Shein is now a major force in the fashion world and should clean up its act, argues Natalie Berg

Shein

There are so many juxtapositions at Shein. It aims to be accessible through low pricing – but at what social and environmental cost? 

It launches a resale platform – but with questionable quality and an average selling price of around £5, can throwaway fashion really be resold? 

And now Shein has revealed plans to open its first-ever permanent store – but isn’t this just a ploy to grow online sales?

The Shein store will open on November 13 in Tokyo’s Harajuku fashion district. It is a significant – though unsurprising – move in the world of digitally native fast fashion. 

From Dallas to Dublin, Shein has experimented with a number of pop-ups around the world, where it has had the opportunity to somewhat demystify the brand and engage with shoppers in the flesh. 

But make no mistake: the real goal here is for bricks and mortar to generate a halo effect and drive ecommerce sales.

In fact, shoppers will not be able to buy anything in-store but instead can browse clothing and scan QR codes to make an online purchase. 

“Shein is not just fast fashion. It’s uber-fast – dare I say, disposable – fashion. Through its test-and-repeat model, Shein is able to produce and distribute products in as little as a week”

Shein is certainly not the first online fast-fashion brand to recognise the value of having a physical presence these days.

In the UK, Boohoo and Missguided have both dabbled with bricks and mortar, while just last month Asos was reported to be exploring the idea of opening its first UK shop in a bid to shift excess stock.

But Shein is not just fast fashion. It’s uber-fast – dare I say, disposable – fashion. Through its test-and-repeat model, Shein is able to produce and distribute products in as little as a week.

An eye-watering 10,000 new SKUs are added to the site on a daily basis and here in the UK it sells around 30,000 products every single day.

Cheap and cheerful may resonate with some shoppers in the current climate – but certainly not all of them. 

There is a growing resistance to throwaway fashion. We have hit peak stuff. Shoppers are increasingly thinking twice before buying new.

“Its model of pumping out single-wear fashion to be shipped around the globe is entirely at odds with the fact we are living in a climate emergency”

Resale and rental – and, to a lesser extent, repair – are becoming mainstream. We are shifting from mindless to mindful consumption. Shein, however, is the epitome of the former.

Its model of pumping out single-wear fashion to be shipped around the globe is entirely at odds with the fact we are living in a climate emergency. 

If, like me, you watched the recent Channel 4 documentary on the brand’s catastrophic rise, you might have come away absolutely terrified. Our addiction to buying clothes is unsustainable.

In addition to Shein being a driving force behind the wear-it-once culture and contributing to environmental waste, it has also come under scrutiny for its working conditions and copyright infringement, as well as exploiting tax loopholes – without which it would not be in a position to offer such cut-throat prices.

Shein is now one of the most downloaded shopping apps in the US and earlier this year was valued at $100bn – essentially Zara and H&M combined. 

Controversies aside, Shein is a major force in the fashion world and now has its sights set on bricks and mortar. Let’s hope it cleans up its act.