Department stores
Founded in Bendigo, Vic in 1900 and merged with Coles in 1985. Acquired by a consortium of US private equity firms in 2006, who floated the company on the Australian Stock Exchange in Oct 2009. They operate 67 stores around Australia. Acquired designer labels Sass & Bide in 2011, Howard Showers and Charlie Brown in 2014 and Marcs and David Lawrence in 2017.
Myer Holdings Ltd
AUS
Premier Investments Ltd
owns 31% of Myer Holdings Ltd
AUS
Investment firm
Chaired by one of Australia's richest men, Solomon Lew. Lindsay Fox is also on the board of Directors. Acquired clothing retail group Just Group in 2008.
Company Assessment
(Last updated Jun 2024)
Praise
Criticism
Information
Myer Holdings Ltd
Praise
Criticism
Information
4/5 for packaging performance
This company received a packaging performance level of 4 (Leading) in its 2024 APCO Annual Report. 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).
Source: APCO
(2024)
Modern Slavery disclosure quality
Human Rights Law Centre's 2022 report, "Broken Promises: Two years of corporate reporting under Australia's Modern Slavery Act", examines statements submitted to the Government's Modern Slavery Register by 92 companies sourcing from four sectors with known risks of modern slavery: garments from China, rubber gloves from Malaysia, seafood from Thailand and fresh produce from Australia. Modern slavery statements are analysed to see if they comply with the mandatory reporting requirements, identify or disclose obvious modern slavery risks, and demonstrate effective actions to address risks. This company's modern slavery disclosure statement received a rating in the 61-80% range. The average score was 44% and the highest score was 89%.
Source: Human Rights Law Centre
(2022)
13/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 13/100 in the Retailing category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 7 Feb 2021). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global
(2021)
Renewable energy use
Greenpeace's Reenergise campaign ranks Australia's biggest electricity using companies on their commitments and actions regarding renewable energy use. This company has: not committed to powering their operations by 100% renewable electricity by 2030; not signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) to buy power from a wind or solar project; not invested in on-site solar.
Source: Greenpeace
(2021)
24/100 in 2022 Ethical Fashion Report
Baptist World Aid Australia's '2022 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 received a score of 24/100.
Workers rights in Bangladesh
According to Oxfam's 2019 report, "Made in Poverty - The True Cost of Fashion", this company sources from Bangladesh and Vietnam. Some of the many disturbing findings of the research in Bangladesh were that 100 per cent of workers interviewed were not paid a living wage, nine out of ten could not afford enough food for themselves and their families until their next monthly pay and seven out of 10 could not pay for medical treatment when they were sick or injured. In Vietnam, 99 per cent were not paid a living wage and seven out of 10 women interviewed felt their pay was not enough to meet their needs.
Source: Oxfam Australia
(2019)
Poor treatment of model competition winners
In 2011 Myer ran a modelling competition aimed at "real" women who wear dress sizes of 14 and above to promote the relaunch of its plus-size range Big is Beautiful. Myer didn't cover any travel, food or accommodation costs for the model competition entrants - many who travelled interstate. Many entrants complained of poor treatment. Finalists received a Myer gift pack worth $25 in return for spruiking the store.
Source: Crikey
(2011)
Fur free
This company has formally undertaken not to use or sell real fur.
Source: Animals Australia
(2017)
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
(2014)
Use of non-mulesed wool
Brands owned by this company are listed in Human Society International Australia's Better Wool Guide as using 100% non-mulesed wool from a robust certification scheme, or has a time-bound commitment to do so. Mulesing is the controversial practice of removing strips of the skin of a lamb's rear and is often done without pain relief. In Australia, the only country where mulesing still occurs, an estimated 10 million merino lambs are subjected to mulesing each year - equivalent to 19 lambs per minute.
Source: HSI Australia
(2024)
Corporate governance policies
Myer has several corporate governance documents publicly available on its website, including their Ethical Sourcing Policy, Animal Welfare Policy and Code of Conduct.
