Labour Lens

Sussan

Lacks transparency

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

Clothing & footwear

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources

Australian women's retailer selling clothing and sleepwear.

There's no proof Sussan 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, 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 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 Vietnam.
  • 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 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

Accreditations 1

Where it's made

China has the largest share, 81%. Bangladesh is next, at 10%.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
CountryShareWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
China81%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
Bangladesh10%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
Australia7%Strong protectionsAbout a living wageLow
Vietnam2%Systematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
Pakistanunder 1%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh
Indiaunder 1%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh

Evidence

What we found

  • Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety Source
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Independent social audits of all its main factories
  • 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 Sussan's women's clothing, basics and sleepwear is made by independent suppliers under Sussan Group's shared sourcing programme; the group reports no brand-level split. In FY25, 81% of group purchases came from factories in China, 10% Bangladesh, 6.5% Australia, 2% Vietnam and under 1% Pakistan and India. All 146 Tier 1 factories are independently audited and the group signed the Bangladesh and Pakistan Accords, but it publishes no factory list and has no living wage target. The group scored 42/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportListedSussan Group scored 42 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), up from 39 in 2024. View
B Corp directoryCertifiedThe Sussan Group (Retail Holdings Pty Limited) has been a Certified B Corp since June 2024, scoring 84.7. View
Australian Modern Slavery RegisterListedJoint group modern slavery statement for FY25 reports 84 suppliers, 146 Tier 1 factories, 159 social audits and no modern slavery cases found. View

Sources and actions

Sources 5

Show all 5 sources
  1. Sussan Group - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report score 42/100 (average 31.5); International and Pakistan Accord signatory; B Corp 84.7
  2. The Sussan Group - B Corp directory · search the archive · Certified B Corp since June 2024 with a score of 84.7
  3. The Sussan Group attains B Corp status (Ragtrader) · search the archive · Group-wide B Corp certification covering Sportsgirl, Sussan and Suzanne Grae, September 2024

Published by Sussan or its owner

  1. Sussan Group Modern Slavery Statement FY25 · search the archive · FY25 purchases: China 81%, Bangladesh 10%, Australia 6.5%, Vietnam 2%, Pakistan 0.5%, India 0.03%; 146 Tier 1 factories, all audited
  2. Sussan Group Modern Slavery Statement FY24 · search the archive · Same policies across Sussan, Sportsgirl and Suzanne Grae; 163 audits; Better Cotton target of 50% by 2025

Company details

Headquarters
Australia
Last researched
2 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is Sussan ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sussan, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

Better-graded basics

Ktena Knitting MillsClothing & footwearAustralian merino knitwear and basicsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerifiedMerino CountryClothing & footwearAustralian merino thermals and underwearMakes its products in its own factories in Australia, where legal wages are close to a living wage.GoodPartly verifiedVege ThreadsMissing: where its earlier stages happen, a named supplier list and traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearOrganic cotton and hemp basicsPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified

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Something missing or wrong?

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