The Gap, Inc. — Ethics Grade D+

The Gap, Inc. receives an overall ethics grade of D+ (38/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Fashion & Apparel. Market cap: Mid Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 25
• privacy: 85
• consumer: 50
• environment: 45
• humanRights: 20

Documented incidents (3)

• Child Labor in India (high, 2007) — Investigations discovered children as young as 10 working in 'sweatshop' conditions in Delhi to produce Gap Kids apparel. The company admitted to violations of its own ethical code regarding subcontractor monitoring.
• Refusal to Sign Bangladesh Accord (high, 2013) — Following the Rana Plaza collapse, Gap declined to join the legally binding Accord on Fire and Building Safety. Instead, they joined a non-binding, corporate-led alternative criticized by unions for lack of accountability.
• Canceled Orders During Pandemic (medium, 2020) — Gap initially refused to pay for $100 million in orders already produced or in production at the start of COVID-19. This action left thousands of workers in developing nations without wages during the crisis.

Documented good deeds

• Washwell Program — Gap's denim program has saved over 500 million liters of water since 2016 by using less water-intensive dyeing and finishing processes.

Ethical alternatives

• Everlane — Focuses on 'radical transparency' regarding factory conditions and production costs.