Matchbox
Lacks transparency. Shows little about where or how its products are made.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Family-owned Australian kitchenware and homewares chain.
We couldn't find where Matchbox makes most of its products, a certification covering its range or a list of its suppliers.
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 cookware and tableware
Graded higher than Matchbox, selling the same kinds of things.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Matchbox? Send a right of reply.
Compare Matchbox with another brand
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, 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.
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 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) 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: Probably 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
We couldn't confirm where Matchbox makes most of its products, so this shows where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 50% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Poland | 10% | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malaysia | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
Research notes Matchbox is a multi-brand retailer: its stores and website mainly stock third-party kitchenware brands such as Scanpan, Global, OXO, Essteele and Maxwell & Williams, and no own-brand range of its own is described. It publishes no supplier list, modern slavery statement, sourcing policy or audit information, and does not say where the products it sells are made, so production is left blank. The labour record of the goods it sells depends on the brands it stocks.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No modern slavery statement from Matchbox appears on the Australian Modern Slavery Register; as a private retailer it may fall below the A$100 million reporting threshold. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed by Baptist World Aid, whose Ethical Fashion and Electronics reports do not cover kitchenware retailers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Matchbox wins global innovation award (SmartCompany, 2013) · search the archive · Independent, family-owned kitchenware retailer with stores in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia
- Matchbox - Westfield Knox store page · search the archive · Australian family-owned kitchenware, homewares and giftware retailer founded in Victoria; stocks Maxwell & Williams, Essteele, Global, Scanpan, OXO
- Matchbox Franchising - Franchise overview · search the archive · Family owned and operated kitchenware retailer with corporate office in Elsternwick, Victoria; sells famous third-party brands
Published by Matchbox or its owner
- Matchbox online store · search the archive · Trading online in Australia with click and collect from stores; brand menu lists third-party brands
Company details
- Owned by
- Privately family-owned (Matchbox Franchising, Elsternwick, Victoria)
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Matchbox ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/matchbox, last researched 3 November 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 Matchbox.