BBC
Emily Morris, 21, from Swindon, spends around £20 a month at Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein, and turns there every time she needs a new party or holiday outfit.
“You almost always find what you’re looking for, even if the quality is poor,” she says.
Like millions of people in the UK and US, she buys from the online store mainly because of its affordability.
The company has faced scrutiny over how it treats its workers, with a BBC investigation highlighting the 75-hour week for workers in violation of Chinese labor laws, but shoppers are unlikely to be deterred from purchasing their clothes there.
‘Affordable’
Emily considered stopping shopping at Shein because of its labor practices, but says everywhere else “it’s way too expensive.”
“I’m happy to talk about shopping at Shein because I know I’m not the only one,” she adds.
The numbers show she’s right: Shein went from a little-known company to one of the largest clothing companies in the world a few years ago.
Global sales are estimated to have reached $36.9 billion (£30.2 billion) last year, according to GlobalData.
Shein is a private company and does not publish its overall results.
But profits in the UK doubled in 2023 to more than £24m, according to a Companies House filing.
Shein offers thousands of different clothing lines, dwarfing rival fast fashion brands such as H&M and Zara.
It sells lots of clothes for under £10 and quickly releases new styles.
The company is preparing for a UK IPO, subjecting it to scrutiny over its labor practices and environmental impact.
Last year, Shein itself discovered child labor in its supply chain after tightening controls on its suppliers.
He was also accused of using cotton produced with forced labor and refused last week to tell MPs whether he used the cotton.
Shein has been contacted for comment.
In response to the BBC’s investigation into working conditions, the company said it was “committed to ensuring the fair and dignified treatment of all workers within our supply chain” and that it was investing tens of millions of dollars in strengthening governance and compliance.
“We strive to set the highest standards in compensation and require all supply chain partners to adhere to our code of conduct,” the statement said.
Workers are paid around one to two yuan to make a T-shirt, which equates to between 11p and 22p.
Sarah Johnson, founder of consultancy Flourish Retail and former head of purchasing and merchandising at Asos China, said the company could pay suppliers more, giving them more leeway to pay workers.
The supplier “does not receive a huge share of the final price” of the garment.
As for workers, “you could raise their wages and it would make only a minimal difference to the price of clothing,” she said.
An alternative would be for the company to make less profit, she added.
“I’m going to save”
Sophie Wills says Shein is ‘probably banned now’ after finding out about supply chain working conditions
Sophie Wills, from Birmingham, said she has previously bought clothes from the retailer because of their affordability.
“Times are tough,” Sophie says, adding that she probably can’t afford high-end clothes right now.
However, she says saving money and “investing in probably higher quality products would be a good way to go.”
“My whole outfit is from Shein”
Thando Sibenke, pictured with her friend Hafizh Saputra, says she will do more research on the companies she buys clothes from
Thando Sibenke says she regularly shops at Shein.
“My whole outfit is from Shein right now,” she says, adding that she likes the price, convenience and variety.
However, Thando says she plans to do more research in the future about how the clothes she buys are made.
‘I’m embarrassed’
Georgina, 24, from London, says she was “embarrassed” to have shopped at Shein – and has now stopped.
“Since reading it the negatives far outweigh the positives and even when I see Shein clothing in charity shops I don’t feel comfortable buying it.”
Fashion designer and academic Shazia Saleem said members of Generation Z – those born between around 1995 and 2010 – often say in surveys that sustainability and ethics are important to them, but that doesn’t necessarily shine through. in their purchasing choices.
Young people may feel pressured to buy new outfits to maintain their appearance on social media, and they don’t have a lot of disposable money, so they’ll likely continue to buy fast fashion, she said .
She added that while people should make informed purchasing decisions, it is up to the Government to strengthen existing UK trading rules to ensure businesses sell sustainable and ethically sound products.
Louise Deglise-Favre, senior apparel industry analyst at GlobalData, also said she expected affordability to continue to trump Shein shoppers’ ethical concerns.
Younger clients tend not to have much disposable income because they are in school or have a low-paying job, she said.
Shein releases thousands of new products daily, which can tempt shoppers to overbuy, but it’s also a response to consumers’ “desire to constantly update their wardrobe with the latest trends,” he adds. She.
