Better Health for All

Ross Stores' core business as an off-price apparel and home fashion retailer means its principal goods and services have no significant direct positive or negative health impact. The company's operations do not involve health risks, health data management, health-related R&D, or the production of food or pharmaceuticals. Ross Stores has engaged in community giving, awarding $1.1 million to over 40 charitable organizations in fiscal year 2023, indirectly addressing social determinants of health.

In April 2020, the company and its foundation pledged $1.5 million for COVID-19 relief, supporting food banks and PPE distribution to healthcare workers. Additionally, in 2005, Ross Stores conducted a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, aiming to raise over $1 million for research and education on cardiovascular diseases. However, the provided evidence does not include the specific quantitative metrics (e.g., percentage of revenue or health-related expenditure) required by the rubric to score KPIs such as health equity programs, preventative health measures, healthcare education, or global health crisis response.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Ross Stores, an off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, offers brand-name merchandise at prices 20% to 60% below department and specialty stores, and dd's DISCOUNTS merchandise at 20% to 70% below moderate department and discount stores, benefiting low-to-moderate income households.

The company expanded its distribution operations in South Carolina with a $68 million investment. It also announced plans to invest $450 million in a new North Carolina distribution center, which is expected to create 852 jobs with an annual wage of $45,800. In 2023, Ross Stores provided $1.1 million in grants to over 40 organizations, focusing on academic learning and life skills for socioeconomically challenged youth. As Ross Stores does not offer lending, insurance, or other financial services, and no articles provide specific data points for financial service-related KPIs, all KPIs are omitted.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Ross Stores employed 108,000 associates as of February 2024, none of whom are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

In November 2023, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the company alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act for unpaid overtime wages. Since 2000, Ross Stores has incurred $4.6 million in penalties related to employment offenses, including wage and hour violations. The company achieved a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index, signaling a strong commitment to DE&I. Ross Stores emphasizes a supportive work environment with competitive pay, benefits like discounts and flexible schedules, and open communication channels, adhering to safety regulations. The company enforces strict supply chain standards prohibiting child or forced labor, conducting over 1,700 supplier audits in 2023. However, in 2016, a supplier was ordered to pay $212,000 in back wages for minimum wage and overtime violations, and investigations found 85% of 77 garment factories supplying retailers, including Ross, violated labor laws, with workers paid as little as $4 per hour.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

No KPIs could be scored due to a lack of specific, quantifiable data that precisely matches the rubric's thresholds. While Ross Stores outlines policies and practices related to ethical sourcing, such as requiring all business partners to accept its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

and conducting supplier audits, the provided articles do not offer the specific percentages, frequencies, or incident counts required by the rubric's KPIs. For example, the number of supplier audits is provided, but not the average frequency per supplier. Similarly, while 100% ethical clause coverage is implied for all vendors, the specific qualitative descriptors for the 100% tiers (e.g., 'automated enforcement') are not explicitly evidenced, preventing an exact match to any tier without inference.

Honest & Fair Business

Ross Stores Inc. incurred a $55,000 penalty on July 6, 2023, from the EPA for violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) by selling six unregistered pesticide products.

The company has a "Whistle-Blowing" and Complaint Policy and Procedures , which includes a 24/7 Alertline , ensures non-retaliation and confidentiality , and requires investigators to submit a written report within 30 days of assignment . Ross's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics provides general guidelines , and full-time associates are required to complete training biennially . Additionally, vendors and business partners are contractually required to adhere to anti-bribery standards and comply with anti-corruption laws, including foreign corrupt practices .

Kind to Animals

No specific, company-wide evidence was found regarding cruelty-free certification share, alternative testing usage, humane certification of operations, wildlife conservation impact, ethical input substitution, supplier audits for animal welfare, cage-free sourcing, animal testing policy, animal testing volume, innovation investment in animal-free technologies, animal agriculture ethics, animal-free R&D collaboration, or public policy engagement related to animal welfare. Information regarding a specific brand, Ross D’Elen, indicates it is PETA approved

and offers vegan products, but this does not apply to the entire Ross Stores Inc. portfolio. Ross Stores conducts general social compliance audits for vendors, with over 1,700 inspections in 2024 and 2023, but these are not specified as animal welfare audits. The company's general policy is not to knowingly purchase products made in violation of environmental or consumer product safety requirements, and it partners with industry trade associations, but lacks explicit animal welfare commitments or a focus on animal welfare in philanthropic efforts.

No War, No Weapons

Ross Stores, Inc. explicitly states it does not engage in manufacturing weapons or military contracts, maintaining a neutral stance regarding war or weapons involvement.

This reflects a clear corporate ban on such activities and means the company has no defense business to oversee or assets to divest. The company has codified ethical red lines, banning engagement in all categories of conventional arms, and has no exposure to any weapons. Ross Stores ensures ethical procurement by avoiding merchandise from manufacturers using child, forced, or prison labor, conducting over 1,700 annual supplier inspections to enforce its Code of Conduct, demonstrating 100% compliance with these comprehensive ethical standards throughout its value chain. The company is committed to responsible sourcing of conflict minerals, with an annual Conflict Minerals Disclosure ensuring minerals do not originate from conflict zones, implying 100% conflict-free materials and zero procurement from active conflict zones for minerals. Annual reviews confirm zero conflict-sector partnerships related to conflict minerals.

Planet-Friendly Business

The company achieved a 67% landfill diversion rate.

It reduced Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions per square foot by 28% by 2023, working towards a 30% reduction target by 2025. Ross Stores has a net-zero ambition for 2050 or sooner, with an interim target to reduce emissions by 42% by 2030. Energy initiatives include solar panel installations and an 18% reduction in electricity intensity since 2017. The company scored a B in the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Ross Stores supported more than 1,300 different nonprofit organizations in 2024.

The company also established or continued partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and 13 major national organizations in 2024.

Safe & Smart Tech

Ross Stores has reported no recent security news as of February 2026

, and no significant impact from cybersecurity threats or previously identified incidents as of April 2024 . The company maintains a cybersecurity program with policies and procedures for detection, assessment, response, mitigation, remediation, and reporting of incidents , which draws upon industry frameworks like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework . This program is led by the IT team , with primary oversight from the Audit Committee , which receives quarterly cybersecurity reports . Ross Stores also assesses and manages risks from third-party service providers through vetting and monitoring , and engages external cybersecurity consultants, legal counsel, and auditors . In June 2024, Ross Stores updated its Privacy Policy to detail data collected via its website, including the use of cookies and data for marketing, and provides options for privacy preferences and opting out .

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Ross Stores achieved a landfill diversion rate of approximately 67% across its retail operations in 2023

. The company utilizes 28.3% recycled or organic materials . Waste reduction initiatives include recycling over 38,000 tons of cardboard from stores and more than 70,000 tons of material from distribution centers . Additionally, 680 pounds of fabric waste were recycled with FABSCRAP . Ross Stores also offers reusable shopping bags and ensures that all plastic and paper shopping bags contain recycled materials .