CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Stakeholder Relations

We acknowledge the importance of proactive engagement with all of our stakeholders and strive to foster sound relationships between the company and the investment community.

Invitations are extended to members of the Investment Analyst Society to attend results presentations to provide them with timeous and relevant information regarding financial performance and prospects.
Executive directors and senior management are accessible to investors, and regular meetings are held with local and international shareholders, both current and prospective.
Price-sensitive information is distributed via the JSE Limited’s SENS and made available simultaneously via the Foschini group website.
A wide variety of information is made available to staff members through the group’s intranet, including the group’s code of ethics, mission and values, HIV/AIDS policy, medical aid information, internal recruitment opportunities, environmental policy and initiatives, reporting of fraud and theft, sexual harassment policy and staff announcements.
Ongoing communication with suppliers is vital to the group’s sustained access to the merchandise and services they provide. Within this framework it is necessary to convey to suppliers the group’s standards regarding ethical conduct and legal compliance. Of increasing importance is the group’s requirement to know the suppliers’ BBBEE-level contributor status in order to ensure that the group’s BBBEE-supplier database is kept up to date.

Stakeholder	Main means of communication
Institutional shareholders and investment analysts	Presentations arranged through the Investment Analyst Society. Regular local and international investor relations meetings with executive directors and senior management.
Shareholders	Annual reports, SENS announcements, profit announcements, annual general meetings, general meetings, advertisements, group website and e-mail.
Customers	Store and head office staff, customer care call centre, website, e-mail, SMS, monthly statements, advertising, sponsorships, store promotions and competitions.
Suppliers	Store and head office staff, regular site visits, audits and meetings, video-conferencing, requests for general and compliance information, and supplier fora.
Community	Community social investment initiatives undertaken by the group and by staff members, meetings with social investment representatives, sponsorships, advertisements, website and media releases.
Employees	Regular dialogue and communication sessions, breakaways, team-building exercises, notice-boards, newsletters, union meetings, training, intranet, e-mail, store visits by senior managers, staff meetings and a quarterly internal magazine.
Government and regulatory authorities	Ad-hoc formal meetings and written and oral submissions regarding relevant draft legislation.