Labour Lens

GlobeWest

Lacks transparency

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Homewares, furniture & appliances

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources

Melbourne furniture and homewares wholesaler and retailer.

We couldn't confirm where GlobeWest makes most of its products.

Also worth knowing

Most homewares and appliances are made in countries such as China and Vietnam, where pay is usually below a living wage.

Better-graded furniture

Graded higher than GlobeWest, selling the same kinds of things.

JardanMissing: where its earlier stages happen · Homewares, furniture & appliancesAustralian-made sofas and furniturePays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verifiedKoskelaMissing: where its earlier stages happen, a named supplier list and traced raw materials · Homewares, furniture & appliancesAustralian-made furniture and homewaresPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verifiedPlyroomMissing: where its earlier stages happen · Homewares, furniture & appliancesPlywood furniture and storagePays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified

None of the furniture brands we know to make furniture is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Le Klint is Good, but we don't know that it makes furniture.

See every furniture brand

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

  • Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
  • Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
  • 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.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 1 of 6

  • Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
  • Not met: Respects worker rightsWhere homewares and appliances are usually made, such as China and India, unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
  • 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: High-risk raw materials (timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: timber

Red flags 2

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
  • Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably mostly in countries with poor worker rights

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

Not confirmed

We couldn't confirm where GlobeWest makes most of its products, so this shows where homewares and appliances are usually made.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
CountryShareWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
China50%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
Vietnam15%Systematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
India10%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
Poland10%Regular violationsClose to a living wageModerate
Indonesia8%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
Malaysia7%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate

Evidence

What we found

  • Doesn't show where its timber comes from. Timber is linked to illegal logging linked to forced labour, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.

Research notes GlobeWest designs its furniture in Melbourne but does not say where it is made, name its factories or publish a supplier code, audit results or modern slavery statement. Its ranges make wide use of timber, including teak in outdoor furniture, with no stated timber certification or origin. No labour abuse reports are linked to the company.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Australian Modern Slavery RegisterNot listedNo GlobeWest statement found on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot coveredFurniture companies are not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report (latest edition 2026). View

Sources and actions

Sources 4

Show all 4 sources
  1. GlobeWest 2024 (Decor + Design Show) · search the archive · Founded in 2004 by Alan and Stephen Mendel; no factories or sourcing described
  2. GlobeWest outdoor collections 2020 (Adore) · search the archive · Ranges use teak and other timbers; no origin or certification stated

Published by GlobeWest or its owner

  1. GlobeWest: about us · search the archive · Australian owned, Melbourne based, run by co-founders Alan and Stephen Mendel; in-house design; no manufacturing locations given
  2. GlobeWest home page · search the archive · Showrooms in several Australian cities plus stockist locator

Company details

Headquarters
Australia
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is GlobeWest ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/globewest, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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