NOABRANDS is a global group of visual merchandising brands. Our Brands each have their own unique strengths, but are all united by the same passion, expertise, and determination to advise our retail clients in designing retail spaces that optimize the visuality of their brand and the visibility of their product. Be it through catalog or custom solutions, we build in-store experiences that prompt shoppers to engage and Visualize Anything.
Headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, we are a team of over 600 teammates, brand partners, designers and builders. We have a worldwide footprint with over 200,000 square meters of production facilities in Spain, China, United States, and Mexico, plus showrooms in New York, Colorado, Milan, Paris, Barcelona, and Shanghai and a commercial sales force across the world.
With a strong heritage in the mannequin business - in fact, we are the largest mannequin manufacturer worldwide - we provide a broad array of visual merchandising solutions from busts and forms, product displays, store fixtures, props, as well as the next generation of retail technology.
Across our Brands, we have a bias for serving our global clients with vertically-integrated, on-continent for-continent manufacturing. Our business model ensures end-to-end control of our service, speed, and sustainability, three pillars on which we've built our long-lasting relationships with the world's best retailers.
Our Brands partner with retailers to shape their creative vision, and create engaging, memorable, and emotional in-store experiences.
At NOABRANDS, sustainability is a key pillar of our long-term growth strategy. Our Brands are each deeply involved in the communities in which we operate, and our constant efforts toward reducing the impact of our materials and manufacturing stem from our responsibility towards our global communities. Our latest sustainability initiatives like joining The Fashion Pact and collaborating on materials research with the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the University of Pennsylvania are big steps in the right direction toward driving change in our industry.
We firmly believe that there is an interplay between supply chain, outsourcing practices and sustainability. That is why our global business model is characterized by a bias for full vertical integration, producing on continent for continent, and ensuring end-to-end control of our global production processes. This enables us to ensure that our downstream impact is properly managed from the source and that clients have a comprehensive picture of the footprint of the products they purchase.
Read our full Sustainability Report
Read our Environmental Policy
Now that International Mother Earth Day promoted by the United Nations is drawing near, we interviewed Marisa Tendero, Chief Executive Officer of NOABRANDS, to unpack key questions that will shape the evolution of the visual merchandising industry.
“As we celebrate International Mother Earth Day we reaffirm our commitment to promote Harmony with Nature to achieve a just, sustainable, and prosperous society”.
General Assembly President's Message,
United Nations
Sustainability is the main driver for healthy, long-lasting business growth. Considering the complexity of the business and the impacts and duties related to stakeholders and communities, we can only ensure enduring wealth by taking care of socioeconomic impacts.
This is why we can’t visualize a long-term view if we do not consider people and the environment as a key focus of our thinking. There is no wealth if we use up the environment and do not build a better place for the coming generations.
We have four main areas of work:
● GHG emission reduction according to the Paris
● Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C
● Increase the percentage of low-impact raw materials
● Define better end-of-life plans related to circular business
models.
“We have been the first to transition to a circular business model, redefining how the organization creates, captures and delivers value. NOABRANDS is the only organization able to provide a global footprint of production and services to offer regional solutions for global fashion players”.
Marisa Tendero, CEO, NOABRANDS
A significant part of the fashion industry is already working on these actions. This is a process that has gone mainstream in the last five years, as previously only a few key players in the market were really implementing ESG and sustainability strategies. During the pandemic we saw an incredible change of speed.
Probably the slowdown of the global economy and the pandemic itself pulled a trigger in people’s minds. We are more conscious that we need to care for the environment and life.
Yes, but we need to understand that this is a journey. I believe that fashion has the opportunity to be both a mirror and a loudspeaker for millions of people around the world. Those companies that go beyond greenwashing and green communications will really break into the market and make the difference. I see a lot of companies turning to concrete actions.
“NOABRABDS is a vertically integrated group. We work closely with local supply chains, we produce in-house in our factories and in many cases we also manage the distribution of products”.
Marisa Tendero, CEO, NOABRANDS
I don’t think so. It is possible to create a sustainable business model consistent with fast fashion. Of course this implies a transparent and efficient partnership with all the players involved. Business relations need to turn into a partnership where one of the key pillars is sustainability.
The large majority of greenhouse gas emissions (>90%) are created during the production processes at the start of the supply chain.
NOA is a vertically integrated group. We work closely with local supply chains, we produce in-house in our factories and in many cases we also manage the distribution of products.
We are also focusing a relevant part of our investment and best teams in R&D on developing greener circular products and services.
NOABRANDS is fully aligned with the objectives of the United Nations against climate change. For this reason we joined the Business Ambition for 1.5°C program. And very recently we also officially signed up for the Fashion Industry for Global Climate Action initiative.
We are additionally the first visual merchandising group to join the Fashion Pact, a coalition that brings together the most significant players in the fashion industry to reduce its environmental impact.
I am personally honored to serve on its Steering Committee and Operational Committee.