FROM a grunge punk pendant or fairycore phone case for just 75p, to a cute Kawaii cat tote bag for a couple of quid.
Shopping site Romwe is the ‘alternative’, lesser-known sister brand to mainstream fast-fashion big hitter, Shein.
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Describing itself as “a cyber mall for the next gen” and set up in 2010, Romwe stocks “all the social-inspired pieces you need”.
The site’s USP is the way shoppers can browse different styles and aesthetics, from grunge punk, hippie, goth, fairycore and kawaii.
They also have a range of clever collaboration collections, from Corpse Bride, Pepsi, Call of Duty, AC DC and The Smurfs.
And while in comparison to Shein the site is very much the ‘little sister’, it registered a staggering 50m users by 2021.
Rose Marroncelli, a lecturer in International Fashion Management at Nottingham Trent University who focuses on consumer behaviour in relation to fast fashion and sustainability, says:
“Romwe are a typical online fast fashion retailer, who stand out in the crowded market due to their selection of individual and alternative garments.
"This appeals to the consumer who values their individual style, whilst shopping on a budget - they allow the consumer to try out different styles and identities, conveniently and all at a low cost."
But beneath all the cute and gimmicky fashion aesthetics, like so many other fast fashion sites including Shein, Romwe is plagued with concerns over poor customer service, bad quality products, disturbing dark web data breaches and ‘greenwashing’ environmental and working condition concerns….
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‘What a rip off’
Over 2,800 reviews on Trustpilot give Romwe an overall average rating of 2.5 stars - which translates as ‘poor’, with reviewers moaning about “c*** quality” clothing and “upsetting” customer service.
The feedback also varies wildly - with 30 per cent five star reviews, and 31 per cent one star.
One disgruntled shopper said: “What a rip off company. They sent the wrong item and customer service is nothing but a bot.
'I can't believe that's from Shein' people admit as woman shows off her 'perfect' but astonishing cheap wedding dress
“They have zero customer service. I advise to never order from this site. They just steal your money basically.”
“Avoid if you want your order to actually be delivered,” added another reviewer.
“My order has been stuck in transit at the same point for ten days.
"Tried contacting the suggested customer services which is an automated bot so cannot find out how to get a refund.”
In stark contrast, one Romwe five star reviewer wrote: "I have been a consistent shopper with Romwe for years. I am always happy with the prices, the coupons, the fast shipping and the amazing product quality!"
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Disturbing data breaches
The quality of their products and level of customer service isn’t some customers only concerns.
In 2020, the owner of the fast-fashion site Zoetop was fined £1.69m over its handling of a data breach which saw the login details for seven million Romwe account holders and 39 million accounts from sister site Shein stolen in 2018 after it was targeted by hackers.
Some Romwe customers’ usernames and passwords were found on the dark web, and internal and forensic investigations revealed they may have been stolen in July 2018.
Romwe claimed they notified potentially affected customers via email and notice on our website, however New York Attorney General Letitia James said Zoetop had lied about the extent of the breach and had notified "only a fraction" of affected customers.
Last year one person claimed on TrustPilot: “Be aware of this company. I believe I made an account with them years ago but I never bought anything.
“Anyways I find out from my credit report that my data has been found on the dark web from this Romwe account.
“Tried to email them to find out what's going on and how it's going to be sorted and still yet no reply. Just beware.”
In 2021 another concerned customer wrote: “I've been informed that my account details from Rowme were sold on the dark web, including my password.
"This has caused me no end of problems the past few months. I never received an email for Rowme to inform me of this breach so that I could have taken earlier action.”
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Employee and environment concerns
The site is also closely connected to Shein, who ship to over 150 countries, and churn out up to 10,000 items a day, as they are owned by the same parent company.
And with Shein coming under increasing scrutiny, it’s hard for Romwe’s practices not to be questioned too, due to association.
Last year a Channel 4 documentary, Untold: Inside the Shein Machine, claimed employees at factories used by Shein were working up to 18 hours a day for just £19, and were being paid as little as 3p an item, with one day off a month.
Addressing concerns, Shein previously said they are: "committed to respecting human rights and adhering to local laws" and have a policy of "zero tolerance for forced labour."
“There is an emphasis on speed rather than sustainability. Cheap, low quality production feeds consumers' desire for novelty.
Rose Marroncelli, lecturer in Fashion Management at Nottingham Trent University
Like most fast fashion companies, it’s also believed most Shein returns likely end up in landfill because it costs more to put them back in circulation, and a lot of consumers wear or use items once before binning them - creating a huge environmental cost.
