Corporate Responsability within the DIA Group
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As an inherent part of the company’s daily activity, the DIA Group identifies and connects with its traditional interest groups (clients, investment community, employees, franchisees and suppliers) in a process that involves diverse specialised areas throughout the company’s value chain (102-46).
In addition, the External Relations Department and the CSR, based on its interest group management model, identifies, consults with, and responds to other interested parties that are also important for the business (regulators and public administrations, industry and professional associations, media outlets, non-profit organisations, and members of the local community), ensuring that any material issues identified are drawn to the attention of the company’s main governing bodies (102-20; 102-21; 102-33; 102-42; 102-43). The aim is none other than to have a business model that provides the DIA Group with detailed knowledge of its competitive environment, thus offering a rapid response to issues that could have a negative impact on its business model.
DIA Group's Interest Groups
(102-40; 102-44)
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CLIENTS
Main communication channels:
Customer satisfaction surveys through specific campaigns
Customer satisfaction surveys available both in-store and online
Club DIA, DIA, and Expertas magazines
Application for Club DIA purchases and online shopping
Social networks (Facebook, twitter, Instagram)
Meetings of Expertas customer communities in Spain, Brazil, and Argentina
Customer service
Food quality and safety service
Issues and concerns mentioned:
Savings
Product variety and availability
Easy shopping
Clear labelling of food (source, ingredients)
Main commitment:
Offer quality products at the best price
Improve the customer listening channels
Ongoing evaluation of current and future expectations and integration across the entire business model
Main management instrument within DIA Group:
Corporate Policy of Marketing and Communication with our Customers
Food quality and safety policy
General policy of Corporate Social Responsibility
INVESTMENT COMMUNITY
Main communication channels:
Corporate website
Website of the Spanish National Securities Market Commission and of other regulatory bodies
Quarterly webcasts
Corporate reports
Periodic notifications (subscription-based)
Notificaciones periódicas (bajo suscripción)
Investor mailbox
Investor’s Day
Roadshows
General press
Issues and concerns mentioned:
Profitability
Regulatory compliance
Efficient risk management
Information transparency
Ethical Management and Crime Prevention Programme
Efficient decision-making system
Main commitment:
Maximum care given to information transparency
Avoid market abuse situations
Systems to guarantee regulatory compliance
Main management instrument within DIA Group:
Investor Relations policy
Risk management policy
Code of Ethics
Policy for the prevention of crimes and anti-corruption
EMPLOYEES AND TRADE UNION ORGANISATIONS
Main communication channels:
Employee portal
HR, CSR newsletters, etc.
Ethics channel
Working environment survey
Issues and concerns mentioned:
Professional opportunities
Training and development
Internal communication
Fair work practices (gender equality)
Health and safety in the workplace
Main commitment:
The selection, training, and development of the best professionals
The guarantee of a stable, safe, and high-quality job
The creation of a valuable offer to employees throughout their careers
Awareness regarding the value of customers
The development of talent management programmes aligned with the business targets;
Main management instrument within DIA Group:
General Human Resources Policy
Code of Ethics
Policy for the prevention of crime and anti-corruption
FRANCHISEES
Main communication channels:
Franchisee portal
Franchisee newsletter
International Franchisee Satisfaction Survey, carried out by Nielsen
Regional frachisee support service (Strategic Partner Support Service in Argentina, “Dia te escuta” in Brazil).
Ethics channel
Issues and concerns mentioned:
Profitability
Open and transparent transaction process
Transmit expertise to improve sales
Good logistics service
Support for regulatory compliance
Technical support to improve energy efficiency
Access to the company’s training resources
Main commitment:
The veracity of information disseminated, and compliance with agreements
Efficient business model
Ongoing training, support, assistence and advice
The resolution of possible discrepancies is based on goodwill and dialogue.
Main management instrument within DIA Group:
Franchise Relations policy
SUPPLIERS
Main communication channels:
Supplier portal
Ethics channel
Commercial and sustainability team
Issues and concerns mentioned:
Free competition
Good contractual relationship
Main commitment:
Work to maintain the value for money of products
Include environmental and social criteria in the quality concept
Main management instrument within DIA Group:
Food quality and safety policy
Environmental policy
General CSR policy
REGULATORS AND ADMINISTRATION
Main communication channels:
ASEDAS (the Spanish Association of Distributors, Self-Service Chains and Supermarkets)
Participation in conferences
Participation in formal consultations
Institutional newsletter
Company reports
External relations team
Issues and concerns mentioned:
Regulatory compliance
Employment
Payment of taxes
Public health
Primary sector support
Main commitment:
Maximum care given to information transparency
Systems to guarantee regulatory compliance
Main management instrument within DIA Group:
Fiscal policy
Food Quality and Safety policy
Environmental policy
External Relations policy
INDUSTRY AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Main communication channels:
Participation in ASEDAS, ECOEMBES, AECOC, and UN Global Compact
Participation in conferences and specific projects
External Relations department
Issues and concerns mentioned:
Free competition
Improvement in sector competition and innovation
Regulatory development
Ecodesign of packaging
Main commitment:
Transparency, accessibility, freedom of expression, equal treatment, and mutual respect in professional relationships
Main management instrument within DIA Group:
External Relations policy
GENERAL AND SPECIALISED MEDIA OUTLETS
Main communication channels:
Corporate website
Company reports
Press releases
Press conferences and interviews
Issues and concerns mentioned:
Information transparency
Access to directors
Main commitment:
Transparency, accessibility, freedom of expression, equal treatment, and mutual respect in professional relationships
Main management instrument within DIA Group:
External Relations policy
NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS AND OTHER ASSOCIATIONS
Main communication channels:
Company reports
Collaborative projects
CSR mailbox
External relations and sustainability team
Issues and concerns mentioned:
Prescription of initiatives
Consumer information and protection
Responsible sourcing
Eco-efficiency
Donation of monetary resources and in kind (food)
Main commitment :
Participate as another member of the community, supporting social causes
Main management instrument within DIA Group:
External Relations policy
In 2016, the DIA Group developed a materiality analysis that examined the issues of greatest concern for its interest groups, and which have the biggest negative impact on the proper functioning of the company. Accordingly, DIA Group’s management team studied both the relevance of the various issues raised (the importance of certain activities of the company for the main parties interested in the company’s CSR, such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the Global Reporting Initiative’s sector report, Vigeo, Sustainalytics, the Carbon Disclosure Project, the Spanish National Stock Market Commission, media analysis, and the Behind the Brands report), and their sector maturity, both domestically and internationally (an investment was made in an individualised study of companies in the sector). This analysis was complemented with the inclusion of an internal dimension of each of the issues, which took into account, among other factors, the risks map created by the company’s Risk Committee (102-46). The result, which was again reviewed and validated in-house in 20171 , yielded a materiality matrix that allows the issues to be positioned according to their maturity and relevance for the DIA Group’s interest groups, and which will be used as the basis to define a CSR Master Plan (currently being reviewed) as well as for the preparation of this report. .
