Kathmandu
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
New Zealand outdoor retailer selling jackets, packs and camping gear.
Kathmandu's supply chain was linked to forced labour in 2024, which it has only partly acted on.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 4 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has a red flag for forced or child labour. On Track needs no forced or child labour, clear labour breaches or failing independent ratings.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour link, last recorded in 2024) 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Kathmandu looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unpaid or underpaid wages in 2016 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. Another problem on its record counts against the grade: a forced labour link in 2024. They're listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 4 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: working towards one
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton
Red flags 1
- Red flag: Forced, slave or child labour found in or linked to its supply chain
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Kathmandu's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 43% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 11% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | Not given | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Israel | Not given | Systematic violations | Not rated | Low |
| Italy | Not given | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Nepal | Not given | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| New Zealand | 1% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses cotton in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its cotton comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
Research notes Kathmandu's products are made by independent suppliers; in 2023 it had 80 tier 1 factories, 54 in China, 14 in Vietnam, 6 in Indonesia and 2 in New Zealand, plus 4 in Israel, Spain, Italy and Nepal (shares shown are by factory count). Its parent KMD Brands publishes factories on Open Supply Hub, is an accredited Fair Labor Association member, signed the International Accord and scored 70/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. KMD has committed to act on living wages in its supply chain but has published no dated target, and its 2025 statement reports underpayment and withheld wages at 8 tier 1 suppliers across its brands.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Owner KMD Brands scored 70 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 60 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | KMD Brands scored 29% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, slightly above the 26% average. View |
| B Corp directory | Certified | Certified B Corp since 2019 with a B Impact score of 95.1. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | KMD Brands' 2025 modern slavery statement lists 142 tier 1 suppliers; China 35%, Vietnam 31% and Indonesia 13% of spend; Taiwan mill forced labour indicators disclosed. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Problem found | Links KMD Brands to the 2025 Transparentem report on migrant worker abuse in Taiwan's textile mills. View |
Confirmed issues 2
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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Link through a supplierA Transparentem investigation found forced labour indicators such as high recruitment fees, threats and restricted movement for migrant workers at Taiwanese textile mills supplying KMD Brands; KMD did not say which of its brands used them (Transparentem, 2025). Source · search the archive | PartlyKMD says it worked with other buyers on remediation and shared the cost of third-party assessment; no repayment of fees by KMD is reported. |
| 2016 | Kathmandu's own social audits found an offshore supplier with excessive hours, pay below minimum wage, unpaid overtime and a blocked emergency exit (Ragtrader, 2016). 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. | PartlyKathmandu ended its relationship with the supplier after it failed audits in 2015 and 2016; no back pay for workers is reported. |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- KMD Brands - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · KMD Brands: EFR 2024 60/100; FTI 2023 29%; B Corp 95.1; Accord; FLA; Oxfam living wage tracker
- Following the Thread - Labor Abuses in Taiwan's Textile Industry (BHRRC) · search the archive · Transparentem 2025 report names KMD Brands as a buyer from investigated Taiwanese mills
- Rip Curl and KMD Brands - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: KMD Brands scored 70/100 (average 31.5, highest 94)
- KMD Brands Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · 142 tier 1 suppliers; spend by country; Taiwan mill forced labour indicators; FLA, Accord, B Corp; no living wage target
- This factory blocked an emergency exit (Ragtrader) · search the archive · Kathmandu audits found minimum wage and safety failures at a supplier in 2015-16; relationship ended
Published by Kathmandu or its owner
- KMD Brands Modern Slavery Statement 2023 · search the archive · Kathmandu 80 tier 1 factories: China 54, Vietnam 14, Indonesia 6, NZ 2, Israel, Spain, Italy and Nepal 4; 100% third-party assessed
- Fair Compensation (KMD Brands) · search the archive · Living wage commitment for own staff; supply chain wage data work, no dated supply chain target
Company details
- Owned by
- KMD Brands
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Kathmandu ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/kathmandu, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Kathmandu.