Merchant 1948
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Auckland footwear retailer selling its own-label shoes.
There's no proof Merchant 1948 pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Merchant 1948? Send a right of reply.
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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 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 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 and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: leather
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
Merchant 1948 names some of the countries it makes in: China. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Doesn't show where its leather comes from. Leather is linked to hazardous tannery work and forced labour on some cattle ranches, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- Uses cotton in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Merchant 1948's own-label shoes come from its parent's own factory in China, which makes its Deuce sneakers and other lines, and from unnamed European factories, with no published shares. Suppliers must sign a code of conduct, and it buys more leather from Leather Working Group tanneries, which are audited mainly on environmental standards. It publishes no supplier list, factory audit results or living wage commitment, and its parent scored 13/100 in Tearfund NZ's 2022 footwear report.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Overland Footwear (Mi Piaci, Merchant 1948) scored 13 out of 100 in Tearfund NZ's 2022 footwear report; it traced only 1-25% of final-stage factories and published no supplier list. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Overland interview (Inside Retail NZ) · search the archive · Family-run; company-owned factory in China makes sports and fashion lines
- Kiwi brands rated among lowest in ethical footwear survey (1News, 2022) · search the archive · Merchant 1948, Deuce and Mi Piaci scored 13%; Overland said results would inform its sustainability strategy
Published by Merchant 1948 or its owner
- Sole Responsibility - Merchant 1948 · search the archive · European factories plus own manufacturing in China; supplier code of conduct; Leather Working Group tanneries; mostly leather products
- Behind the Craft - Merchant 1948 · search the archive · Deuce sneakers made in its own factory in China; no third-party factory audit programme described
- Who is Merchant - Merchant 1948 · search the archive · Family shoe business since 1948; works with suppliers and factories around the globe
Company details
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Merchant 1948 ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/merchant-1948, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded footwear
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Merchant 1948.