Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 6 sources
German discount chain selling low-price clothing and household goods.
KiK can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Pakistan earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Better-graded basics
Graded higher than KiK, selling the same kinds of things.
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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 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.
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 rights99% of its products are made in countries such as Bangladesh and China, 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 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 (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, 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
KiK names some of the countries it makes in: Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Türkiye, India, Myanmar, Cambodia, Egypt and Indonesia. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 32% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 31% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | 13% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Türkiye | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| India | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Myanmar | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Very high |
| Cambodia | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Egypt | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 1% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- 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 KiK's clothing is made by about 400 independent suppliers; its latest published country split (2018 textile purchases) put 30% in Bangladesh, 28% in China and 13% in Pakistan, with under 1% from Ethiopia and Germany, and non-food goods mostly from China. It signed the Bangladesh Accord and its successor. KiK was the main buyer at Ali Enterprises in Karachi, where a 2012 fire killed 260 workers; it later paid US$6.15 million to victims under an ILO-brokered deal. No dated living wage target is published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Scored 41.5 out of 250 (17%) in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Profile records 9 response requests (89% answered), a lawsuit profile on the Ali Enterprises fire, and Fashion Checker finding no public evidence of living wages. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not rated in Baptist World Aid's 2024 Ethical Fashion Report; KiK does not trade in Australia. (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View |
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.
- In 2024 Pakistani union NTUF, FEMNET and ECCHR said KiK supplier Mount Fuji Textiles staged a sham works council election and dismissed over 140 workers; KiK said it found no truth in the claims, and Germany's BAFA reported no supply-chain law breach (BHRRC, 2024; ECCHR, 2025). Source
- Workers at Nanstock Garment Factory in Myanmar, reported to supply KiK and New Yorker, alleged underpaid wages and overtime, unpaid social security, no contracts and excessive targets in December 2022; KiK said it doesn't source from the factory and didn't know it (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2023). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- KiK company profile (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · German discount apparel chain across Europe; Fashion Transparency Index 2023 41.5/250; Fashion Checker found no evidence of living wages
- German Court: Pakistani victims awarded legal costs in case against KiK (BHRRC) · search the archive · 2012 Ali Enterprises fire killed 260 people; KiK was the factory's main client
- KiK supplier union agreement (BHRRC) · search the archive · NGOs allege sham election and over 140 dismissals at Mount Fuji Textiles in 2024; KiK says allegations untrue
- Myanmar: Garment workers allegedly supplying KiK & New Yorker report underpaid wages (BHRRC) · search the archive · Nanstock Garment Factory allegations, December 2022
- LkSG complaint against KiK (ECCHR) · search the archive · BAFA told KiK in 2024 it found no supply-chain law violations in Pakistan; 2025 complaint challenges this
Published by KiK or its owner
- KiK Sustainability Report 2019 · search the archive · 2018 textile buying: Bangladesh 30.4%, China 27.5%, Pakistan 13%, Turkey 7.9%, India and Myanmar 3.5% each; about 400 suppliers; Accord 2.0 signatory; US$6.15m paid to fire victims
Company details
- Owned by
- Tengelmann Group
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Employees
- About 28,788
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is KiK ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/kik, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency 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 KiK.