TK Maxx
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Off-price store selling other brands at reduced prices.
TK Maxx's parent, TJX Companies, scored 8/100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, and we couldn't confirm where it makes most of its off-price branded clothing and homewares.
Also worth knowing
Most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent TK Maxx? Send a right of reply.
Compare TK Maxx with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production, probably in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 8/100 in 2024, for the company it's rated with). 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 rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Probably made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 8/100 (2024, the company it's rated with)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
We couldn't confirm where TK Maxx makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
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 TK Maxx sells mostly other brands' surplus stock, but its owner TJX also has some goods made specially for it, and its factory audits focus on those. TJX buys from about 21,000 vendors in over 100 countries and does not publish a supplier list, production countries or audit results. It has no living wage commitment, has not signed the International Accord on factory safety, was not rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report after scoring 8/100 in 2024, and scored 13% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Not in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; TJX Australia (TK Maxx) scored 8 out of 100 in the 2024 edition, in the bottom 20% of 120 companies. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | TJX scored 13% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, about half the 26% average. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | TJX's statement for fiscal 2026 says it audited or received audits for almost 3,700 factories in 38 countries, mainly those making goods it helped develop, out of about 21,000 vendors; no findings or supplier list published. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Reporting in 2016-2017 on US Department of Labor investigations found Los Angeles garment contractors making clothing for TJX and other retailers underpaid workers, some earning as little as $4 an hour; regulators penalised the contractors, not TJX (Consumer Reports/Consumerist, 2016; Boston Globe via TriplePundit, 2017). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- TK Maxx - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Ethical Fashion Report 2024: 8/100; FTI 2023: 13%; not an Accord signatory; KnowTheChain 2023: 9/100
- TK Maxx company profile (Ethical Consumer) · search the archive · No supplier list; supplier code omits living wage; KnowTheChain 2021 score 19/100
- Your great finds from TJ Maxx may come from underpaid workers (Consumerist) · search the archive · DOL found wage violations at LA contractors making clothing for TJX and others (2012, 2016)
- TJ Maxx accused of shady labor practices (TriplePundit) · search the archive · Boston Globe 2017 report; DOL penalised factories, not TJX; TJX cited vendor code
Published by TK Maxx or its owner
- TJX Modern Slavery Statement, fiscal 2026 · search the archive · Almost 3,700 factories audited in 38 countries; 21,000+ vendors in 100+ countries; corrective action plans; no findings disclosed
- TJX Australia Modern Slavery Statement, fiscal 2023 · search the archive · Off-price model; audits focus on factories making goods TJX helped develop; 2,900+ audits reviewed; no Xinjiang or cotton policy
- TJX Australia Modern Slavery Statement, fiscal 2022 · search the archive · Ambassador Sponsor of RSN's YESS cotton forced labour initiative; no supplier list
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is TK Maxx ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/tk-maxx, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded footwear
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent TK Maxx.