The freaky-fast fashion brand, Shein, is taking social media by storm. People looking for trendy fashion wear claim the site is addictive. While everyone may not agree, data shows Shein has been dominating fast fashion with three-digit growth. Here is everything you need to know about Shein.
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The Company
The internet retail giant Shein is a global B2C e-commerce platform that sells designer fashion goods on budget. Its products range from dresses, tops, tees, and jumpsuits to maternity wear, shoes, bags, and jewelry.
Chris Xu founded Shein, formerly known as “She Inside” in 2008. The Company currently ships goods across 220 countries. Shein holds the most share of the fast fashion market in the U.S., beating the top name brands like H&M and Zara.
How is Shein Dominating the U.S. Fast Fashion Market?
Shein’s valuation of 100 billion dollars during a funding round in April 2022 makes it one of the world’s most valuable private Companies.
According to the Bloomberg Second Measure, Shein took over the U.S. fast fashion market by storm during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the research, Fashion Nova, Forever 21, H&M, and Zara had the highest market shares before the pandemic chaos. Shein’s 568 percent growth between March 2020 and 2022 is astonishing.
Gen Z and young shoppers are Shein’s primary target customers. It focuses on the social media platform where its customers spend most of their time; Instagram and TikTok.
It pushes sales through Social media influencers, discount codes, and points. Look at the array of videos under #sheinhaul posted in TikTok.
Where is Shein Located?
Shein started its service in Nanjing, China. Its headquarter is in Foshan, Guangdong Province. Shein ships products to the U.S. warehouse near Los Angeles, CA, for U.S. customers.
Who Owns Shein?
Xu Yangtian, also known as Chris Xu, is the founder and CEO of Shein. Born in 1984 in the Chinese province Shandong, Xu graduated from Qingdao University of Science and Technology in 2007.
There have been claims from Wang Xiaohu and Li Peng about having shares in the Company. Based on the claim, Xu kicked Li and Wang out of the Company taking hold of PayPal funds. However, Shein has rejected the claim; therefore, Chris Xu is the sole owner of Shein for the world.
Is Shein Legit?
Shein is a legit business. The 25 million followers on Instagram show it all. Its search engine optimized content, trendy fashion wear, and social media influencer partnership help push the marketing campaign on every platform; that’s why you see it everywhere.
Being a Chinese-based company can bring a concern to some buyers, but Shein is a legit business. The Company is worth about $100 billion, which is more than the H&M and Zara combined value. If this is not assuring, look at how Shein dominated social media by a landslide in the chart below.
It is safe to use the Shein app for shopping. It has users worldwide ordering from the app. The site is trustworthy for using your credentials and placing orders.
Why is Shein So Cheap?
The e-commerce giant is known for its super low prices. If you’re wondering why the products are dirt cheap, the following are some of the reasons:
- The Company works by outsourcing the production process, which goes straight to their warehouse. No extra handling and processing are required because they’re shipped to the customer directly from the warehouse.
- Shein does not have any physical stores. It helps keep their overhead costs low.
- Shein also does not have big warehouses everywhere in the world. It has small warehouses in the USA, Spain, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, Australia, Switzerland, and the Middle East, but most items originate from China.
- Shein knows more about their customers. Therefore, they heavily advertise on social media platforms where they hang out most.
How Long Does Shein Take to Ship?
Do you still remember how you have to wait for almost a month to get your Wish orders? After two weeks you’ll even forget what you ordered.
But those days are gone!
Based on the company website, Shein’s U.S. customers will receive their orders within two weeks if they choose standard shipping. The Express shipping will save you a week. However, you’ll be surprised how quickly the package arrives at your doorsteps.
While Shein’s primary warehouse is in Nanjing, China, it also has a warehouse in Los Angeles, California. The orders are shipping through California, and most will arrive within a week.
Is Shein Good Quality?
When deciding on your purchase, it’s always better to do some research before spending money. Everything you watch on social media may not be accurate.
Based on personal experience, Shein’s products are either hit or miss for us. You can’t expect superior quality with their prices, but You can find good products that last long.
If you’re very specific about the fabric and ingredients, Shein products might disappoint you. Online stories show that the arrived package looked completely different from the ordered item.
Does Shein Use Child Labor?
As with every other fast fashion retailer, Shein has been under fire for keeping employees for long hours, low pay, and an unsafe working environment. The Company has also posted a video on their TikTok page related to secret message in clothing tags.
However, Shein’s Supply Chain Transparency Statement on its website states it has a clear and robust policy against modern slavery, forced labor, and human trafficking. Its suppliers and manufacturers must agree to its code of conduct standards.’
What Payment Methods does Shein Accept?
Shein accepts almost all payment methods, debit and credit cards like visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. It also accepts Venmo, PayPal, Afterpay, and Pay with Klarna.
Shein Return Policy
Shein makes returning easy if you don’t like the product. They offer a 45 days return policy, and the first return is always free. The other returns are $7.99.
The return process is straightforward. Once you make a return request, you can create a label and put it on the package. It is either shipped through USPS or UPS.
How to Stack Coupons in Shein?
Shein does not allow using more than one coupon for each order. However, you can grab discounts and cash back and sign up for their free trial program to save money.
You can get 15% off by signing up with an email address on their website. Shein also runs many deals and sales going almost every day. The online cashback app Extrabux offers a 10% cashback for using it while shopping in Shein.
Shein’s gift card is also a great way to save money. There are also google chrome extensions like Coupert that search coupons and add them automatically to your cart.
How to Delete a Shein Account?
You will see the “Delete Account” option under “Account Security” if you’re an E.U., U.K., and U.S. customer. For everyone else, you have to contact Shein customer support for assistance.
To Wrap it Up
You love or hate it; there is no doubt that Shein is spreading its footprint worldwide. The low prices of trendy men’s and women’s clothing motivate people to try it at least once. And before you know it, it’s addictive.
The other half who hated it either didn’t have a good shopping experience, were concerned about the environmental impact or had little known labor conditions of those who make the products.
Now that you know about Shein, you can decide if you want to try it or take your business elsewhere.
