more responsibly sourced, recycled, and organic materials and supplies.
Through their supply chain, they hope to reduce carbon emissions and are constantly thinking of new designs and innovations that reduce waste and are environmentally conscious.
Three of their recycled fabric materials are polyester, nylon, and cotton.
Using these recycled materials reduces waste, conserves natural resources, and helps reduce greenhouse emission gasses.
In order for recycled materials to be used, they must be Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified.
Organic materials used include cotton and linen, which minimizes the use of pesticides and other chemicals on farms, promotes healthy soils and biodiversity, and is safer for workers and communities.
Organic materials must be certified by the Organic Content Standard (OCS) or Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
GUESS is also always on the lookout for innovative materials like Lyocell, Modal, and Viscose, which come from sustainably managed forests, protect ecosystems, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The source of these materials must be traceable as established by a GUESS Eco materials partner.
4. Focus On Sustainability
With the pressure on for large companies to start being environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon footprint, GUESS has partnered with Social Enterprise Homeboy Industries to create their in-store recycling program.
The program works for customers by offering 15% off for every five or more articles of unwanted clothing they bring to the store.
The items are then sent to Homeboy Recycling where they are upcycled, refurbished, and recycled.
In addition to the ways GUESS enacts sustainability practices, they also have created a corporate structure that allows for internal audits.
This is said to strengthen their efforts and gather more accurate numbers.
Their website states, “The GUESS Sustainability Steering Committee reviews our sustainability plans, identifies priority risks and opportunities, and monitors progress against our commitments and goals.”
The committee, which usually meets twice a year, consists of the heads of many of the company’s departments to ensure each department is able to infuse sustainable efforts into all of their doings.
Regional Efforts
Regional sustainability committees also work under this umbrella, integrating their own sustainable practices per area and supplementing the practices already in place.
They also state they’ve “successfully completed an examination of [their] sustainability report by third-party assurance provider KPMG.”
This helps keep the company maintain accountability for their declarations and actions.
Also, by infusing each part of their business with sustainable efforts, GUESS creates growth opportunities for their partners, associates, suppliers, and communities.
GUESS truly takes climate change seriously and is committed to limiting their corporate carbon footprint by cutting their greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and supply chain emissions by 30% by 2030.
So far, GUESS has already reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 18% in their direct operations on a per-square-foot basis.
Also, all packaging is in the process of becoming recyclable or made of recycled materials, while more than 50 GUESS stores in North America and Europe have been retrofitted or opened with LED lighting systems.
If that’s not enough, they offer complimentary electric vehicle charging stations for associates and rideshare incentives at their global headquarters in Los Angeles.
5. Corporate Social Responsibility
GUESS takes corporate social responsibility seriously as well.
They believe that, in order to enact systemic social change, they must use a collaborative approach.
For GUESS, that involves working only with suppliers that ensure international standards for human and labor.
In order to assist this approach, GUESS has created a program for worker empowerment as well as teaching supplier training to their partners.
GUESS also coordinates oversight and remediation efforts around the world.
By 2024, they hope to establish training programs for 100% of their factory workers in their main manufacturing facilities.
GUESS is also committed to partnering with key vendors on disclosures and programs that will lead to positive women’s empowerment.
In addition, by utilizing their partnership with Social Enterprise Homeboy, GUESS is able to create more jobs and training opportunities, giving back to the community.
This partnership provides positive, transformative opportunities to those who were once incarcerated.
Besides partnering with Homeboy Industries, GUESS also partners with community organizations that are focused on sustainability, like Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) GOLD Community, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Global Fashion Agenda, The Jeans Redesign, CDP, Science Based Targets Initiative, UNFCCC Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, Good360, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Inno Community Development Organization, and Textile Exchange.
6. Diversity And Inclusion-Centered Workplace
GUESS prides themselves on their inclusive hiring practices and on creating a welcoming work environment for all of their 11,000 associates.
According to their website, “Our aim is for all GUESS associates to feel comfortable and safe bringing their authentic selves to work and contributing fully to our shared success.”
They’ve even gone so far as to add diversity and inclusion to their annual performance review.
They plan to expand on the Diversity and Inclusion Council that was formed in the United States by redeveloping their Diversity and Inclusion Council in Europe in 2022.
Prioritizing gender parity and increasing ethnic diversity in executive leadership positions is an ongoing mission for GUESS.
Their sustainability report from 2020–2021 states they “achieved gender pay parity at our World Headquarters and across our retail operations.”
According to Zippia, GUESS is 65.5% female and 50.0% ethnic minorities, unusual statistics for large companies.
They make an ongoing effort to provide an inclusive work culture that listens and respects each and everyone, from fashion designers to retail store associates.
In order to grow as a company, they know the value of listening to a diverse group of voices.
Each voice and opinion contributes to the overall inclusivity of the whole company.
