Universal Store
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 3 sources
Australian youth fashion retailer.
Universal Store scored 22/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and there's no proof it pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
Better-graded everyday fashion
Graded higher than Universal Store, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Universal Store? Send a right of reply.
Compare Universal Store with another brand
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 a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 22/100 in 2026). 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 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 and India.
- 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
- 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 22/100 (2026)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
China has the largest share, 93%. India is next, at 7%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 93% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- 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 Universal Store's own labels (Perfect Stranger, Neovision, Common Need, Luck & Trouble and others) and its Cheap Thrills Cartel labels (Thrills, Worship) are made by independent suppliers almost entirely in China, with a few factories in India. Both publish factory lists, and all main factories had SMETA, amfori BSCI or similar audits in FY25, which found 171 problems, mostly health and safety, unpaid wages or social insurance, and excessive hours. Tracing of Thrills suppliers was still incomplete. It scored 22/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, rated from public information only and down from 37 in 2024, and has no living wage commitment or worker grievance hotline yet.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Universal Store Holdings' own labels (Perfect Stranger, Neovision, Luck & Trouble, Common Need and others) scored 22 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, from public information only (37 in 2024). View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | FY25 group modern slavery statement lists 34 Universal Store private-label factories (33 China, 1 India) and 22 traced Thrills/Worship factories (19 China, 3 India), all audited. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 3
Show all 3 sources
- Ethical Fashion Guide 2026 (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Universal Store Holdings labels 22/100, score from public information only
- Universal Store - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Ethical Fashion Report 2024 score 37/100 vs 31.3 average
Published by Universal Store or its owner
- Universal Store Holdings Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Factory counts by country, 100% Tier 1 audits (SMETA, BSCI), 171 non-conformances, factory lists published, Xinjiang cotton banned
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 2,241
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Universal Store ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/universal-store, last researched 2 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 Universal Store.