Bendon
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 24 October 2026 · 9 sources
New Zealand lingerie company selling bras, briefs and sleepwear.
There's no proof Bendon pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 4 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 4 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 child or forced labour findings or links
- 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Bendon'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 | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 73% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Sri Lanka | 3% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses cotton in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its cotton comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Publishes supplier list
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
Research notes Bendon publishes a 2021 list of the 25 factories that make its lingerie: 23 in China, one in Bangladesh (Hop Lun, 2,350 workers) and one in Sri Lanka, with addresses and worker numbers. Its code of conduct requires legal wages, says it supports a living wage without a plan or deadline, bans Xinjiang and Uzbek cotton, and has tier-one factories audited by Qualspec SGT, but no audit results are published and the list has not been updated since 2021, while the group now says it uses over 30 partner factories. Its range is mostly nylon, polyester and elastane, with cotton in a few lines.
Sources and actions
Sources 9
Show all 9 sources
- Bendon Lingerie is given a lifeline (Ragtrader, 2021) · search the archive · Naked Brand Group sold Bendon for NZ$1 to Justin Davis-Rice and CEO Anna Johnson in April 2021
- End of local lingerie as Bendon quits NZ (NZ Herald, 2000) · search the archive · In 2000 Bendon moved all production offshore to factories in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and China, ending 400 New Zealand jobs
- Bendon Vendor Information 2021 · search the archive · 25 factories with names, addresses and worker numbers: 23 in China (Guangdong, Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui), Hop Lun Apparel Unit 2 in Gazipur, Bangladesh (2,350 workers), Marsylka Manufacturing Lanka in Sri Lanka (700 workers)
- Bendon Responsible Sourcing Code of Conduct (Aug 2021) · search the archive · Wages must meet local law and should meet basic needs; Bendon 'supports Living Wage' with no target date; audits by nominated independent provider Qualspec SgT against ETI and ILO standards; suppliers must disclose all production sites; no knowing use of Xinjiang or Uzbek cotton
Published by Bendon or its owner
- Bendon - Product Love · search the archive · Factories agree in writing to the Bendon code of conduct and are audited on age, working conditions and pay; links the vendor list and sourcing code
- Bendon - Corporate Responsibility · search the archive · All Bendon tier-one factories are audited on age, working conditions and pay; no results published
- Bendon Group - Our mission and goals · search the archive · Auckland HQ; around 500 employees; production at over 30 partner facilities across Asia; brands include Bendon, Pleasure State, Fayreform, Lovable, Bendon Man
- Bendon product catalogue (bendonlingerie.com.au) · search the archive · Sampled products mostly polyamide, polyester and elastane; two mainly cotton items; no silk; no country of manufacture listed
- Bendon - Restore Mastectomy Bra · search the archive · Polyester, polyamide and elastane fabrics; no country of manufacture on the product page
Company details
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Employees
- About 500
- Last researched
- 24 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Bendon ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/bendon, last researched 24 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded underwear and sleepwear
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Bendon.