merci
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Storck's brand of individually wrapped assorted chocolates.
There's no proof the people who grow its cocoa earn more than the legal minimum, which in Côte d'Ivoire is far below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 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.
- 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 rightsSome of its cocoa is grown in Ecuador, 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 confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of child labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- 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: Finds and fixes child labour on cocoa farms (Fairtrade, Fair for Life or its own published monitoring), and traces other high-risk ingredients (hazelnuts and palm oil) where they're a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: hazelnuts
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using merci's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: On Track
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its cocoa is grown
These are August Storck KG's cocoa origins across all its brands; merci doesn't say where its own cocoa is grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ghana | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Ecuador | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Dominican Republic | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- Traces all of its palm oil to the country of origin or beyond, or buys all of it certified
- Its SA8000 certification covers only its own sites, not the farms where its cocoa is grown, so it doesn't count as living wage proof or an independent audit here.
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
- Doesn't show where its hazelnuts come from. Hazelnuts are linked to child labour and very low pay on Turkish hazelnut farms, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies them.
Research notes Storck buys cocoa mainly from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, plus Ecuador and the Dominican Republic (DO), where it runs its own cocoa farm. It says all West African cocoa has been Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified and traceable since 2023, but child labour monitoring will only cover all West African projects by 2027, with no case numbers or supplier list published. Living income work is still at the analysis stage. Its German factories are SA8000 certified. Palm oil, used in fillings, is all RSPO certified; hazelnut origins are not disclosed. It scored 39% in the 2026 Chocolate Scorecard, down from 44% in 2025.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Listed | Storck scored 39% in the 2026 (7th edition) Chocolate Scorecard, 'needs significantly more work on policy and implementation', down from 44% in 2025 (as listed by Ethical Consumer Australia). View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Storck UK publishes a Modern Slavery Act statement; the 2026 statement covers the year to 31 December 2025. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | West African cocoa is bought Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified, but the split between the two schemes is not published. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Mighty Earth campaign and petition (2024) on child labour, deforestation and farmer pay in Storck's cocoa supply chain. 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 Mighty Earth delivered a petition with over 41,000 signatures accusing Storck of weak action on child labour, deforestation and transparency in its cocoa supply chain and of paying cocoa farmers too little; Storck said it meets international social standards. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Storck (Ethical Consumer Australia) · search the archive · Storck scored 39% in Be Slavery Free's 2026 Chocolate Scorecard: 'needs significantly more work on policy and implementation'
- Protesters' petition calls on Storck to enhance action on child labour and deforestation · search the archive · 2024 Mighty Earth petition on child labour, deforestation, farmer pay; Storck cites SA8000 and GISCO membership
- Responsible cocoa procurement (Storck) · search the archive · Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Ecuador, Dominican Republic; West African cocoa 100% Fairtrade/RA certified and traceable since 2023; CLMRS by 2027
- Palm oil (Storck) · search the archive · RSPO member since 2011; only sustainable (RSPO certified) palm oil since 2015, used mainly in fillings; chocolate itself uses cocoa butter
- Storck UK Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement 2026 · search the archive · Products made at Storck sites in Germany; SA8000 certificate covers Berlin, Halle, Ohrdruf and Taunusstein sites
- Merci Finest Chocolate Selection (Ocado) · search the archive · Ingredients include palm fat and hazelnuts (3.8%)
- Merci Milk Chocolate Mix 200g (ALDI Australia) · search the archive · merci chocolates sold in ALDI stores in Australia
Company details
- Owned by
- August Storck KG
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is merci ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/merci, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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