Retailer
Founded in South Australia in 1849. In December 2019, Harris Scarfe was bought by Australian private equity firm Allegro Funds, and entered into voluntary administration 3 weeks later, after 170 years in operation. 23 of their 66 stores were closed before Spotlight bought the remaining stores.
Company Ownership
Harris Scarfe Australia Pty Ltd
AUS
Spotlight Group Holdings Pty Ltd
owns 100% of Harris Scarfe Australia Pty Ltd
AUS
Retailer
Operates Anaconda store in Australia and Spotlight stores throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Acquired Mountain Designs in 2018, and Harris Scarfe in 2020.
Company Assessment
(Last updated Oct 2024)
Praise
Criticism
Information
Harris Scarfe Australia Pty Ltd
Praise
Criticism
Information
Angora ban
This company has taken angora items off the shelves and promised not to use angora again, following a PETA campaign launched in Dec 2013 which revealed the cruelty inflicted on angora rabbits in Chinese factory farms, where 90% of the world's angora is produced.
Source: PETA
(2018)
Spotlight Group Holdings Pty Ltd
Praise
Information
Criticism
6/100 in Ethical Fashion Report
Baptist World Aid Australia's '2024 Ethical Fashion Report' assessed 120 companies on their efforts to mitigate against the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation in their supply chains, as well as protect the environment from the harmful impacts of the fashion industry. Assessment criteria fall into five main categories: policy & governance, tracing & risk, auditing and supplier relationships, worker empowerment and environmental sustainability. This company ranked in the bottom 20%, with a score of 6/100.
Copyright infringements
In 2019 the Federal Court of Australia found that Spotlight infringed the intellectual property rights in three separate artistic works owned by Bed Bath N Table's parent company The Dempsey Group. The court has ordered Spotlight to pay damages to The Dempsey Group for lost profits as well as reputational damage.
Source: news article
(2019)
APCO member
Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is a not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. Each year, APCO Members are required to submit an APCO Annual Report and Action Plan, which includes an overall performance level from 1 (Getting Started) to 5 (Beyond Best Practice). This company received a packaging performance level of 2 (Good Progress) in its 2024 APCO Annual Report.
Source: APCO
(2024)
Spotlight Foundation
The Spotlight Foundation provides financial support to more than 50 organisations in fields as diverse as health and research, welfare, the arts, education, and women's enterprises in developing countries.
Source: company website
(2018)
Company Details
Type:
Wholly-owned subsidiary
Employees:
1,200
(2020)
Contact Details
Products / Brands
Harris Scarfe
Harris Scarfe
Homewares Stores