JD Sports
Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
British retailer selling sneakers and sportswear.
In 2026, a fire killed at least 28 workers at a Chinese shoe factory on JD Sports' supplier list, despite a recent audit.
Also worth knowing
There's no public record of JD Sports putting this right.
Better-graded activewear
Graded higher than JD Sports, selling the same kinds of things.
No activewear brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent JD Sports? Send a right of reply.
Compare JD Sports with another brand
Why it's graded Harm on record
- Not met: Meets 3 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.
- Holds the grade back: It's Harm on record because of a serious confirmed problem from the last 5 years with no public record of it being put right: deadly safety failure, last recorded in 2026.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: deadly safety failure, last recorded in 2026
- 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
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Red flag: A confirmed problem with pay, rights or safety not shown to be put right
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
China has the largest share, 85%. Türkiye is next, at 8%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 85% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| India | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- 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 More than 90% of what JD sells is from brands like Nike and adidas; its own labels (Supply & Demand, Pink Soda, McKenzie and others) are made by contract suppliers. An earlier Australian modern slavery statement put in-house production at 531 factories in 17 countries: China 71.3%, Turkey 7.3%, India 6.2% and 15.2% elsewhere; JD now sources from 23 countries. It publishes a supplier list and requires third-party audits; in 2025, 53% of 342 benchmarked factories met a living wage through basic pay, but there is no time-bound living wage target.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Scored 52 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (11th edition), after 54 in 2024; it completed the survey. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Scored 29% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, just above the 26% average. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Publishes an annual group modern slavery statement; the 2025-26 report covers 23 sourcing countries and says 53% of 342 benchmarked factories meet a living wage through basic pay. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | JD Sports Fashion Australia files a modern slavery statement; it says in-house brands come from 531 factories in 17 countries, led by China (71.3%). View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile lists stories on a deadly 2026 China shoe factory fire and Myanmar union disputes, with 6 response requests and an 84% response rate. 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | A July 2026 fire at the Fujian Huiteng Shoes factory in Jinjiang, China, which appeared on JD's published supplier list, killed at least 28 workers despite a recent amfori BSCI audit (Dignity and Rights, 2026). Source · search the archive | Not knownJD said it placed no orders at the factory after 2025 and its last shipment left in January 2026; no support for victims or families has been 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.
- Unions complained that 13 workers at the Popular Garment factory in Myanmar were dismissed without reason in 2021; the workers were later compensated, and JD Sports was among the brands asked to respond, though it is not clear it sourced there (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2022). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- JD Sports Fashion - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · Stories on China factory fire and Myanmar factory disputes; Transparency Pledge aligned
- Ethical Fashion Guide 2026 (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: JD Sports 52/100, completed the survey
- JD Sports - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Fashion Transparency Index 2023 29%; Ethical Fashion Report 2024 54/100
- Amfori launches review after fatal shoe factory fire (Ecotextile) · search the archive · Fujian Huiteng Shoes factory had an amfori BSCI social audit; amfori reviewing audit records
- JD Group Modern Slavery Report 2025-2026 · search the archive · 23 sourcing countries; 53% of 342 benchmarked factories meet a living wage on basic pay; no time-bound target
- Social auditors' death toll continues to rise with latest factory fire (Dignity and Rights) · search the archive · Huiteng factory on JD's supplier list; 28 dead in 9 July 2026 fire; JD says last shipment January 2026
Published by JD Sports or its owner
- JD Sports Fashion Australia Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · In-house brands from 531 factories in 17 countries: China 71.3%, Turkey 7.3%, India 6.2%, other 15.2%
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is JD Sports ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/jd-sports, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record 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 JD Sports.