Big W
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Based on what Big W publishes, with few independent checks. Researched with AI assistance against published rules. Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources · How we check
Woolworths-owned discount store selling clothing, toys and homewares.
A 2019 ABC report linked Big W's supply chain to forced labour. Big W has only partly acted on it.
Better-graded basics
Graded higher than Big W, 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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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements, with 2 red flags.Open why it has this gradeClose why it has this grade
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and forced or child labour. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour link, last recorded in 2019) was a link through a supplier, which the company has only partly acted on.
- 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 2 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, India and Bangladesh.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not 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
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Forced, slave or child labour found in or linked to its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
China 73%, India 13%, Bangladesh and 3 more countries.Open where it's madeClose where it's made
From Big W's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 73% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 13% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Bangladesh | Not given | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 2% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | 1% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Pakistan | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
1 confirmed issue, 1 unconfirmed report, 5 things we found and what 3 independent sources say.Open the evidenceClose the 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
- 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 Big W's own-brand clothing (Emerson, Brilliant Basics, Dymples, Denim1964 and others) is made by independent suppliers, and about 92% of the 461 sites that supply its own-brand products are in China, Bangladesh and India. It publishes a list of its active apparel and textile factories, but the July 2026 list leaves out Bangladesh: of the 152 listed factories, 121 are in China and 22 in India, so the shares shown are of listed factories and Bangladesh's share is unknown. Big W has signed the International Accord and its listed factories carry social audits, but it scored 25/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report and has no current, time-bound living wage target.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportAnother organisation's rating | Scored 25/100 | Scored 25 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, down from 31 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution)Another organisation's rating | Scored 39% | Scored 39% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, above the 26% average. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Alleged | Company profile records one forced labour story (Xinjiang) with one response request, answered. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Link through a supplierAfter a 2019 ABC Four Corners investigation into forced labour in Xinjiang's cotton industry, Woolworths said some of the cotton used in Big W products was likely to come from Xinjiang (ABC via Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2019). Source · search the archive | PartlyWoolworths adopted a cotton sourcing policy, began assessing cotton suppliers and planned origin testing; no end to Xinjiang cotton or remedy for workers reported. |
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.
- Oxfam Australia's 2019 'Made in Poverty' report named Big W among Australian brands supplied by factories in Bangladesh and Vietnam where almost none of the workers interviewed earned a living wage and nine in ten Bangladeshi workers could not afford enough food; findings were not broken down by brand (SBS, 2019). Source
Sources and actions
7 sources, company details, and how to send evidence or a right of reply.Open the sources and company detailsClose the sources and company details
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Australian brands sourcing cotton from north west China to investigate after reports of forced labour (BHRRC) · search the archive · Woolworths said in July 2019 that some Big W cotton is likely from Xinjiang
- Big W - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Big W 25/100; 2023 Fashion Transparency Index 39%; Accord signatory; ACT participant
- Big W's next step (Oxfam Australia) · search the archive · Big W living wage milestones covered only 2022 and 2023, with no final deadline
- Australian fashion brands operating 'shocking' conditions, reports Oxfam (SBS) · search the archive · Oxfam 2019 Made in Poverty report names Big W among brands supplied by studied factories
Published by Big W or its owner
- BIG W - Active apparel and textile factories - Jul 2026 (Bangladesh excluded) · search the archive · 152 listed factories: China 121, India 22, Vietnam 5, Australia 2, Pakistan 2; Bangladesh factories excluded; audit schemes BSCI, SMETA, WRAP, SA8000
- Woolworths Group 2025 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · Of 461 sites supplying Big W own-brand products, about 92% are in China, Bangladesh and India; cotton and apparel named as top non-food risks
- Woolworths Group 2023 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · Big W uses 96% of the Group's own-brand cotton, 9.6% certified in F23; cotton policy assessments and planned Oritain origin testing
Company details
- Owned by
- Woolworths Group
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Big W ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/big-w, 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 Big W.
Choose a better-graded brand
27 brands in basics are graded higher than Big W.