It’s possible that 2020, a dystopian time of stay-at-homes, social distancing and a global health crisis, may seem like a distant fever dream. However, 2020 and the COVID pandemic exposed inequalities and exploitation that continue to this day.
Another such imbalance was revealed in the summer of 2020 as clothing factories in the UK city of Leicester, which supplies fast fashion brand Boohoo, were revealed to be using highly exploitative labor practices; this includes failure to comply with minimum wage requirements and neglect of social segregation measures.
Reflecting more than five years later, this article looks at the impact of this fast fashion revelation and its wider implications for how the industry continues to operate today. The year 2026 is a critical time for all of us to revisit this scandal, as fast-paced online fashion sales (proliferated by the likes of Shein, Temu and AliExpress) continue to boom in profits at the same time as global, social, and environmental disaster.
The Social Consequences of Fast Fashion: Uncovering Leicester’s Hidden Sweatshops
The Sunday Times published a story in the summer of 2020 reporting that workers at the ‘Jaswal’ garment factory, in the city of Leicester, were being paid as little as £3.50 an hour. This shocking failure to comply with the national minimum wage at the time (set at £5 more at £8.72) was later linked to the production of Boohoo-owned Nasty Gal clothing.
The impact of this report did not end there. The scandalous revelations have finally opened a Pandora’s box of exploitative practices taking place in Leicester’s clothing factories, which are more aptly classified as sweatshops, including Boohoo in allegations of modern-day slavery.
Boohoo’s failure to comply with minimum wage laws within their supply chain emphasized to UK citizens that the clothing industry’s reliance on cheap labour, rather than being confined within the Global South, was playing at their doors. As a result, the critical exploitation of fast fashion brands, such as Boohoo, became increasingly challenging for British society to ignore, or often (wrongly) abound as part of life elsewhere in the world.
Following The Times’ exposé on the Leicester garment factory, a BBC reporter interviewed factory worker Paramjit. Paramjit stressed that, despite earning between £3 and £5 an hour, an official inquiry into their pay may be subject to minimum wage requirements. This comes as factories in Leicester cover their tracks in ways such as manipulating workers’ hours and forcing workers to return parts of their wages to the factories.
So, starting with the first exposé in the Sunday Times, the complex operation of financial exploitation in the clothing industry, from which Boohoo profited, began to be exposed.
In addition to wage corruption, the Times article also highlighted how the restrictions of COVID-19 could be met in these industries. At the time of writing, the lockdown was ongoing, and the British public had just been exposed to the suffering that Covid had caused in their lives, and the inequality in the lives of members of their disadvantaged communities. Therefore, the shock of this article grew as it revealed that garment workers, who were already facing an extreme economic crisis, were disproportionately exposed to the virus.
The impact of the disclosure was reflected in a sharp drop in Boohoo’s share price – a situation which suggests that consumer choice is indeed influenced by the ethics of manufacturing a product.
However, the year is now 2026, and Boohoo is still making a very healthy (only economically, of course) profit. So what happened this time to make this work? And why do we continue to fail to createsupportedchanges in the industry following fast fashion scandals?
Boohoo Scandal in 2026: A Cycle of Fast Fashion Exploitation/Rebranding
Following Boohoo’s media attention, fueled by dire reports of worker abuse at its Leicester garment factories, the company’s shares fell 42%. This represents a significant loss of market value of over £1 billion.
However, this does not mean the end of the road for Boohoo.
Boohoo distanced itself from the Leicester factories, saying they had no knowledge of the clothing company involved in the scandal (the problem itself being that the lack of transparency in the supply chain meant that Boohoo themselves did not know its details) and the following year, Debenhams acquired Boohoo. From this, a rebranding under the Debenhams group name began.
As part of this reformation, scandal was openly acknowledged. Access to the annual modern slavery statements is available through their website, which provides broad, ambitious and unrepentant actions to make it a “fair business for all, and we are working hard to achieve this.”
