Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Kmart's own brand of clothing, homewares, toys and general merchandise.
Anko can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Better-graded basics
Graded higher than Anko, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
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Compare Anko with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Anko's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Anko is Kmart's house brand, also sold through Target Australia, and is made by independent suppliers mostly in China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. Kmart publishes all final factories plus fabric and yarn sites, takes part in the International Accord for Bangladesh and Pakistan, and audits every factory; 2025 audits found 164 serious breaches, mostly safety, overtime and wage records. A Federal Court bid by an Australian Uyghur group for documents on two suppliers was heard in February 2026, with no ruling reported. It works on wages through ACT but has no time-bound living wage target, and does not publish production shares by country.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Owner Kmart Group scored 47 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 58 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Kmart scored 76% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, after ranking equal first in 2022. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Wesfarmers' 2025 modern slavery statement: 1,409 audits at 1,161 Kmart Group tier 1 sites found 164 reportable breaches; three factories exited for unauthorised subcontracting. View |
| Open Supply Hub | Listed | Kmart's own-brand factory list, which covers Anko products, is published on Open Supply Hub. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Records the 2025 Federal Court action alleging Kmart clothing suppliers are linked to Uyghur forced labour; Kmart denies it. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- The Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women's Association took Kmart to the Federal Court in August 2025, seeking documents on two clothing suppliers on its factory lists that it says have credible links to Uyghur forced labour; the application was heard in February 2026 with no ruling reported, and Kmart denies the claims (Human Rights Law Centre, 2025-2026). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Kmart Australia – Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Kmart Group scored 47/100 (average 31.5); Fashion Transparency Index 2023 score 76%
- Ragtrader: Kmart comes clean · search the archive · Kmart uses over 1,500 factories in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and China
- Kmart Group – Human rights and ethical sourcing FY2024 – Wesfarmers · search the archive · 1,146 tier 1 factories; May 2024 IndustriALL agreement backing collective bargaining in Cambodia; ACT member
- Kmart challenge heard in the Federal Court – Human Rights Law Centre · search the archive · February 2026: Uyghur women's group seeks Kmart documents on two suppliers linked to Xinjiang; no outcome reported
Published by Anko or its owner
- Factory list – Kmart · search the archive · Final factories for own-brand apparel and general merchandise plus processing sites, updated November 2025; all audited in past 24 months
- Wesfarmers 2025 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · Accord participation for Bangladesh and Pakistan; 164 breaches at 1,161 tier 1 sites; ACT; SpeakUp grievance channel; women's training
- Modern Slavery – Kmart · search the archive · Names Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand as higher-risk sourcing countries
Company details
- Owned by
- Kmart Group (Wesfarmers)
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Anko ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/anko, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Anko.