Missguided

Is Missguided an ethical and sustainable fashion brand?

Missguided is a UK-based online fast fashion brand which is owned by Nakai Investments Ltd (Missguided Ltd). The Good Shopping Guide has given this brand a low Ethical Rating. Unfortunately, this brand receives a low Good Shopping Guide Ethical Score in our Ethical Fashion Retailers Ratings Table and has not yet met our minimum Ethical Benchmark. This brand has several areas to improve upon before it would likely qualify for our Ethical Accreditation.

In what areas does Missguided perform poorly? 

For its Environmental Report, Missguided scores very poorly. We rate brands’ Environmental Reports as this evidences progress, action plans and targets. Unfortunately, whilst Missguided had, at one time a CSR page on its website (which provided some information on the environment) this contains no targets. Please note that this CSR is no longer available to the public, though its Modern Slavery Act is still accessible online (at the time of writing). This leaves much to be desired, as customers and investors are not able to assess this brand’s commitment to a sustainable future, and therefore if this brand is worth investing in. Missguided also loses points in our Environment criteria for its lack of Organic certification or products. Missguided is also not a member of the Better Cotton Initiative.

For those concerned about Animal Welfare, it is worth knowing that some Missguided ‘fake fur’ products have been found to contain cat fur. This is irresponsible sourcing of materials and Missguided needs to be more informed about the resources used in its supply chain, otherwise, it is in danger of deceiving consumers in the future as well.

For its Human Rights standards, Missguided also receives a low score from The Good Shopping Guide. In a Financial Times piece, it is discussed how Leicester factories violate workers’ rights. One factory owner described a portion of Leicester’s garment sector as “a country within a country,” where “£5 an hour is regarded the top wage”. That is an illegal wage in the UK. One employee claimed that he has worked in locations with antiquated equipment, blocked fire escapes, and no holiday or sick pay. Although there are some garment manufacturers that uphold the law, a “perceived culture of impunity,” as a 2018 government report puts it, has produced an odd microeconomy in which smaller rival factories that use underpaid workers outcompete larger ones that use machines. The constant price undercutting from fast fashion brands and the consumer appetite for huge quantities of clothes exacerbates this problem. Missguided was amongst the brands found sourcing from factories in Leicester.

In what areas does Missguided perform well?

The brand is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, a governance group that works to improve the traceability of brands’ supply chains and ensure that workers in that supply chain are kept safe, and healthy and are not subject to trafficking, forced labour, child labour, wage theft or illegally low wages.

How can the Missguided brand improve its Ethical Rating?

The Good Shopping Guide’s score results from 15 ethical criteria in relation to Missguided. To reach our Ethical Benchmark and qualify for our Ethical Accreditation, Missguided has several issues to deal with, including its standard of Human and Animal Welfare, and its care and consideration for the Environment.

If your fashion brand values ethics and sustainability, why not check out The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation? Increase customer and investor confidence and stand out from the greenwash.