Torpedo7
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
New Zealand outdoor clothing and gear brand, now sold online and at The Outlet.
We couldn't confirm where Torpedo7 makes most of its NZ outdoor clothing and gear.
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.
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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 a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably 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 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably mostly in countries with poor worker rights
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 Torpedo7 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
- 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 Torpedo7 publishes no information on where its own-label clothing and gear are made, no factory list, no supplier code or audit results, and no modern slavery statement. Under former owner The Warehouse Group it fell within that group's ethical sourcing programme, but since its 2024 sale to Tahua Partners no ethical sourcing disclosures have been published, and it is not rated in the Ethical Fashion Report. Its last stores closed or became The Outlet in early 2026, leaving it an online brand. No labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported.
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Torpedo7 to become online-only store by February 2026 (RNZ) · search the archive · Remaining six stores to become The Outlet in early 2026; Torpedo7 to be a digital-only brand; owned by Tahua Group
- The Warehouse Group sells Torpedo7 to focus on core brands (Scoop) · search the archive · Sold for $1 to Tahua Partners in February 2024, including stock and the Torpedo7 brand
- Moving to The Outlet · search the archive · Torpedo7 continues under The Outlet
- Torpedo7 - Wikipedia · search the archive · Founded 2004 in Hamilton, NZ; bought by The Warehouse Group from 2013; sold to Tahua Partners in 2024
Published by Torpedo7 or its owner
- Torpedo7 official site · search the archive · Torpedo7 gear now available at The Outlet; listed under Tahua Group; no sourcing or sustainability pages
Company details
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Torpedo7 ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/torpedo7, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded outdoor
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