This statement is made pursuant to Section 54 of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the slavery and human trafficking statement for Book Depot Inc. and its subsidiary Kidsbooks Publishing (including Out of the Box Publishing) (collectively, the "Group") for the financial year ending 2025.
Book Depot Inc. is a Canadian corporation headquartered in Thorold, Ontario, Canada. Through our subsidiary Kidsbooks Publishing, we operate Out of the Box Publishing, a UK-based children's book publisher. This creates a UK business presence that requires compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The Group operates across multiple jurisdictions, including Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, in the book retail and publishing industry.
The Group's business includes:
Retail sale of bargain books and related products (Book Depot, Book Outlet)
Book subscription box services
Children's book publishing (Kidsbooks Publishing, Out of the Box Publishing)
Educational publishing (American Book Company)
Distribution of books, games, toys, puzzles, and reading accessories
Our supply chains include:
Publishers and book suppliers (domestic and international)
Printing and manufacturing partners across multiple countries
Paper and materials suppliers
Warehouse and logistics providers
Technology and service providers
Packaging and promotional material suppliers
We recognize that our international supply chain, particularly printing and manufacturing operations, presents potential risks related to modern slavery and human trafficking.
The Group is committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. We have zero tolerance for slavery and human trafficking.
We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains.
We expect all those in our supply chain and contractors to:
Comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards relating to slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking
Provide workers with freely chosen employment
Not use child labour, forced labour, bonded labour, or involuntary labour of any kind
Provide safe and healthy working conditions
Treat workers with dignity and respect
Pay fair wages that meet or exceed legal minimum requirements
Respect workers' rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining
Maintain accurate employment records
Provide reasonable working hours
The Group undertakes due diligence when considering new suppliers and regularly reviews existing suppliers. Our due diligence processes include:
Conducting supply chain mapping to identify higher-risk categories (e.g., printing, manufacturing, raw materials)
Assessing geographic risk based on known prevalence of modern slavery
Evaluating sector-specific risks in the publishing and retail supply chain
Evaluating potential suppliers' commitment to ethical business practices and labour standards
Requiring suppliers to complete self-assessment questionnaires regarding their labour practices
Prioritizing engagement with key strategic suppliers to communicate our expectations
Implementing a risk-based due diligence framework that includes requiring contractual warranties of compliance with all applicable anti-slavery and forced labour laws
Reserving contractual rights to conduct independent audits of higher-risk suppliers
Including provisions allowing termination for non-compliance with modern slavery standards
Conducting risk-based assessments of supplier compliance
Investigating concerns or allegations related to modern slavery
Working with industry partners and third-party organizations to enhance monitoring capabilities
We include provisions in our supplier contracts that require compliance with applicable laws relating to slavery and human trafficking. We reserve the right to:
Request evidence of compliance with our standards
Conduct audits or inspections of supplier facilities
Terminate our relationship with any supplier found to be involved in modern slavery or human trafficking practices
We are committed to building awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking risks within our organization. We provide training to relevant employees involved in:
Procurement and supply chain management
Compliance and legal functions
Publishing operations at Out of the Box Publishing and Kidsbooks Publishing
Training covers:
Understanding modern slavery and human trafficking indicators and red flags
Our policies and expectations
Due diligence processes and risk assessment
Reporting mechanisms for concerns
We assess the effectiveness of our actions to address modern slavery and human trafficking through:
Supply Chain Transparency:
Percentage of key suppliers that have completed our ethical labour practices assessment
Contractual Coverage:
Percentage of supplier agreements that include modern slavery provisions
Training Metrics:
Number and percentage of relevant employees who have completed modern slavery awareness training
Risk Assessment Coverage:
Proportion of supply chain spend covered by risk assessment processes
Issue Resolution:
Documentation of any concerns raised and corrective actions taken
If we identify potential modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains, we are committed to:
Investigating the matter thoroughly and promptly
Requiring immediate corrective action from the supplier
Working with the supplier to implement sustainable remediation measures
Ensuring any remediation protects the interests of affected workers
Terminating the relationship if the supplier fails to adequately address the issue
Reporting to appropriate authorities as required by law
We recognize that preventing modern slavery and human trafficking is an ongoing effort. We are committed to:
Continuously improving our due diligence processes and risk assessment methodologies
Engaging with industry peers, civil society organizations, and stakeholders on best practices
Expanding our training and awareness programs
Enhancing our supply chain transparency
Strengthening our monitoring and verification mechanisms
Updating this statement annually to reflect our progress