Drakes Supermarkets
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Family-owned chain with over 60 stores in South Australia and Queensland.
Until Drakes Supermarkets has the farms and labour hire firms behind its food checked independently and publishes what it finds, it can't show that the people who grow and pack it are paid what they're owed.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It sells fresh and own-brand food from farms and labour hire firms it hasn't shown it checks. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to check them.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (unpaid or underpaid wages, last recorded in 2020) is more than 5 years old.
- 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
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not 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
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Farm and labour hire checks published
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Sells food from farms and labour hire firms it doesn't check
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Drakes Supermarkets names some of the countries it makes in: Australia. The rest is shown as where own-brand and fresh food is usually grown or made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| New ZealandUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ItalyUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: fresh and own-brand food relies on Australian farms and meatworks where labour hire firms have underpaid migrant workers, and on imported ingredients such as tomato paste, palm oil and seafood linked to forced labour.
- Modern slavery statement
- Being made in Australia doesn't count towards a living wage or audit here: Australian farm and meat work, where a NSW parliamentary inquiry, the Fair Work Ombudsman and the supermarkets' own audits have found labour hire firms underpaying migrant workers. It would need to publish its suppliers or have them independently audited.
- Relies on fresh and own-brand food from farms and meatworks where labour hire firms have underpaid migrant workers, paid them in cash and charged them for crowded housing, often out of sight of supermarket audits. It hasn't shown any checks on the farms, meatworks and labour hire firms behind its fresh and own-brand food, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Drakes is a family-owned chain with over 60 stores and says it employs over 6,000 people. Its modern slavery statement says almost 99% of suppliers are South Australian, but names no countries for the goods it sells and publishes no farm or factory audits or repayment figures. Its Working Rights Policy covers staff, suppliers and labour hire but doesn't describe audits.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Drake Corporation Limited, covering Drakes, lodged a modern slavery statement for 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024; it reports a supplier questionnaire to over 500 suppliers and audits of labour suppliers, but no findings or repayments. 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Drakes settled a class action by current and former store managers who said they were underpaid from 2014 to 2020, agreeing to pay about $1.455 million plus $590,000 in penalties and interest, and a judge approved a $2.2 million settlement (InsideFMCG, 2022; Lawyerly). Source · search the archive | PartlyDrakes agreed to pay about $2.05 million to affected managers; a judge approved a $2.2 million settlement. Payment to workers isn't confirmed. |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Drakes settles for $2m in underpayment class action (InsideFMCG, 14 Apr 2022) · search the archive · Managers' class action 2014-2020; $1.455m plus $590,000 penalties and interest; subject to Federal Court approval
- Judge OKs $2.2M settlement in Drakes class action (Lawyerly) · search the archive · Judge approved $2.2 million settlement of the Drakes managers' class action
Published by Drakes Supermarkets or its owner
- Drake Corporation Modern Slavery Statement 2023-24 · search the archive · Reporting entity Drake Corporation; over 60 stores; almost 99% of suppliers South Australian; questionnaire sent to over 500 suppliers
- Celebrating 50 Years (Drakes) · search the archive · Family business; over 60 stores in SA and Queensland; employing over 6,000 team members
- Drakes Working Rights Policy 21.01.2025 · search the archive · Applies to team members, suppliers and labour hire providers; no audits described
Company details
- Owned by
- Drake Corporation Limited
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 6,000
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Drakes Supermarkets ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/drakes-supermarkets, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other supermarkets brands
Nothing we've rated in supermarkets is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Drakes Supermarkets.