Mountain Warehouse
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 30 October 2026 · 5 sources
British chain selling budget outdoor clothing, footwear and camping gear.
There's no proof Mountain Warehouse pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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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 unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (unpaid or underpaid wages, last recorded in 2024) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
- 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. Mountain Warehouse looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unpaid or underpaid wages in 2024 and is fixing them, so they don't count against the grade. They're listed below under Confirmed issues.
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 rights96% of its products are made in China, Bangladesh and India, 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: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: 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
China has the largest share, 76%. Bangladesh is next, at 16%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 76% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 16% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| United Kingdom | 4% | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- 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.
- Uses leather in only a few products and traces or certifies most of it. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Mountain Warehouse's own-brand range is made by independent suppliers; its 2020-21 statement gave orders as China 76%, Bangladesh 16%, India 4%, UK 4%, with under 1% from Italy and Pakistan. Later statements give 7-9 sourcing countries and about 200 tier 1 factories without naming them all. It requires SMETA or BSCI audits via Sedex, bans Xinjiang, Uzbek and Turkmen cotton and says about a third of its cotton is organic, but publishes no factory list, living wage plan or independent rating.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Mountain Warehouse Group filed a modern slavery statement for February 2024 to January 2025, naming wage and working-hours problems at Chinese suppliers. 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 | Mountain Warehouse's 2024-25 modern slavery statement reports wage violations at a shoe factory in China, found through a SMETA audit (UK modern slavery statement registry, 2025). 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. | PartlyAgreed corrective action plans with the supplier and used third-party auditors to check wage payments over several months; it does not say whether workers were repaid. |
| 2024 | SMETA audits found excessive working hours at a clothing factory in China (2024-25 statement) and 63.5-hour weeks at a rucksack factory (FY2023/24 statement), above the ILO's 60-hour limit. 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. | PartlyWorked with the supplier on the root cause under a corrective action plan; an earlier rucksack factory case was brought within limits and confirmed at re-audit. |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Mountain Warehouse, DFO Brisbane · search the archive · Mountain Warehouse trades as a store at DFO Brisbane, selling outdoor clothing, footwear and gear for men, women and kids
Published by Mountain Warehouse or its owner
- Modern Slavery Statement FY2020-21 (Mountain Warehouse) · search the archive · Own-brand production by share of orders: China 76% (251 factories), Bangladesh 16%, India 4%, UK 4%, Italy 0.9%, Pakistan 0.1%; Sedex member, SMETA or BSCI audits required
- Modern Slavery Statement FY24 (Mountain Warehouse) · search the archive · 201 tier 1 factories in 9 countries; about 3,700 staff; rucksack factory at 63.5 hours fixed at re-audit; Xinjiang cotton banned; 32% organic cotton; certified, mapped tanneries
- Modern Slavery Statement 2022-2023 (Mountain Warehouse) · search the archive · Cotton products predominantly sourced from Bangladesh; 209 tier 1 factories in 7 countries; no production sites in Myanmar or Xinjiang
- Mountain Warehouse Group modern slavery statement summary (2025) · search the archive · SMETA audits found excessive hours at a Chinese clothing factory and wage violations at a Chinese shoe factory; corrective action plans and third-party wage checks
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Employees
- About 3,700
- Last researched
- 30 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Mountain Warehouse ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/mountain-warehouse, last researched 30 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded outdoor
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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 Mountain Warehouse.