An outdoor clothing company committed to the power of business as a force for change.
Nau is the tipping point for Eco-Luxury. It means “welcome” to the Maori in New Zealand, but it also means welcome to a whole new way of designing, manufacturing and selling product—the socially responsible way. The design team makes use of their long-term relationships with fabric manufacturers by pushing them to the limits of technology, fabrication and skill to create and increase demand for new kinds of sustainable materials. They ensure that Nau products are made in factories that agree to social and environmental audits by a third party, package them in sustainable and renewable materials, and are even recyclable and biodegradable after their usable life is over.
You won’t see Nau products at your neighborhood sports store or big box retailer. Though they aim to sell nearly all of their items online (to decrease costs, reduce their carbon imprint and centralize their operations), they are pioneering a new kind of retail presence they call a Webfront. It is a store, and you can purchase clothing there and take it home with you. The goal, however, is to let you experience the gear and the brand, and to make your selections and place your order online at one of the nau.com kiosks in the store or when you get back to your browser or choice. To encourage you to make your purchases online, Nau will reduce their retail prices by ten percent. They figure that the more people buy in the store, the larger the space, staff and storage they need. All of these costs go back to the customer, so by keeping costs down they can afford to reduce the price of items sold online. The first four Webfronts are scheduled to open sometime in spring 2007 and will likely be in Portland, Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco, and like their office will be designed to be as green as possible given their location. Nau is working with Skylab Design Group and Green Building Services to develop their Webfronts.
The Nau way includes another gesture. They have decided to contribute 5% of their sales to national/regional/local social and environmental organizations. When you make your purchase you will be asked which organization you would like 5% of your sale to go to, engaging you in the process (and perhaps in the benefit) of charitable giving.
Read about their business philosophy here https://www.nau.com/homepage/index.jsp#/whoweare/index&1 and check their “thought kitchen”, an inspiring blog .
