Labour Lens

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

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources

Samsonite-owned US maker of hiking, travel and everyday backpacks.

Gregory can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and India earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.

Also worth knowing

It has no full independent audit.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

  • Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
  • Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
  • It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour, last recorded in 2025) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
  • 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

  • Checks its own supply chain. Gregory looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2025 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.

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 rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where 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 it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade.
  • Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
  • Met: High-risk raw materials (such as cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range

Red flags 2

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
  • Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain

Stars it would earn as Good

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

Where it's made

These are Samsonite Group's countries across all its brands; Gregory doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
BangladeshNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
IndiaNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
CambodiaNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
IndonesiaNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
BelgiumRegular violationsAbout a living wageLow
Dominican RepublicStrong protectionsWell below a living wageModerate
HungarySystematic violationsClose to a living wageModerate
MyanmarNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageVery high
PhilippinesNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
ThailandNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
TaiwanStrong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
VietnamUsual for the industrySystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
TürkiyeUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
PakistanUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh

Evidence

What we found

  • No high-risk raw materials (such as cotton and leather) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)

Research notes Gregory gives no origin for its packs. Parent Samsonite Group makes some goods in its own factories in Belgium, Hungary and India and buys the rest from 206 independent finished-goods suppliers in 19 countries, mainly China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Taiwan, with no shares or factory list. Group audits in 2025 found Thai migrant workers had paid recruitment fees; it is not stated whether these made Gregory packs, so the finding is shown for the group's brands, as for Tumi. There is no living wage commitment.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Australian Modern Slavery RegisterListedCovered by Samsonite Group S.A.'s modern slavery statement for 2025, which names Gregory among its brands; 169 finished-goods factories and 83 key component factories audited in 2025. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot listedNeither Gregory nor Samsonite Group is rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, the latest edition. View
Business & Human Rights Resource CentreNot listedNo supply chain labour allegations against Gregory are recorded by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. 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 recordedWhat happenedMade amends?
2025Samsonite Group's 2025 modern slavery statement, covering Gregory, says migrant workers at some of its suppliers in Thailand had paid recruitment fees to get their jobs. Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself.PartlySamsonite Group says it worked with suppliers in 2025 to have the fees repaid and endorsed the Employer Pays Principle; amounts repaid are not published.

Sources and actions

Sources 5

Show all 5 sources
  1. Ethical Fashion Guide 2026 (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · Gregory and Samsonite Group not listed in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report
  2. Samsonite Group Modern Slavery Statement 2025 (Australian register) · search the archive · Gregory named among group brands; group sourcing countries; 2025 audits; Thai recruitment fees
  3. Samsonite buys Gregory for $85 million (WWD) · search the archive · Samsonite bought Gregory, a maker of outdoor packs, from Black Diamond; main markets the US and Japan
  4. GREGORY Zulu 55L Mens Hiking Backpack (Wild Earth) · search the archive · Gregory synthetic hiking packs sold by Australian outdoor retailer Wild Earth, which has physical stores

Published by Gregory or its owner

  1. Samsonite Modern Slavery Report 2026 (UK) · search the archive · Covers FY2025; no living wage commitment or supplier list published

Company details

Headquarters
United States
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is Gregory ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/gregory, 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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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Gregory.