Source: company website
(2020)
2/4 for purchasing practices
In 2020 Oxfam evaluated several clothing brand's purchasing practices across seven categories: whether a brand provides accurate forecasts of upcoming work to factories; its price negotiation strategies; whether a factory's environmental and social compliance influences the brand's purchasing decisions; how
a brand places orders with factories; what its payment terms are; commitment to pay a living wage; and the transparency of a brand's supply chain. This company was given a score of 2 with 4 being the highest possible score.
Source: Oxfam Australia
(2020)
Some COVID Fashion Commitments
In 2020 Baptist World Aid Australia released The COVID Fashion Report, a special edition of their Ethical Fashion Report. The report is framed around six COVID Fashion Commitments that ask companies to demonstrate the steps and measures they are taking to protect and support the most vulnerable workers in their supply chains. This company showed evidence of actions that cover SOME areas of the COVID Fashion Commitments.
Efforts to pay a living wage
Oxfam Australia's Company Tracker compares the big clothing brands on their efforts to pay a living wage to the women working in their factories. This company has released the names and addresses of at least 70% of their supplier factories, has taken some action towards paying a living wage in the supply chain, and has not made a commitment to ringfence wages.
Source: Oxfam Australia
(2022)
Dog fur pulled from shelves
According to investigations by Humane Society International in 2011, fur vests sold by Myer were found to contain dog fur from China. The label stated that the vests are 100% rabbit fur. Importation of dog or cat fur is illegal in Australia. Myer were quick to pull the vest from its stores.
No tax paid in 2019-20
According to data released by the Australian Tax Office in Jan 2022, this company was one of many local and foreign-based companies that paid no tax in Australia in 2019-20. Please note however that companies pay income tax on profits, not revenue (total income). While some companies use tax havens and loopholes to avoid paying their fair share of tax in Australia, other companies that paid no tax have perfectly legitimate reasons.
Source: ATO
(2022)
Company Details
Type:
Public company
Founded:
1900
Revenue:
3 billion AUD
(2022)
Employees:
14,000+
(2022)
Subsidiaries:
sass & bide Pty Ltd
Women's fashion
Founders Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton sold a 65% share of their fashion label to Myer in Feb 2011. Myer acquired the remaining 35% in Sept 2013.
Contact Details
Address:
800 Collins St, Docklands, VIC, 3008, Australia
Phone:
03 8667 6000
Freecall:
1800 811 611
Website:
Products / Brands
Myer
Basque
Womens Fashion
Basque Woman
Womens Plus Size
Bauhaus
Youth Fashion
Bauhaus
Childrenswear
Bauhaus
Menswear (casual)
Blaq
Menswear (formal)
Blaq
Menswear (casual)
Chloe & Lola
Underwear/Socks/Sleepwear
Chloe & Lola
Intimate Apparel
Collection
Womens Fashion
David Lawrence
Womens Fashion
Grab
Womens Fashion
Grab
Denim
Innovare Made in Italy
Womens Shoes
Jack & Milly
Childrenswear
Jeff Banks
Menswear (formal)
Kenji
Menswear (casual)
Maddox
Menswear (casual)
Marcs
Womens Fashion
Marcs
Menswear (casual)
Milk & Honey
Youth Fashion
Milkshake
Childrenswear
Miss Shop
Youth Fashion
Myer
Toy Stores
Myer
Electronics Stores
Myer
Department Stores
Myer
Homewares Stores
Myer
Clothing Stores
Origami
Babywear
Piper
Womens Fashion
Piper 16-22
Womens Plus Size
Regatta
Womens Fashion
Regatta Curve
Womens Plus Size
Reserve
Menswear (casual)
Sass
Womens Fashion
Sass & Bide
Womens Fashion
Sass & Bide
Intimate Apparel
Soho
Intimate Apparel
Sprout
Babywear
Tilii
Childrenswear
Tokito
Youth Fashion
Tokito Curve
Womens Plus Size
Trent Nathan
Womens Fashion
Trent Nathan
Menswear (formal)
Wayne Cooper
Womens Fashion
Zazou
Womens Shoes