11 Things You Need to Know About Shein (2024)

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What are some interesting facts about Shein? ›

Active Shoppers: Shein boasts over 88.8 million active shoppers worldwide, with 13.7 million from the US. App Downloads: In 2023, the Shein app had over 261.9 million downloads, with more than 200 million downloads in 2022 alone.

SHEIN is a Singapore-headquartered global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, offering a full range of ever-evolving products centered around our customers' needs.

Shein, originally named ZZKKO, was founded in China in 2008 by entrepreneur and search engine optimization (SEO) marketing specialist Chris Xu (Xu Yangtian). Information on Xu's educational and career background remains elusive as of 2022, with sources conflicting on details of his biography.

However, despite Shein offering a secure shopping experience, it is surrounded by controversy that may make you weigh your purchasing choices. It raises ethical concerns over business practices and labor conditions, while its fast fashion model sparks debate over sustainability and the environmental impact.

The company sells clothing that is cheaply and rapidly produced, then sold at incredibly low prices — many items are under $10. Shein gave fast fashion a whole new meaning by using AI technology to identify trends and an online-only model to churn out thousands of garments in record time.

Its biggest selling point is the low pricing of clothes that are shipped to more than 150 countries and regions worldwide, catering to women in their teens and 20s.

Poor labour conditions are only one component that makes up Shein's unethical practice. They claim to be “turning to sustainable practices and fabrics”, yet there is nothing to substantiate the traceability of their fibres, or how these allegedly “recycled fabrics” are sourced.

The company is currently owned by Sky Xu, also known as Chris Xu in the International English media. Today, he is a billionaire after starting the company in 2015 with Molly Miao; Miao is now COO of Shein. Maggie Gu and Henry Ren have also been part of the company since its start.

One of the key ways that Shein and other fast-fashion brands keep prices low is by outsourcing manufacturing labor to cheaper markets, said Dana Thomas, a Paris-based fashion journalist and author of “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes.”

NANJING, China, June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- SheIn, former Sheinside, recently changed its brand name to SheIn and adopted "She In Shine Out" as its new slogan.

What does Shein mean? ›

Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname or artificial name from Yiddish sheyn 'fine beautiful'.

The average SHEIN salary ranges from approximately $27,452 per year for Human Resources Specialist to $167,413 per year for Business Development Manager. Average SHEIN hourly pay ranges from approximately $17.32 per hour for Cashier/Sales to $29.41 per hour for Maintenance Supervisor.

"We have zero tolerance for forced labor. We have zero tolerance for child labor," says Shein's Pernot-Day, adding that the company requires its manufacturers to comply with their local laws. Some of Shein's 5,000-some manufacturers are now in Brazil and Turkey, but most remain in China.

Pouring salt on the wound, the National Retail Federation (NRF) has reportedly rejected multiple attempts by Shein to join the industry's top trade group. The ironic position Shein found itself in is that it strenuously denies clothes are produced using forced labor, repeatedly citing a zero-tolerance policy.

Is It Safe To Use a Debit Card on Shein? Generally, Shein is considered safe to use, as it employs industry-standard security measures to protect your data.

With Shein, you get what you pay for: low-cost, trendy clothes that can be hit or miss when it comes to actual quality. It's the online-only equivalent of mall stores like Forever 21, H&M, and Zara.

Shein is tailored for America's love of fast fashion With clothes cheaper than a latte, built for today's microtrends, Shein courts the same young women who launched the renaissance of thrifting and resale.

Between 35,000 to 100,000 items are produced daily for Shein and contribute to high carbon emissions and waste. 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere by Shein clothing production yearly.

The average SHEIN salary ranges from approximately $27,452 per year for Human Resources Specialist to $167,413 per year for Business Development Manager. Average SHEIN hourly pay ranges from approximately $17.32 per hour for Cashier/Sales to $29.41 per hour for Maintenance Supervisor.