Over the last few years, consumers have developed a growing awareness of the ethical and political issues of the companies they use. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most irritating and contentious geopolitical issues, and many have been desperately trying to understand the relationship between businesses that support Israel and those that support Palestine, with the war. One company that has been scrutinized is NARS Cosmetics, which is an international beauty brand that creates bold colors and precise products. The purpose of this blog is to investigate whether NARS supports Israel. We will look at the corporate ownership, operations, and public relations of NARS as well as the larger picture of corporate involvement in Israel. By dissecting these elements, we hope to offer a sophisticated and fact-based viewpoint on this intricate problem.
Brand overview and ownership
NARS Cosmetics was started in 1994 by its founder, François Nars, and gained recognition for its unique, outstanding design in its beauty products. It has many loyal customers and is chalked up with people who laud its innovative strategy globally. However, in the year 2000, NARS became a member of Shiseido Group, a major firm operating across the globe, with its headquarters in Japan; it deals with skincare and cosmetic products. Shiseido is an international corporation having several cosmetics brands, among which Drunk Elephant is one of them.
There is no way to speak about the question of whether NARS serves Israel without considering its parent company, Shiseido.
Political stances, business plans, or corporate policies are often the decisions of the parent company, not necessarily those of the subsidiary brand. As a Japan-based company, Shiseido has never made a single statement on its political opinion on Israel or Palestine. It is not seen that Shiseido has publicly been on the side of Israel in its commentary or political donations. Though Shiseido has implemented the Supplier Code of Conduct that prohibits forced labor and human trafficking and sets requirements to observe labor laws, this code does not refer to any geopolitical issues or contradictions.
NARS’s business activities in Israel
It is perhaps one of the most visible signs of a relationship that a brand has a commercial presence in a nation. The first store of NARS in Israel was opened in June 2021 in the Ramat Aviv retail complex in Tel Aviv. It is the largest store of the brand in the Middle East and Europe, which means that a significant amount of investment in the Israeli market is present. Over five years, NARS is planning to establish 14 stores throughout Israel and also in Haifa. The company also developed a site that was oriented towards Israeli shoppers.
Business decisions to sell merchandise and operate stores in Israel are making use of business opportunities in the markets. But, because of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, its existence is viewed by certain activists and consumers as implicitly pro-Israel. Critics argue that doing business in Israel, especially when one turns a blind eye to the occupation or settlements, they are funding a government that is pursuing unpopular and rather controversial policies. This is one of those things that can be perceived by the brand supporters as an objective business process that is common with all companies across the world that have substantial presence in various countries, irrespective of their political affiliation.
Why is the responsible sourcing of raw materials very important to brands such as NARS?
Ethical sourcing is one of the vital conventions that companies that process raw materials, like NARS, apply when acquiring them because it guarantees that the products they are selling are not produced in a way that violates all the social requirements. Finally, and most importantly, ethical sourcing ensures that people engaged in the gathering of the raw material as well as processing are well compensated, have safety at the workplace, and there is no exposure to child or forced labor. This will help improve the life of the community and avert exploitation, particularly in the regions where labour is overexploited.
In addition, ethical sourcing leads to improved environmental sustainability due to the fact that ethical sourcing prompts companies to use environmentally friendly products. As an example, the use of organic, recycled materials or sustainably harvested ingredients will reduce pollution and deforestation, and also carbon emissions caused by the extraction and processing of raw materials. This not only aids in the protection of the natural resources but also the market demand for cruelty-free products and environmentally friendly items.
Public statements and political positions
No definite evidence or official NARS document confirming support to Israel or its governmental policies has been established, even though speculations and activist discussions exist. Besides not mentioning politics, the official brand communication of the company does not cover anything other than the launch of new products, artistic projects, and consumer response.
As stores such as NARS’ flagship in Ramat Aviv mall in Tel Aviv develop, NARS has gained more retail in Israel; some believe it is an economic relationship between NARS and Israel. The company has, however, not provided any political claim, statement, or endorsement in line with this corporate decision. The online forums gathered on Reddit and TikTok prove that many activists and consumers are ignorant or divided on the part of NARS. NARS is being boycotted by various boycotts due to its corporate affiliation or Israeli market presence in Israel, but the company has never released formal statements in support of the allegations.
What about supply chains and labor practices?
NARS Cosmetics maintains its supply chain according to the high ethics of the parent company, Shiseido Group. NARS’ official Terms & Conditions require all its product suppliers to make written certifications of their compliance with the Shiseido Group supplier code of conduct. Child labor, forced and involuntary work, jail labor, indentured labor, and human trafficking are explicitly prohibited under this code. Suppliers should maintain fair labor standards in the production process by producing the goods under all the relevant wage and hour statutes.
As a way of enforcing these standards, staff in the worldwide supply chain and procurement personnel at NARS are trained to identify the risks linked to slavery and human trafficking. They may study it impartially as a third party and may check the suppliers on-site on manufacturing, or may audit them. The audits involved assessing working conditions and ensuring that the vendors comply with the anti-human trafficking and slavery laws. The warnings given to the suppliers in cases of noncompliance are supposed to be corrected immediately by the suppliers. In case of continued non-compliance, the commercial association could be disengaged, which displays the commitment of NARS to ethical sourcing and accountability. Raw materials of the NARS products are found in China, Brazil, and India, among other countries, and they are mica, synthesized fluorphlogopite, and zinc stearate.
Extraction as well as processing of these minerals involves both human and machine labor, and the mining process consumes fossil fuels and negatively impacts the environment. NARS operates within the broader sustainability and supply chain management strategies of its parent company, Shiseido, which are to minimize the negative impact of this approach on the environment, and even though the company has not disclosed its full supply chain footprint, and the latter is to take the necessary steps, including safe sourcing.
Distribution and transportation are also great determinants of the supply chain impact of NARS. Asian based products are brought by container ships to markets such as the US and further distributed using air and land transport, served by aviation agency companies such as FedEx and USPS. Although a global logistics network is necessary to make products available, it contributes to the degradation of the environment and the production of carbon emissions.
Does NARS support Israel?
NARS does not overtly assist Israel militarily or politically, according to the information that is currently accessible. Instead of being a political endorsement, the brand’s presence in Israel is a business choice meant to expand its market. However, some view NARS as indirectly supporting Israel through economic activity because it operates stores in Israel and is owned by a multinational corporation that has no public position on the issue. Customers’ calls for boycotts and ethical discussions are fueled by this notion. Ultimately, one’s definition of “support,” whether it be direct financial or political assistance or business involvement in the Israeli market amidst ongoing hostilities, determines if NARS supports Israel.