Plus, it’s not just the business and retail associates.
They’re referring to people all along the supply chain, from raw materials to the finished product.
Everyone holds a powerful, respected position in the company.
7. Supporting Local Communities Through The GUESS Foundation
Besides all of the community partnerships GUESS has made for their sustainable efforts, they’ve also partnered with many community groups and organizations focused on helping youth and giving back to their local communities.
The GUESS Foundation was founded in 1994 in order to support a wide range of social change efforts.
Its mission is to “pursue social, health and educational opportunities that enhance the well-being, development, protection and assistance to men, women and children in our global environment.”
The foundation supports organizations like MOCA, Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes/Children’s Diabetes Foundation, Project Angel Food, Los Angeles Police Foundation, Tower Cancer Research Foundation, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Ronald McDonald House New York, Alliance for Children’s Rights, Make-a-Wish, FIDM, Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation, Cedar-Sinai, UNICEF, Win, NAACP, The Umoja Center, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, The World Stage, and Direct Relief.
During COVD-19, GUESS partnered with local organizations to donate funds, clothing, and personal protective equipment as well as inspire the public to take meaningful action by offering volunteering opportunities and ways to give back.
In addition to this, GUESS has pledged a five-year donation total of $1 Million to local and national Black Community Groups including the NAACP, The Umoja Center, and The World Stage.
8. Company Transparency
Vision GUESS releases a detailed sustainability progress report every year since it was launched.
The results in the report are then verified using third-party reasonable assurance, as GUESS is continuously looking to Improve their Internal Audit protocol to maintain the highest standards for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data quality.
Reports and reviews from all areas of the company can be found on their Reports and Resources website which catalogs and documents all of the company’s sustainable efforts dating back to 2014.
Other published reports include the GUESS Responsible Sourcing Policy on Cellulosic Fabrics, GUESS Denim Water and Chemical Management Policy, GUESS GRI Topics and Management Approach Document, list of Restricted Substances and Materials (2021), GUESS Supplier Factory Code of Conduct, GUESS Responsible Cotton Sourcing Policy, GUESS Code of Ethics, GUESS Animal Welfare Policy, and the GUESS vendor list.
GUESS Sustainability also publishes a blog that keeps anyone that is interested up to date on company news.
In addition to staying transparent about their sustainability efforts and environmental impact, GUESS also conducts an annual Diverse Voices and Ideas review, holding themselves accountable for their hiring practices.
They keep their performance regularly monitored and measured, ensuring they keep up to their own standards.
GUESS also collaborates with stakeholders throughout the value chain, reporting their progress openly to investors.
In order to maintain long-lasting, working relationships communication and transparency are a must and GUESS does just that.
GUESS maintains strong investor relations by staying completely transparent, publishing annual reports, analyst coverage, annual meeting materials, quarterly results, and so much more.
9. Operating With Honesty And Integrity
GUESS’s vow to stay transparent is just part of why the company operates with honesty and integrity.
They believe ethical conduct is the foundation of the company.
In all areas of the business, associates and employees work to improve and evolve through the company and themselves.
Not every large company has a code of ethics, but GUESS stands by theirs proudly, holding everyone who works with the company—no matter what their position is—to those standards.
Their code of ethics guides employees in working with everyone from customers to global suppliers to business partners.
Each employee is given a copy of the code of ethics upon being hired and is expected to work within the guidelines, ensuring honesty and integrity across the board.
GUESS’s code of ethics includes topics like personal responsibility, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, employee treatment, and more.
They understand the responsibility corporate capitalism demands and infuse all areas of the company, from the company itself to its business relations to the overall well-being of the planet, with integrity and honesty.
10. Customer Care
GUESS goes beyond just the average customer service.
They are committed to listening to what their customers want and delivering on those demands.
Not only do they respond to the needs of their partners, associates, and suppliers, but they also respond to their customers’ needs.
The company also respects customer privacy by refusing to sell private customer information to outside companies or third parties.
They also use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to protect the information of their online shoppers.
This technology encrypts data so that only GUESS can decode and use the provided information.
Their return policy is simple, allowing customers to return unwanted or unneeded products for up to 30 days after purchase.
Items bought online can easily be returned in-store or by mail, giving customers multiple options that work best for them.
Conclusion
Like every company, GUESS has had its bumps in the road, but today, it stands as a respectable, honest, and ambitious lifestyle company.
Its wide array of products makes it appealing to the masses, while its focus on sustainability and movement towards environmental change, makes GUESS one of the best clothing brands out there.
Their commitment to diversity in the workplace and respect for employees throughout the entire chain of product development enriches their company culture, as well as their innovative clothing and accessory lines.
GUESS is also extremely admirable in the way they give back to their communities, enriching local areas and empowering those that may be underprivileged or marginalized.
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