Women's clothing retail
Previously known as Specialty Fashion Group, which was Australia's largest women's apparel retail group. Acquired Rivers in Nov 2013, their first venture into unisex retail. Sold the Millers, Katies, Crossroads, Autograph and Rivers brands to Noni B Group (now Mosaic Brands) for $31 million in 2018. This company retained the City Chic brand.
Company Assessment
(Last updated Oct 2024)
Praise
Criticism
Information
City Chic Collective Ltd
Praise
Criticism
Information
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 within a set timeframe in the supply chain, and has made a commitment to ringfence wages.
Source: Oxfam Australia
(2021)
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 ALL areas of the COVID Fashion Commitments.
Turkmen Cotton Pledge signatory
This company has signed the Cotton Pledge with the Responsible Sourcing Network, signifying a public commitment to not knowingly source Turkmen cotton for the manufacturing of any of their products until the Government of Turkmenistan ends the practice of forced labor in its cotton sector. Each cotton season, Turkmen public sector workers are forced by the government to fulfill cotton picking quotas and private businesses are forced to contribute to the efforts financially or with labor. This places a huge burden on the health, education, and general well-being of Turkmen citizens.
Breaching advertising codes
This company has been criticised for offensive advertising. In 2016 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about a City Chic store window video ad by this company on the grounds that it breached advertising codes. The ad was subsequently discontinued or modified.
Rejecting Burma
In Oct 2009, as a result of Burma Campaign Australia's 'Don't Deal with Burma' campaign, Specialty Fashion Group committed to stop sourcing products from Burma and dealing with companies that trade in Burma.
Source: Burma Campaign Australia
(2009)
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)
Supplier Factory Disclosure List
This company is one of of a handful of major Australian fashion retailers to publish the names and addresses of their supplier factories.
Source: company website
(2016)
Ethical trade claims
This company has CSR claims on its website in the areas of ethical trade, sourcing policies, product safety, packaging and supply chain transparency.
Source: company website
(2016)
Modern Slavery disclosure quality
Modern slavery disclosure is a critical step in mitigating the risk associated with modern slavery practices in companies' operations and supply chains. The quality of the disclosure signals the level of commitments and efforts that the companies have put in managing these risks. In 2021 the Monash Centre for Financial Studies analysed and ranked the disclosure quality of the modern slavery statements submitted by the 300 largest listed companies on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX300). This company's modern slavery disclosure statement received a grade of C.
Source: Monash University
(2021)
40/100 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 received a score of 40/100. The average score was 31.3 and the highest score was 90.
Victim of fraud
In 2010 SFG's head of property, Simon Feldman, was charged with 226 counts of fraud. The NSW Supreme Court was told Feldman siphoned most of a missing $16.7 million to "prop up" three private businesses he ran with Richard Bamford.
Source: news article
(2011)
Company Details
Type:
Public company
Revenue:
148 million AUD
(2019)
Employees:
600
(2019)
Contact Details
Address:
151-163 Wyndham St, Alexandria, NSW, 2015, Australia
Phone:
02 8303 9800
Website:
Products / Brands
City Chic Collective
City Chic
Womens Fashion
City Chic
Womens Plus Size