Massive discounts & dresses for as little as £1.71… but is the world’s largest fashion retailer hiding a dark side?
FANCY a wedding dress for just £5.14 or perhaps an autumn outfit for as little as £1.71?
Or maybe some nightwear for just £2.99.
It sounds too good to be true, but Shein, the online “ultra-fast fashion” retailer - which has become one of the biggest in the world - offers just that.
With eye-watering cheap products, ads splashed all over social media and exclusive money-off deals if you join their club, it’s hard not to be enticed.
Celebrity ambassadors - all offering followers personalised discount codes and posting their ‘haul’ of outfits - have included a string of well-known and admired reality stars.
Katy Perry, Lil Nas X and Rita Ora have previously united to perform at a multi-million pound virtual festival hosted by the brand to raise money during Covid-19.
Love Island’s Kady McDermott has been associated with the brand, and has her own collection.
Love Islander Paige Thorne recently announced her collection - with her exclusive edit slugged over the website’s pages.
Overall, the brand’s global operation and influence is staggering.
It's UK business raked in more than £1bn in sales last year and posted a pre-tax profit of £12.2m in the 16 months to 31 December 2022, as revenue topped £1.1bn, according to documents filed on Companies House.
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But behind Shein's dirt-cheap prices and glossy celeb following lurks a growing list of questions.
Workers allegedly paid as little as 3p an item
The site has been dogged by claims it has exploited workers, allegations it has ripped-off ideas from other designers, negative reviews and poor customer service.
Launched in 2008 by multi-billionaire Chris Xu, the Chinese company is worth £54 billion.
It ships to over 150 countries, churns out up to 10,000 items a day, has over 6,000 suppliers, and 10,000 employees worldwide.
There are rumours it’s planning a takeover of UK fast fashion company MissGuided.
Shein has had to bat off serious allegations over company conduct - with the most alarming concerns being around the treatment of workers.
The clothing giant faced backlash earlier this summer when a group of influencers were invited on a “brand trip” to Shein’s factory in Guangzhou, China.
The intention was to convince the taste makers of their ethical business practices by encouraging them to view their manufacturing facilities.
However, the influencer trip faced backlash as many pointed out the fast fashion company’s accusations of labour abuse and its negative impact on the environment.
Last year a Channel 4 documentary, Untold: Inside the Shein Machine, claimed employees at the factories 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.
As a result the former I’m A Celebrity winner Georgia Toffolo - who had released three collections with the retailer since first partnering with them in 2020 - cut short her contract with them.
Some customers were also left concerned after some of the clothes care labels appeared to have alarming messaging such as “help me” and “need your help”.
They believed the warning messages may have come from factory workers - despite a strong denial from the company.
Shein later stated that this was a poorly-worded, translated label, reported as saying at the time: "Recently, there has been some confusion about one of our product labels.
"Our intention was to remind customers to help soften this fabric by using a softener when washing the garment for the first time."
In 2021, Swiss human rights advocacy group Public Eye alleged Shein employees in Guangzhou were working a gruelling 75 hours a week.
A spokesperson from Amnesty International told us: “The fashion industry is well known for its exploitative working conditions and fast fashion models, which encourage a throwaway approach to both its clothing and workers rights.
“Shein, along with other fast fashion brands, must be more transparent and be held accountable to consumers and workers.
“Without proper due diligence legislation, garment workers will continue to be exploited to make profits for those at the top of large fashion brands.
“A large proportion of Shein’s production takes place in China, where workers are unable to form or join independent trade unions.
“Fashion brands and retailers must do more to ensure the safety and security of their workers.”
‘Rip off’ designs
There are also serious concerns regarding the company’s conduct when it comes to ‘ripping off’ independent designers’ work.
In a previous investigation Fabulous conducted in 2021, Deborah Breen, founder of underwear brand Wilde Mode, spoke about her own experience with the company, and called its practices into question.
The designer and mum-of-two, 41, took legal action in 2020 after claiming one of her lingerie sets, selling for £59, was ripped off by Shein and sold for £6. She won a four-figure sum from the company.
They’ve also been accused of copying other large fashion brands too.
Earlier this year, H&M - despite being questioned over many of its own designs in the past - filed a lawsuit against Shein for copyright infringement, according to court documents filed in Hong Kong.
Speaking at the time, a spokesperson was quoted as saying: “We believe that Shein in multiple cases has infringed on our designs and have therefore filed this lawsuit. As it is still an ongoing case, we choose not to comment further.”
The case is yet to be concluded.
‘Will not buy from this company ever again’
While some shoppers rave about the huge range and rock-bottom rates, product reviews are mixed - with a staggering 29 per cent giving it just one star.
Many claim to have struggled to get their money back, or encountered undelivered parcels, delayed delivery and bad customer service.
One person reported: “Sent back a skirt I bought, evidence [was] provided. Shein has not refunded me. Do not buy from this company, I’ll never buy from them again.”
“Delivery said 7-11 days and it’s been 3 weeks,” another disgruntled customer commented.
Here to stay… Unlike their disposable clothes
Despite growing concerns, with over 30m Instagram followers and nearly 200m app users worldwide, there’s no question Shein’s online presence is huge.
In the future the company seems set to expand even further.
But while they seem intent on being here to stay, it’s sad the same can’t be said for the billions of ‘disposable’ products ultra fast fashion companies churn out every year at the detriment of the planet.
Like most fast fashion companies, it’s believed most 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.
So while the items are dirt cheap, they come at a huge cost environmentally.
Things we should all consider, perhaps, the next time we need a wardrobe fix.
When asked for comment, Shein responded: "We take visibility across our entire supply chain seriously, and we are committed to respecting human rights and adhering to local laws in each market in which we operate.
"We have zero tolerance for forced labour and have Responsible Sourcing standards in place that hold our manufacturing suppliers to a code of conduct based on International Labour Organisation conventions as well as local laws and regulations governing labour practices and working conditions.
“It is not our intent to infringe anyone's valid intellectual property and it is not our business model to do so.
";SHEIN suppliers are required to comply with company policy and certify their products do not infringe third-party IP.
"Recently, we have seen the number of claims reduce significantly and we continue to invest in and improve our product review process.
“SHEIN is committed to sustainable and responsible growth through our business model.
"This model has proven to dramatically reduce waste as our suppliers initially make just 100-200 pieces of an item before increasing production based on demand.
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"Our higher inventory turnover and resource efficiency means that we are able to keep unsold inventory levels to single digits, far below the industry average.”
WRITER Miranda Knox placed her first order with the retail giant and gives her verdict...
It was hard, knowing the company’s history, to feel positive about my purchases.
The prices were bafflingly low. I bought seven items, costing £29.49 in total. They included a £1.71 tie-dye dress and a pair of flatform loafers for £11.52.
At checkout, a voucher code for £5 off is automatically added. Every single item was marked as discounted, saving me an impressive £21.49 off the retail price (which Shein informed me should have been £50.98). Shipping was free (reduced from £2) and would take seven to 12 business days to arrive.
Two days later my first two items arrived. In comparison to other fast fashion retailers - like Temu and Wish - I was impressed by the customer experience, but the quality was extremely hit and miss, unlikely to last and I wouldn't shop here again. However, that doesn’t take away from the company’s dubious track record - so I won’t be shopping with them again.
