Nick Scali
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Australian furniture retailer selling leather and fabric sofas.
Nick Scali can't show that the workers who make its products in Vietnam and India earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Better-graded furniture
Graded higher than Nick Scali, selling the same kinds of things.
None of the furniture brands we know to make furniture is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Le Klint is Good, but we don't know that it makes furniture.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Nick Scali? Send a right of reply.
Compare Nick Scali with another brand
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, 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 China, Malaysia 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 (leather and timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: leather and timber
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
Nick Scali says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malaysia | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- 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.
- Doesn't show where its timber comes from. Timber is linked to illegal logging linked to forced labour, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Nick Scali owns no factories; its furniture is made by a small group of third-party manufacturers in Vietnam, China, Malaysia and India (about 16 international suppliers in 2022), with no split by country, no supplier list and no factory names published. Its modern slavery statements rely on supplier self-assessments, site visits by executives and audit reports, but give no audit findings or wage data. Lounges are built on kiln-dried timber frames and much of the range is leather, with no disclosure of where hides are tanned or whether timber is certified.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Files annual statements; the FY2025 statement names suppliers in Vietnam, China, Malaysia and India and says over 85% of international suppliers by value gave a recent audit report or had a site visit in the year. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's reports cover fashion and electronics, not furniture. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No labour abuse allegations involving Nick Scali or its suppliers were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Nick Scali (AU:NCK) - Robin Research · search the archive · Plush bought 2021; Fabb (UK) bought 2024
Published by Nick Scali or its owner
- Nick Scali Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · Suppliers in Vietnam, China, Malaysia, India; over 85% by value audited or visited; over 940 staff; no cases reported
- Nick Scali Modern Slavery Statement FY2022 · search the archive · Fifteen international suppliers in 2021 plus one added in FY2022; no third-party audit program yet
- Nick Scali Modern Slavery Statement FY2021 · search the archive · Imports from established manufacturers in Asia; supplier self-assessments; no own factories
- Nick Scali Lounge Booklet 2021 · search the archive · Leather and fabric lounges on kiln-dried timber frames; no leather origin or timber certification given
- Nick Scali FY24 Results Announcement · search the archive · On 8 May 2024 the Group acquired UK retailer Fabb Furniture; operates the acquired Plush store network
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 940
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Nick Scali ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/nick-scali, 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 Nick Scali.