Spotlight
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 2 sources
Australian fabric, craft, party and homewares retailer.
There's no proof Spotlight 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, 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 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 and timber) 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
These are Spotlight Group Holdings' countries across all its brands; Spotlight doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Pakistan | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
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 timber in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Spotlight's own-brand homewares, bedding, fabrics and craft goods are sourced by owner Spotlight Group, much of it through its Glowstar sourcing office, which works with about 380 supplier factories in China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and other countries. The group publishes no factory list, no production shares, no living wage commitment and no audit results; its FY25 supplier checks were mainly desktop reviews of supplier documents, and it flags cotton and timber as high-risk inputs, with a cotton and textile supplier review planned for FY26. Spotlight Group scored 5/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Owner Spotlight Group scored 5 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 6 in 2024. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Spotlight Group's joint FY25 modern slavery statement, which reports about 380 supplier factories used through its Glowstar sourcing office, mainly in China, India, Pakistan and Vietnam, and no identified modern slavery cases. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 2
Show all 2 sources
- Spotlight Group – Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Spotlight Group scored 5/100 (average 31.5); owns Spotlight, Anaconda, Harris Scarfe, Mountain Designs
Published by Spotlight or its owner
- Spotlight Group Holdings FY25 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · About 380 Glowstar supplier factories in China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and elsewhere; desktop reviews; cotton and timber flagged; 7,300+ staff
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 7,300
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Spotlight ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/spotlight, 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
No bedding and textiles 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 Spotlight.