Topshop
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
British women's fashion brand.
Topshop can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Better-graded everyday fashion
Graded higher than Topshop, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
None of the everyday fashion brands we know to make jeans is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. The Social Studio, Middlemost and The Social Outfit are Good, but we don't know that they make jeans. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 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.
Good requirements 3 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 confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier 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
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From its parent group's supplier list, which covers Topshop and its sister brands. Topshop publishes no breakdown of its own, so the countries shown are the group's. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far 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 |
| Cambodia | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Morocco | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Romania | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United Kingdom | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Italy | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Tunisia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Low |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)
- 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 ASOS keeps design and distribution rights to Topshop and its October 2025 modern slavery statement treats it as an ASOS own brand, so the countries shown come from ASOS's whole own-brand factory list (April 2026), which has no Topshop breakdown. ASOS signs the International Accord, has a union agreement with IndustriALL and is in the ACT living wage programme, without a time-bound target; Topshop scored 40/100 under ASOS in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. Majority owner Heartland publishes no separate Topshop disclosure, and wholesale ranges may be sourced differently.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Rated under ASOS in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: 40 out of 100, from public information only, above the 31.5 average (ASOS scored 34 in 2024). View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Not rated separately; ASOS scored 50% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, well above the 26% average. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | ASOS's October 2025 UK modern slavery statement names Topshop as an ASOS own brand made by third-party suppliers; it lists 441 Tier 1-2 factories in 21 countries. 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.
- A 2024 Transparentem investigation found forced labour indicators among migrant workers at DDI in Mauritius, a factory ASOS used for its own brands until 2022 while it owned Topshop; the report did not say which ASOS brands DDI made (BHRRC, 2024). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- ASOS - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · ASOS: Ethical Fashion Report 2024 34/100; FTI 2023 50%; Accord signatory; ACT participant
- Ethical Fashion Guide 2026 (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Topshop and Topman listed under ASOS at 40/100, from public information only
- Topshop preps for relaunch, teases new website (FashionNetwork) · search the archive · 2025 relaunch; wholesale with Nordstrom, Reliance Retail and Bestseller
- ASOS factory list (April 2026) · search the archive · Own-brand factory list of roughly 470 rows, led by China, Turkey and India
- Asos sells Topshop and Topman into new joint venture with Heartland (City AM) · search the archive · Heartland holds 75%, ASOS 25% (Sept 2024); ASOS keeps design and distribution rights for a royalty
- TOPSHOP to relaunch in Australia exclusively instore at MYER · search the archive · Topshop launching in 56 Myer stores and online at Myer from February 2026
Published by Topshop or its owner
- ASOS Modern Slavery Statement (October 2025) · search the archive · Topshop and Topman listed as ASOS own brands designed in-house and made by third-party suppliers; 441 factories, 21 countries; Accord, ACT
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Topshop ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/topshop, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Topshop.