In addition, the company created the Boohoo Garment and Textile Workers Trust – a trust designed to improve workers’ conditions, but where there is new information available online about both objectives, more importantly, the group’s concrete actions.
Ultimately, under this new ownership, the company continued to make a profit. This profit depends on using the same old tactics of fast fashion: low-priced clothes, continuous sales and rapid production of small trends, to name a few.
The core of these strategies remains the production of low-cost goods that are needed, ultimately facilitated by the use of labor and exploitation of the environment.
Therefore, it is unlikely that Boohoo will change its name and commitment to tackling unfair labor conditions goes beyond superficial rhetoric. On the contrary, it simply represents a high-level PR move used to protect the company’s reputation.
This highlights a wider trend within fast fashion – reflected in our greenwashing cycle article. This cycle is identified as involving five steps:
This cycle of greenwashing, carried out by other brands such as H&M, is very dangerous as fast fashion companies find new ways to continue using the same exploitative practices under the false pretense of social and environmental responsibility. Ultimately, this makes it more difficult to highlight and fight their exploitation as the line between really strong products and greenwashing becomes more difficult to understand.
A top tip to avoid falling into the greenwashing trap is to ignore the buzz words that brands are promoting, and instead look for evidence of concrete actions. Ujo Shop ratings are a quick and easy way to differentiate between green bathing and true sustainability.
Fast fashion brands, like Boohoo, aren’t interested in making real change in the face of scandal. PR strategies are used only to save and, ultimately, save profit. So, Boohoo continues to thrive in 2026 with the same disastrous tactics it used in 2020.
Flash forward to 2026…
Last year the CEO of Boohoo earned a staggering £4,528,393. In stark contrast, the fate of the collective garment workers paints a much bleaker picture; The 2020 scandal has meant that, by 2026, Boohoo has outsourced most of its supply chain to the Global South, where exploitation is often invisible, and labor laws are often lax. As a result, garment workers in Boohoo’s supply chain (although relocated) continue to be mistreated. At the same time, many workers at the Leicester factory have lost their jobs, creating a situation of loss for all workers in the supply chain.
Basically, what you are showing is a fast fashion model that is completely dependent on inequality.
So, now let’s move on to highlight five eco-stylist-approved alternatives to Boohoo, which reject this fast fashion model and instead support the same benefits for people and the planet.
Five Sustainable Ways to Shop Instead of Boohoo
1) MATE Label
The MATE label is your way to shop for comfortable, yet stylish, running gear – a market that Boohoo is embracing in 2020. Its clean and timeless beauty is great for providing a stable wardrobe for both seasons and years.
2) Plunder
Similar to the MATE label, Pangaia is ideal for buying a high-quality, stable athlete. Designed with timeless silhouettes, yet featuring feminine colors, Pangaia is the perfect place to shop for eco-friendly luxury.
3) Whimsy and Rowu
If you’re looking for an alternative to the feminine silhouettes offered by Boohoo, but also want to embrace a timeless and versatile look that doesn’t rely on small trends, look no further than Whimsy and Row. This low-impact company aims to provide “simplicity and elegance for the modern, stable woman.”
4) Dedicated
Donations provide another source of bold colors, prints and patterns. However, in contrast to Boohoo’s acceptance of cheap materials and works, Dedicated is committed to using organic, natural and recycled fibers combined with transparent and easily traceable supply chains.
5) Transformation
Looking for Boohoo Sustainable Alternatives?
For more environmentally and socially responsible Boohoo alternatives check out our other article on Boohoo alternatives, and for more check out the full Ujo Shop sustainable fashion guide.
By usinghe agreedthe fast fashion cycle of scandal/greenwashing, and so onto breakthis cycle by purchasing sustainable alternatives, we are comingone step closer to achieving a sustainable future for the fashion industry.
Rhona is studying Masters in Global Development and Environment at the University of Bristol. She also works in sustainable retail and, in her spare time, enjoys reading, fundraising and yoga.