Rockwear
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Australian women's activewear retailer.
There's no proof Rockwear pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 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: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour, last recorded in 2023) 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. Rockwear looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2023 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Bangladesh and India.
- 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 it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against 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: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are Retail Apparel Group's countries across all its brands; Rockwear doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 55% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 29% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 2% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Uses recycled metals or fibres
- 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 Rockwear does not say where its own clothing is made. The shares shown are for its parent, Retail Apparel Group: of 269 tier 1 factories in FY2024, 138 were in China, 73 in Bangladesh and 25 in India, with the rest in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Rockwear says all its factories are audited, with unannounced inspections and a worker hotline, and it works with Be Slavery Free. The group scored 53/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report but does not publish its supplier list, has not signed the Bangladesh Accord and has no living wage commitment. Its best-selling fabric uses recycled polyester.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Retail Apparel Group, listed with Rockwear, scored 53 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 55 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Parent company The Foschini Group scored 18% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index; Retail Apparel Group has no separate score. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Retail Apparel Group's joint modern slavery statement; the latest found (year to March 2024) lists 269 tier 1 factories: 138 in China, 73 in Bangladesh, 25 in India. View |
Confirmed issues 1
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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Retail Apparel Group's FY2024 modern slavery statement reports a supplier that failed an unannounced inspection for unauthorised subcontracting, and hotline complaints of labour abuse at a supplier and linked factories (RAG, 2024). 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. | PartlyWarning letter, factory flagged high-risk, corrective action plan with Be Slavery Free, some orders moved and future orders held until compliant. |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Ethical Fashion Guide 2026 (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Rockwear listed under Retail Apparel Group with 53/100
- Retail Apparel Group - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Shows the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report score of 55/100; owned 80% by The Foschini Group; FTI 2023 18% (parent)
- List of Accord brand signatories, March 2023 · search the archive · Retail Apparel Group and its brands do not appear among International Accord signatories
- Foschini buys owner of Australia's Tarocash and Rockwear (FashionNetwork) · search the archive · The Foschini Group bought Retail Apparel Group, owner of Rockwear, in 2017
Published by Rockwear or its owner
- Rockwear Social Responsibility · search the archive · All factories audited to code of conduct; unannounced inspections; grievance hotline; Be Slavery Free partner; 50% Better Cotton by 2026
- Rockwear Sustainability · search the archive · Best-selling active fabric made from recycled polyester yarn; no production countries named
- Retail Apparel Group Modern Slavery Statement FY2024 · search the archive · 269 tier 1 factories: China 138, Bangladesh 73, India 25; supplier list not public; subcontracting and hotline cases; Rockwear named
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Rockwear ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/rockwear, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded activewear
No activewear brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Rockwear.