Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Melbourne-founded retailer of stationery and gifts.
Typo can't show that the workers who make its products in Vietnam and India earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 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: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour link, last recorded in 2019) was a link through a supplier, which the company has acted on.
- 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 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, other than one it has put rightIts supply chain was linked to forced labour in 2019, which it has since acted on. That's listed below and no longer counts against 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton and timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton and timber
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
From Cotton On Group's supplier list, which covers Typo and its sister brands. Typo publishes no breakdown of its own, so the countries shown are the group's. 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 |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses cotton and timber in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where they come from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Typo is part of the Cotton On Group, whose modern slavery statement covers it but does not report on Typo separately. The group says most of its suppliers are in China and Bangladesh, with India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Cambodia and Australia also used, and that it has traced all its tier 1 factories; it publishes a supplier list, signed the International Accord and scored 40/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. No Typo-specific production countries or living wage plan are published. Cotton and wood appear in only part of its mostly paper, plastic, ceramic and glass range.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Cotton On Group's FY2025 modern slavery statement, which names Typo among the group's eight brands; it reported 528 audits and gives no Typo-specific detail. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Owner Cotton On Group scored 40 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 45 in 2024; the report rates its clothing, not Typo's stationery and homewares. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Problem found | Cotton On Group profile covers its 2019 exit from Xinjiang cotton; no Typo-specific cases are recorded. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Link through a supplierTypo's owner Cotton On Group stopped buying cotton from Xinjiang in 2019 after ABC Four Corners reporting linked the group's cotton to the region's forced labour system (BHRRC, 2019); the reporting concerned group cotton generally, not Typo products specifically. Source · search the archiveActed on The company has acted on this link, so it no longer counts against the grade. | YesCotton On Group stopped buying cotton from Xinjiang in October 2019. |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Cotton On Group - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · Group stopped sourcing Xinjiang cotton in 2019 after media reports
- Cotton On Group - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Cotton On Group scored 40/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (45 in 2024); Accord signatory
- Refresh your room with Typo (UNiDAYS) · search the archive · Typo homewares include a 100% cotton cushion, wooden letters, ceramic and glass candles: cotton and timber in a minority of lines
Published by Typo or its owner
- Cotton On Group Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · Typo named among eight group brands; most suppliers in China and Bangladesh, also VN, IN, ID, PK, KH, AU; 528 audits; tier 1 traced
- Typo - Cotton On Group · search the archive · Typo is the group's gifting and stationery brand, founded 2009
- Sourcing ethically - Cotton On Group · search the archive · Group supplier base of 185 suppliers and more than 396 factories; 14 Rules to Trade supplier code
Company details
- Owned by
- Cotton On Group
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Typo ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/typo, 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 Typo.