Labour Lens

Pillow Talk

Lacks transparency

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Homewares, furniture & appliances

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources

Family-owned Australian retailer of bed linen and homewares.

There's no proof Pillow Talk 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 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.

How grades are decided

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 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) 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

Pillow Talk names some of the countries it makes in: Australia, China, Indonesia, India, Türkiye, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Denmark and Spain. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
VietnamSystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
IndiaNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
IndonesiaNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
AustraliaStrong protectionsAbout a living wageLow
TürkiyeNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
BangladeshNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
DenmarkStrong protectionsAbout a living wageLow
SpainStrong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
PolandUsual for the industryRegular violationsClose to a living wageModerate
MalaysiaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate

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.

Research notes Pillow Talk's December 2025 modern slavery statement says the majority of its products come from suppliers in China, India, Vietnam, Turkey, Indonesia and Australia, and also names key suppliers in Spain, Denmark and Bangladesh. It reports numerous mill and factory visits and independent ethical audits, but names no factories and gives no shares, audit numbers or findings. It has no living wage commitment and says nothing about cotton origin or Xinjiang.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Australian Modern Slavery RegisterListedPillow Talk Pty Ltd lodges annual modern slavery statements, most recently approved in December 2025. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot coveredNot rated in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, which covers clothing brands rather than homewares. (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View

Sources and actions

Sources 4

Show all 4 sources
  1. Pillow Talk opens 75th store in Ballarat (The Courier, 2026) · search the archive · Family-owned Australian retailer opened its 75th store in April 2026

Published by Pillow Talk or its owner

  1. Pillow Talk Modern Slavery Statement (approved 19 December 2025) · search the archive · About 1,400 staff, 73 stores; most products from China, India, Vietnam, Turkey, Indonesia, Australia; key suppliers also in Spain, Denmark, Bangladesh; no shares or audit results
  2. Pillow Talk Modern Slavery Statement (approved 31 December 2024) · search the archive · Engaged 129 suppliers and visited 26 mills and factories in 6 countries; no findings or living wage commitment
  3. Quilt Covers (Pillow Talk) · search the archive · Bedding range dominated by cotton percale, sateen and cotton blends; no cotton certification mentioned

Company details

Headquarters
Australia
Employees
About 1,400
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is Pillow Talk ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/pillow-talk, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

Better-graded bedding and textiles

TontineMissing: a full independent supply chain audit, where its earlier stages happen and 2 more · Homewares, furniture & appliancesPillows, quilts and mattress protectorsPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified

No bedding and textiles brand selling new goods is Good yet. This is the strongest so far.

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Something missing or wrong?

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