Taking the fashion world by storm, Shein is renowned as the largest e-commerce only fashion retailer globally and has become a retailer used by millions of consumers everywhere on a regular basis. Shein, a Chinese brand, was originally founded in 2012 as SheInside, and only adopted the name Shein while rebranding in 2015. The company has since taken off and has recently been valuated with an approximated worth of over 100 billion U.S. dollars. On their corporate channels, Shein claims to be committed to making fashion affordable and accessible to everyone. However, while undeniably a massively recognized entity and particularly known for low prices, the fashion e-tailer has not steered clear of several controversies in its rise to fame.
Controversy and lack of transparency
Shein’s website, shein.com, has reached unprecedented levels of both online traffic and app downloads in 2023. Following Shein’s rebranding in 2015, its rise to mainstream fame and financial success has direct connections with the growth of social media, as well as social media as a source of product inspiration, in the last several years. Shein’s clothes are notoriously cheap, and as a fast fashion brand are guaranteed to follow the latest trends popular with shoppers looking to keep up with what’s popular. TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube were integral in the viral sharing of ‘Shein haul’ videos, in which influencers would bulk purchase clothing from Shein to showcase for content—a win for both creators and the brand alike.
With sustainable shopping becoming a relevant criterion for online shoppers when deciding on brands to spend on, such controversies surrounding Shein have since surfaced and now remain a relevant topic of interest among the public. As a private company, Shein has thus far not disclosed official financial statements, as well as information regarding their supply chain and working conditions. Additionally, the debate on fast fashion and its harm towards the environment has never been more relevant. As Shein continues to grow in popularity, such low levels of transparency from the company will only allow for suspicions of unsavory practices to continue.
Popularity in the States and beyond
In the United States, Shein benefits from relatively relaxed import taxes on their low-priced clothing. This has ultimately led for the fast fashion e-tailer to become extensively popular for consumers, even when buying in bulk. Shein is the biggest fast fashion retailer in the country, holding a significantly higher market share than its omnichannel competitors.
However, Shein's popularity is by no means limited to the U.S. The Shein app ranked as the second most downloaded shopping app worldwide with a grand total of over 251 million downloads. E-commerce giant Amazon, which ranked just below Shein in app downloads in 2023, has announced a cutting of merchant fees for apparel sellers on the marketplace in 2024—a sign that Shein's presence in the fashion industry is here to stay.
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FAQs
Major environmental issues associated with fast fashion brands like SHEIN, like water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive textile waste and production of tons of carbon dioxide every year, are only a few consequences of SHEIN's unsustainable practices.
How much do Shein workers get paid? ›
Workers in Shein factories on average earn between 6,000 and 10,000 Chinese yuan per month, or about $831 to $1,385, according to a Tuesday report from human rights and environmental advocacy organization Public Eye.
What is the criticism of Shein? ›
Shein is an ultra-fast fashion brand that's come to be identified with unethical practices, including the unethical working conditions of factory workers. The unethical working condition of Shein workers is one of the reasons for their low prices.
What's the big deal about Shein? ›
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.
Why do so many people not like Shein? ›
Shein has been criticized for its lack of transparency regarding its manufacturing processes. Without this information, it's difficult to determine if workers are being treated fairly or if sustainable practices are being used.
Why did Shein get banned? ›
At the same time, Shein and Temu have been accused by American lawmakers of failing to ensure their supply chains comply with the Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) passed last June to penalize Beijing's systematic rights abuses against the Muslim minority group in the western Xinjiang region.
Does Shein use child labor, yes or no? ›
"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.
Why is Shein so cheap? ›
Outsourcing labor
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.”
Who makes Shein items? ›
Shein has headquarters in Singapore and in the manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, China. It works with over 6,000 suppliers throughout China. The company has been accused of using manufacturers that have violated labor rights.
Is Shein still safe to use? ›
The Shein website is designed to protect your shopping journey from start to finish. Like many other online shops, it employs encryption, meaning it's secure to visit and browse. Shein aims to ensure that your personally identifiable information, including banking credentials, is stored and transmitted securely.
Shein, a global fast-fashion giant based in China, faces a boycott campaign amid allegations of Uyghur forced labor.
Is Shein clothes good quality? ›
Some items may exceed expectations, while others may fall short in terms of fabric, construction, or durability. Fast Fashion: Shein follows the fast fashion model, which means that the focus is on producing trendy items quickly and at a low cost. This can sometimes result in lower quality materials and craftsmanship.
Why not to buy from SHEIN? ›
Put simply, Shein produces an astounding number of items on a daily basis—the primary reason why the company has an unsustainable model. Shein's CEO, Molly Miao has stated that each item is produced only in small numbers, between 50-100 pieces a day, before it becomes popular and is then mass-produced.
What was the SHEIN scandal? ›
When these creators and social media stars got back from their trip, they faced an enormous amount of backlash, given allegations that Shein perpetuates human rights abuses, steals products from designers and inappropriately collects user data. Shein denies any wrongdoing.
Why is it called SHEIN? ›
2012–2019: rebranding and retailer status
The firm's name changed again in 2015 from Sheinside to Shein, claiming that it needed a name that was simpler to remember and easy to find online. By 2016, Xu gathered a team of 800 designers and prototype makers that manufactured Shein-branded clothing.
What is the controversy with Shein products? ›
Behind Shein's marketing success lurk legal allegations of copyright infringement and intense U.S. scrutiny over alleged forced labor practices and inhumane conditions for the workers who produce the exceedingly inexpensive clothing.
What is happening with Shein right now? ›
Shein has filed to go public, aiming for a $90 billion valuation. After the company publicly denied reports of a rumored IPO, it confidentially filed to go public on Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported. Sources said the offering could happen in 2024.
Why are they boycotting Shein? ›
Concerns persist over Shein's sourcing practices, including the use of Xinjiang cotton, prohibited under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, with calls for enhanced U.S. efforts against imports linked to forced labor.
What is the Shein workers scandal? ›
Workers in some factories supplying Shein are still working 75-hour weeks, according to an investigation by Public Eye, a Swiss human rights advocacy group that first highlighted the alleged abuse back in 2021.
