Two of our Sustainability Pillars provide the framework to drive positive change for the people who are impacted by Grand & Toy's business. We empower our Associates to be their best through training and community involvement, and we encourage our communities to take steps to care for their citizens and the environment.
Helping communities to be better requires more than just money. Grand & Toy donates time, products, solutions and tools for building better community programs to support those in need and to protect the community's natural environment so that it can sustain future generations. We use opportunities in our retail locations to encourage other community members to become involved, and we demonstrate the power of positive change to motivate others to make a difference.
Working hand-in-hand with local customers, Grand & Toy helps make sustainability a community goal, and we are proud to share the successes with the friends, partners and Associates that help bring it to life.
Progress on some of our 2010 social indicators can be found in the table below.
| KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR DETAILS | 2008 DATA | 2009 DATA | 2010 DATA | GRI INDICATOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of Associates1 | 2,011 | 1,721 | 1,691 | LA1 |
| % of Associates with tenure of 5 or more years | 50.8% | 54.6% | 56.7% | NA |
| % of Associates with tenure of 10 or more years | 34.3% | 40.6% | 42.5% | NA |
| % of Associates covered under collective bargaining agreements | 21.5% | 21% | 19.2% | LA4 |
| Total # of hours of training per Associate | 2.124 | 1,056 | 5,066 | LA10/LA8 |
| Average # of hours of training per sales associate | 5.93 | 3.44 | 9.53 | NA |
| % of Associates who received regular performance reviews | 70.2% | 72% | 82.9% | LA12 |
| $ Monetary value of ad hoc donations given in support of charitable organizations | 239,757 | 217,382 | 237,120 | EC8 |
Additional GRI social indicators and internal social Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can be found in the
GRI Indicators, Performance Chart.
1Efforts to increase efficiency and productivity, combined with the use of technology that supports continuous improvement resulted in a reduction in the total number of Associates.
In early 2010, Grand & Toy refined its approach to social outreach to direct more focus and impact to the groups in need that align most closely with our business, company values and CSR strategy. We identified education for underprivileged children and the protection of our natural environment as our primary areas of focus. As a result, we supported fewer organizations than in 2009, but we made a bigger difference by furnishing them with more resources. The total value of donations made to charitable organizations in the year was $237,120.
The new social outreach program allowed us to invest more time and resources in one of our favourite corporate charities START2FINISH (formerly KidsFest) and their annual backpack program, which provides underprivileged children with a backpack filled with school supplies. Last year, Grand & Toy Associates volunteered their time to fill and deliver over 7,000 backpacks to prepare young students for their first day of school. This represents a 40% increase over 2009.
For the environment, Grand & Toy teamed up with one of its strategic partners, Boise Inc., a leading manufacturer of paper and packaging products, to launch the Quarter per Carton Campaign. For the month of June, every carton of recycled Boise paper sold by Grand & Toy resulted in a 25-cent donation to Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF), an organization that promotes sustainable education programs in the Canadian education system. Smart and sustainable paper choices made by Grand & Toy customers raised $15,000 for LSF, strengthened our partnership with Boise and helped to raise consumer awareness of the benefits of choosing recycled paper.
Empowering our Associates to be community leaders starts by providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to make good choices. In 2010, we made an important investment in training for our Associates, to help them work safely and improve their skills. The total hours of training for all Grand & Toy Associates increased by 79% over 2009. These included new sales training and the introduction of new online training tools and guides to help all of our Associates understand our business strategy and how we all play a part in Grand & Toy's success.