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Reebok

OVERALL

Owned
USA
Rating
Criticism, some praise

Sportswear

Global athletic footwear and apparel company founded in 1958. Acquired by Adidas in 2005, who sold it to Authentic Brands Group in 2021.

Company Ownership

Reebok   USA     website         
  Authentic Brands Group LLC   
   owns 100% of Reebok  
USA     website   email      

Brand development and licensing

Purchases brands in the sports, celebrity and fashion categories and licenses the intellectual property to leading retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers worldwide. Acquired Juicy Couture in 2013, Tretorn in 2015 and Nautica and Nine West in 2018. Bought Van Heusen, Arrow and Izod from PVH, and Reebok from Adidas in 2021. Private equity firms BlackRock, CVC and HPS own significant stakes.

      BlackRock Inc   
       owns 30% of Authentic Brands Group LLC  
USA     website         

Asset management

World's largest asset manager, with about $7 trillion in assets under management.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Reebok
Business Ethics 48/100 in Fashion Transparency Index
The 2022 Fashion Transparency Index reviewed 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers and ranked them according to how much they disclose about their human rights and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Brands owned by this company scored 48%, signifying that it is making significant efforts in the given areas, and has made some or most of this information publicly available. The average score was 24% and the highest score was 78%.
Source: Fashion Revolution (2022)
Social Most controversial companies of 2012
This company appeared sixth on RepRisk's top ten "most environmentally and socially controversial companies of 2012". Companies on the list were severely criticised during 2012 by the world's media, governments and NGOs. Criticisms of Reebok include workers rights abuse in Asia, a fraud scandal in India, tax evasion, and river pollution in China. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: RepRisk (2013)
Social Fined for false advertising
In 2011 Reebok's EasyTone line was caught out for false advertising and fined US$25 million by the Federal Trade Commission in the USA. Reebok claimed that the "sole technology featuring pockets of moving air creates 'micro instability' that tones and strengthens muscles as you walk or run".
Source: news article (2011)
Social Sweatshops in El Salvadore
This 2011 investigative report into the Ocean Sky Apparel Factory in El Salvador reveals how workers are: paid well below living wage, illegally forced to work overtime, given unsafe drinking water, fired for attempting to unionise, and cursed at and humiliated. Their customers include Reebok, Puma, Columbia and GAP. (Listed under information due to age of report)
Source: Institute for Global Labour & Human Rights (2011)
Social BHRRC company profile
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Source: BHRRC (2022)
Authentic Brands Group LLC
Social Forced labour in China
The Chinese government has facilitated the mass transfer of Uyghur and other ethnic minority citizens from the far west region of Xinjiang to factories across the country. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of international brands, including brands owned by this company.
Source: ITUC (2020)
Business Ethics Part owned by BlackRock, which has criticisms
In 2019 US private equity giant BlackRock bought roughly a 30% stake in this company. BlackRock has several criticisms and an overall Shop Ethical rating of 'F'.
Source: Shop Ethical (2019)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Wholly-owned subsidiary
Founded 1958

Contact Details

Address Canton, Massachusetts, USA
Website www.reebok.com

Products / Brands


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