Below are a list of companies and brands that have been implicated in using sweatshop labour or been involved in other unethical manufacturing processes. It’s not possible to get a definitive list as most companies have policies that say the right thing……but in practice the story is often different.
The list below includes brands that scored a C, D, E or F on the 2020 Baptist World Aid Fashion Guide as well as those that scored a D, E or F on the Shop Ethical Guide
Clothing:
- Bardot
- Ben Sherman
- Best and Less
- Billabong
- Boss
- Breakers
- Colorado
- Coles
- Cue
- Dangerfield
- David Jones
- Dotti
- Ezibuy
- Fruit of the Loom
- Forever 21
- General Pants Company
- Jacqui E
- Jay Jays
- Just Jeans
- Katies
- King Gee
- Kookai
- Lacoste
- Lemonade
- Lorna Jane
- Lowes
- Mango
- Milkshake
- Millers
- Miss Shop
- Mooks
- Mossimo
- Myer
- Peace Angel
- Peter Alexander
- Polo
- Portmans
- Princess Highway
- Quicksilver
- Ralph Lauren
- Regatta
- Revival
- Rockmans
- Roger David
- Roxy
- Sass & Bide
- Seed Heritage
- Speedo
- Sportsgirl
- Sussan
- Tarocash
- Temt
- Tilt
- Top Shop
- Tree of Life
- Valley Girl
- UNIQLO
Underwear and Socks:
- Victoria’s Secret
- Calvin Klein
Kids clothes:
- Sprout (Myer)
- Best and Less
Shoes:
- Asics
- Clarks
- DC shoes
- Emerica
- Grosby
- Mathers
- Rivers
- Volley
- Williams
Booksellers
- Amazon
- Audible
- Book Depository
- Abe Books
Toys
- Hasbro (Transformers, My Little Pony, Play Doh, Nerf, Playskool, Board games, Yokai, FurReal Friends, Littlest Pet Shop, Jurassic World, Marvel, Sesame Street, Star Wars)
- Mattel (Hot Wheels, Barbie, Monster High, DC Universe, Matchbox, Planes, Cars, Polly Pocket, Paw Patrol Toys)
- Fisher-Price (Imaginext toys, DC Super Friends, Power Rangers, Sponge Bob, Power Wheels, Little People, Thomas and Friends, Think and Learn, Mega Bloks, Bob the Builder, Dora and Friends, Smart Toy)
- Tomy (Pokemon toys, the Good Dinosaur, Zootopia, Sonic Boom, Chuggington, Lamaze)
- Namco (Digimon, Ben 10, Tamagochi)
- Little Tikes
- Disney
- Hello Kitty
- K’nex
- Meccano
- Cabbage Patch Kids
- VTech
Computers, Tablets, Smartphones, eReaders: Lenovo, Toshiba, Asus, Apple, Dell, Samsung, Amazon Kindle, Motorola, HTC, Huawei, Apple,
Gaming Consoles: Nintendo Wii
Additionally, the following stores have been implicated in the use of sweatshop labour for some of their clothing and goods:
- Big W
- Target
- Best and Less
If your favourite brand isn’t on this list or on the Ethical Brands list, then it’s probably scoring a B rating. Go ahead and put some pressure on the company by emailing them and writing on their social media pages to encourage them to clean up their act enough to make it to Ethical Brands list.
Please be aware that companies practices change all the time, with some improving and others being busted for unethical practices.
If you have any information on additional companies/brands that are suspected of using sweatshop labour, please let me know and I will add them.
Sources: Shop Ethical, 11 of your favourite fashion brands that use sweatshop labour, How do your favourite clothes brands rank on worker welfare?, Oxfam Ethical Trading, 2018 Baptist World Aid Fashion Guide
LiveFair 
October 30, 2019 at 1:32 am
Finally found some new places to shop at
April 26, 2019 at 1:56 am
yeah shame on you Disney
August 16, 2016 at 3:20 pm
Hi! I just wanted to say thank you so much for writing this article…I was never aware of how many brands use sweatshop labor. I’m saving this list and will avoid these brands in the future!!
October 28, 2014 at 3:39 am
CMS Famous Toys Ltd.
(Halloween Alley)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
My sister inspects factories in SE Asia for the production line of textiles 4 times a year to make sure the factory is producing quality products but her manager asked to keep an eye out for sweatshops. My sister told me to quit working at Halloween Alley as she informed me that her inspection of a factory in early spring 2014 in the Canton area because she came across over stocked labels of Halloween Alley (CMS Famous Toys Ltd) from a previous production of Halloween costumes. I never returned to work.
Tobias Karl Sedin
August 18, 2013 at 11:12 am
Thanks Stefano! I’m in the process of updating the blog and will add the companies you listed.
June 26, 2013 at 1:44 am
http://www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au/consumer/accredited-brands there is your tiny list dude 😦
June 1, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday.
It’s always interesting to read through content from other writers and use something from their sites.
February 12, 2013 at 2:23 pm
But how would it be any better being worked to death in both situations, mines are dangerous but working in sweatshops there are also many dangerous hazards. And if people are working for such a long time they should be paid fairly. I’m sure all of those sport companies like Adidas and Nike could easily afford to pay workers a fair wage because they sell their shoes for so much but pay their workers so little. And for all those kids in sweatshops imagin living a childhood where you were worked to your bones that’s just terrible and cruel.
February 5, 2013 at 3:40 pm
“The Sweatshop List Vegan Prime” was a wonderful blog post and thus I actually was pretty satisfied to come across
the blog. Regards,Gilda
January 18, 2013 at 11:14 am
The awareness to stop sweatshop labour is not an attempt at shutting down a company, and you can probably agree that companies such as WalMart will not shut down any time soon. Of course it’s good that these people have jobs at all, but the awareness to stop sweatshop labour is a plea for a rise in their pay. Most of them have families and cannot make enough to support, so starvation is still an issue, as is the toxic chemicals and dangers. Sweatshops are hardly a ‘safe’ place to work.
November 30, 2012 at 7:55 pm
I am now not certain where you’re getting your information, but great topic. I must spend a while studying much more or understanding more. Thank you for fantastic info I used to be in search of this info for my mission.
July 30, 2012 at 7:44 am
You’d definitely want to add forever 21 and maybe read up on H&M because I heard that they have some sketchy things going on too.
August 5, 2011 at 10:41 am
Disney?!? Shame on you
February 12, 2013 at 2:27 pm
I totally agree shame on disney
August 5, 2011 at 6:23 am
Grrrrr……. These are not cheap brands!! So, irritating & eye opening.
May 16, 2011 at 9:45 am
I understand Guess also use child labour