Do we like Kmart Australia?
Discount department store chain selling homewares, clothes and toys, mostly under its Anko brand. Based in Mulgrave, Victoria.
Our score: 4 out of 10. Mixed, leaning cautious. Kmart is cheap and has a big Christmas charity drive. But it has a privacy breach finding, an ACCC safety case and a wage class action against it.
Ian Bailey ran Kmart Group for years and is credited with turning it into a hit with cost-conscious shoppers. Aleksandra Spaseska took over as managing director in April 2025. Bailey stayed on as chair of Anko, the in-house brand.
Privacy was a problem. In September 2025 the Privacy Commissioner found Kmart broke the Privacy Act by using facial recognition in 28 stores between 2020 and 2022. It didn't tell shoppers or get their consent. It stopped when the investigation began and no fine was imposed. Kmart said it was disappointed and was reviewing its options for appeal.
2026 has brought fresh legal trouble. In October the ACCC took Kmart to court, accusing it of selling nail glue that caused burns without adequate warnings. It also accused Kmart of not filing mandatory injury reports. Kmart says its labelling was appropriate. Separately, a class action filed in April alleges store managers were underpaid. That is unproven and Kmart hasn't yet filed a defence.
On the plus side, the Wishing Tree Appeal is in its 39th year. Kmart has also said it will work with global unions to lift garment wages. But Oxfam found most Bangladeshi workers making clothes for Kmart couldn't make ends meet. Hence the middling score.