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If you like the Zara aesthetic, but with a younger vibe, then chances are you’ve come across Pull&Bear. Keep reading to learn more about what’s behind Pull&Bear’s “Not Good Enough” rating. This article is based on the Pull&Bear rating published in February 2022.
How ethical is Pull&Bear?
Like Zara, Pull&Bear is an Inditex-owned brand headquartered in Spain. It launched in 1991 with a mission of “dressing young people who are engaged with their environment, who live in the community and relate to each other.” Inspired by the Californian city of Palm Springs, the brand is now available in 76 markets (mainly in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and South America) through a network of more than 970 stores, as well as its online store.
As an Inditex-owned brand, Pull&Bear is not off to a great start when it comes to its impact on the planet, people, and animals. But how exactly is the brand doing on ethics and sustainability? It’s that time of the week again when we ask—how ethical is Pull&Bear?
Environmental impact
Let’s start with the good news—Pull&Bear uses recycled packaging and has set an absolute target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its operations and supply chain.
However, we found no evidence it is on track to meet its target. Plus, the brand uses few eco-friendly materials, and there is no evidence it minimises textile waste when manufacturing its products. For all these reasons, Pull&Bear is rated “Not Good Enough” for its environmental impact.
Labour conditions
Pull&Bear’s labour rating is also “Not Good Enough”. Half of its final production stage is undertaken in Spain, a medium risk country for labour abuse. It has some policies to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19, and is transparent regarding its suppliers, policies, audits, and remediation processes, as well as forced labour, gender equality or freedom of association—but we found no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain.
Animal welfare
Finally, when it comes to its impact on animals, we gave Pull&Bear a rating of “Not Good Enough” yet again. The brand has a formal animal welfare policy aligned with Five Freedoms, and it does not use fur, angora, or exotic animal skin. But it still uses leather, down, and exotic animal hair, and we found no evidence it traces any animal products to the first stage of production.
Overall rating: Not Good Enough
So, how ethical is Pull&Bear? It should come as no surprise that Pull&Bear is rated “Not Good Enough” overall based on our research. Like the other Inditex-owned brands, Pull&Bear has a long way to go across the board before achieving a higher rating!
Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.
Sustainable alternatives to Pull&Bear
Discover our favourite Good Swaps for Pull&Bear below!