However, despite even selling Shein items on their site, and vice versa, Romwe state on their site they’re “deeply dedicated to ethical and humane practices and we tolerate nothing less”, and because of their “strong belief in ethical working conditions for all employees, neither we nor any of our partners are allowed to use forced labour.”
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Additionally, under a section on social responsibility, they state: “As much as we are dedicated to providing a large selection of unique products at affordable prices, we are just as committed to making a positive impact on our customers, employees and the environment.
“Romwe strives to create a fun experience for our customers while adhering to fair labor practices, environmental impact mitigation, and charitable causes… We treat all of our employees like family by providing industry leading working conditions.”
“Romwe is owned by Shein, who have come under scrutiny for their unsustainable and unethical practices.
Rose Marroncelli
Rose says: “This is a vague statement, with tones of greenwashing.
“Is there any further information on environmental impact mitigation, for example? Information on their website is limited. It is not clear specifically what charitable causes Romwe supports, or where their factories are located.
“Romwe is owned by Shein, who have come under scrutiny for their unsustainable and unethical practices.
“Fashion cycles have become increasingly fast paced, and to withstand this demand, and increase profit margins, some sectors of the fashion industry have adopted unsustainable production techniques.
“There is an emphasis on speed rather than sustainability. Cheap, low quality production feeds consumers' desire for novelty.
“This can cause issues with low quality garments ending up in landfill – which take hundreds of years to biodegrade.”
Website Good On You, who describe themselves as the world’s leading source for fashion brand ratings, use expert analysis to give brands an easy to understand score.
When it comes to Romwe, they say on their site: “Its environment rating is 'very poor'.”
Additionally, they go on to say: “Its labour rating is 'very poor'. There is no evidence it has a Code of Conduct. There is no evidence it has worker empowerment initiatives such as collective bargaining or rights to make a complaint.
"There is no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. It audits some of its supply chain but does not specify what percentage.”
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‘How could it be this cheap?’
With all that in mind, I wasn’t filled with confidence when I tried the site out for myself.
Instantly, first-time shoppers are welcomed with a 15 per cent off voucher, and free shipping on their first order.
Similarly to other fast fashion sites, the more you spend the more money you get off, with ten per cent discount offered on orders over £19, 18 per cent off orders over £55 and 22 per cent off orders over £89.
The deals and discounts are a clever technique to encourage higher spending.
Rose says: “The ‘daily flash sale’ puts pressure on consumers to purchase new products, or they will lose out.
“This tactic is employed by many online fast fashion brands, and may encourage impulse purchasing and over-consumption.”
My order came to £29.98, and got £4.49 discount and free shipping, meaning I spent £25.49 in total for six items, including a blue mesh shoulder bag - which had stitching coming loose - costing £2.12, a Kawaii cartoon cat paw bag for £2.36, a Corpse Bride hoodie for £5.30 and a Powerpuff Girls cushion cover for just 83p.
Several of the items were actually not even Romwe branded, but actually from Shein.
Writer, Miranda Knox
And when I considered their claims regarding making a “positive impact” on the environment, I struggled to see how this could be true while selling items so cheaply.
Several of the items were actually not even Romwe branded, but actually from Shein.
The heart confetti blouse I purchased for £2.54 was made from 100 per cent cheap polyester - and it showed.
Interestingly it had a scannable QR code on the label, which when I scanned it forwarded me to Shein’s site.
The same occurred when I scanned the label of the Corpse Bride hoodie.
Similarly, the floral cami dress I bought for £2.98 was also 100 per cent polyester, and had a Shein label in it, so it seems some customers could regularly unwittingly be buying Shein items on the Romwe site.
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Encouraging a ‘throwaway culture’
While the discounts and the super cheap prices meant I was admittedly impressed by how much I could buy for less than £30, given the poor quality and lack of clarity over sustainability and workers rights, I can only assume - despite their claims - there is a cost to the planet.
Speaking about fast fashion as an industry, Rose adds: "The low prices encourage a ‘throwaway’ culture, where clothes are bought with little consideration or value to the consumer, worn infrequently, and then discarded.
"We need better quality clothing at slightly higher prices to encourage a system where consumers care for their clothing, and wear it for longer.
"The low cost of fast fashion can be seen to encourage a ‘throwaway culture.’"
A spokesperson for SHEIN said:
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"ROMWE is a SHEIN-owned brand. Any manufacturing supplier who produces ROMWE products agree to comply and is held to the same Supplier Code of Conduct and must submit to unannounced audits under the SHEIN Responsible Sourcing Policy. Cyber security is a top priority for SHEIN.
"We are committed to respecting human rights and adhering to local laws in each market we operate in."
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