Materiality matrix
(102-47)
| DIA materiality analysis theme | Material theme according to GRI, to report in the 2017 annual report | |
|---|---|---|
| GC1. Governance system | Governance | |
| GC2. Ethics and compliance | Ethics and integrity | |
| Anticorruption | ||
| Public Policy | ||
| GC3. Transparency and investor relations | Participation in the interest groups | |
| GC4. Fiscal practices | Economic performance | |
| RH1. Development of human capital | Training and teaching | |
| RH2. Workplace practices | Employment | |
| RH3. Gender equality | Diversity and equal opportunities | |
| Nondiscrimination | ||
| RH4. Health and safety | Health and safety in the workplace | |
| AP1. Food quality and safety | Health and safety of customers | |
| OPl. Franchisee relations | Participation in the interest groups | |
| 0P2. Digital transformation | Training and teaching | |
| 0P3. Eco efficiency | Materials | |
| Energy | ||
| Emissions | ||
| OP4. Food waste | Waste | |
| CO1. Consumer information and protection | Marketing and labelling | |
It is important to note that the materiality matrix not only identifies issues for which the DIA Group’s activity could imply a negative impact, and therefore constitute a risk that must be managed (such as food safety or the impact of the activity on the environment), but also those value-creative opportunities for which the DIA Group is best-positioned, and which therefore constitutes a competitive advantage for the company (such as good corporate governance and management transparency) (102-15).
CSR Master Plan
In 2016, the DIA Group began to work on a CSR Master Plan based on the conclusions of the materiality analysis carried out. This Plan, which aims to focus on both the internal dimension of CSR (the creation of a common vision and an improvement in management) and the external dimension (align the company with the expectations of its priority interest groups), is currently at the review stage, with the aim of presenting a definitive version to the Board of Directors in 2018, together with its balanced scorecard. Despite this, in 2017 the company worked on several projects following the strategic lines laid out in this plan, as outlined below:
| Strategic courses of action | Projects executed or ongoing |
|---|---|
| Manage the DIA Group’s positioning in relation to the demands of its interest groups | Human Resources internal communication plan. |
| Franchisee communication plan | |
| Evaluation of accessibility across the company’s network of stores | |
| Reduction in food waste due to improved stock management in stores | |
| Boost the improvement in the DIA Group’s management of CSR aspects | Review the company’s key non-financial issues. |
| Redefine the material indicators and simplify the indicator reporting system | |
| Identify non-financial performance indicators to report periodically to the Board of Directors | |
| Involve the organisation in a common vision of CSR | Launch of a new CSR newsletter |
CSR governance at DIA
The Board of Directors, through the Audit Commission, has overall responsibility for sustainable development. This Commission, which meets half-yearly, is in charge of ensuring that the CSR strategy and practices meet the demands of the non-financial risks and the expectations of the company’s interest groups, as well as approving and evaluating the degree of compliance of the policy and the CSR Master Plan. In addition, the Board of Directors, through this Commission, coordinates and approves the non-financial reporting process as well as the diversity process, in accordance with the most recent applicable regulation. At executive level, the corporate heads of the material areas for DIA’s CSR are responsible for proposing the sustainable development strategy and for defining the associated performance indicators. In turn, the External Relations department and CSR, reporting directly to the Resources Director, coordinate and facilitate the entire process. Finally, there is also an Ethics Committee made.
In 2016, the DIA Group’s Board of Directors approved the latest version of the General Policy of Corporate Social Responsibility, which involves all of the company’s actions and its other policies, and includes the principles voluntarily adopted by DIA in relation to interest groups.
DIA’s strategy and implementation of the CSR strategy has been recognised by the global sustainability indices and analysts, such as the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), FTSE4Good, and the UN Global Compact.
1 (102-49) Changes in the materiality of the matrix from 2016 to 2017: even though distribution is reponsible for only 5% of all the food waste generated in the food chain, it was decided to increase the importance of this issue due to the likelihood of stricter regulation in this area; conversely, it was decided to lower the importance of the “company’s contribution to the local community” and of the “sustainable supply”, as it was not deemed a priority to make any changes to the current focus in these areas. “Disability”, “accessibility”, “products for different clients” and “Brand strategy” disappear from the matrix, although they are mentioned throughout the text in the report. The “Innovation” issue is specified as “Digital Transformation”. Other issues, such as “the fight against corruption” and “transparency” are merged with other issues (“ethics and compliance” in the first case, and “transparency and investor relations” in the second case).
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