Shein

Shein ( ; styled as SHEIN; ) is a global e-commerce platform specializing in fast fashion. While the company primarily focuses on women's clothing, it also offers men's apparel, children's wear, accessories, cosmetics, shoes, bags, and other fashion items. Shein mainly focuses on Europe, Americas, Australia, and the Middle East along with other consumer markets worldwide. Founded in Nanjing, China, in October 2008¹ as ZZKKO by entrepreneur Chris Xu, Shein grew to become the world's largest fashion retailer as of 2022¹. The company is currently headquartered in Singapore. Known for selling relatively inexpensive apparel, Shein's success has been credited to its popularity among younger Millennial and older Generation Z consumers. The company was initially compared to a drop shipping business, as it was not involved in design and manufacturing, instead sourcing products from the wholesale clothing market in Guangzhou. Beginning in 2012, Shein began to establish its own supply chain system, transforming itself into a fully integrated retailer. The company has established its supply chain in Guangzhou with a network of more than 3,000 suppliers as of 2022. However, it has faced controversy due to the reports of Chinese sweatshops and child labor.…

Shein ( ; styled as SHEIN; ) is a global e-commerce platform specializing in fast fashion. While the company primarily focuses on women's clothing, it also offers men's apparel, children's wear, accessories, cosmetics, shoes, bags, and other fashion items. Shein mainly focuses on Europe, Americas, Australia, and the Middle East along with other consumer markets worldwide. Founded in Nanjing, China, in October 2008 as ZZKKO by entrepreneur Chris Xu, Shein grew to become the world's largest fashion retailer as of 2022. The company is currently headquartered in Singapore. Known for selling relatively inexpensive apparel, Shein's success has been credited to its popularity among younger Millennial and older Generation Z consumers. The company was initially compared to a drop shipping business, as it was not involved in design and manufacturing, instead sourcing products from the wholesale clothing market in Guangzhou. Beginning in 2012, Shein began to establish its own supply chain system, transforming itself into a fully integrated retailer. The company has established its supply chain in Guangzhou with a network of more than 3,000 suppliers as of 2022. However, it has faced controversy due to the reports of Chinese sweatshops and child labor. In 2022, the company moved its headquarters from China to Singapore for regulatory, international expansion, and financial reasons – while keeping its supply chains and warehouses in China. In 2023, Shein generated US$32 billion in revenue. Shein was valued at $100 billion after a funding round in April 2022. , it was valued at $30 billion. According to Bloomberg Businessweek and others, Shein's business model has benefitted from the China–United States trade war, particularly with regard to customs tax advantages. In recent years, Shein has found itself in the middle of trademark disputes, lawsuits involving competitors, and product safety concerns, as well as accusations of tax evasion and being involved in labor law and human rights violations.

Tax avoidance and evasion accusations

The United Kingdom requires foreign sellers shipping low-value consignments (under £135) to register for UK VAT, collect VAT from buyers on such shipments, and remit it to His Majesty's Revenue and Customs. It has been suggested that Shein failed to do so for at least 9 months after the requirement took effect, and its website does not display its UK corporate registration number or itemize VAT, as UK rules require. In September 2025, The Guardian reported that the company had been accused of UK corporate tax avoidance by shifting profits to Singapore.

Environmental impact

Deutsche Welle released a video in late 2021¹ detailing the ultra-fast-fashion system Shein is built on, criticizing the company's marketing to adolescents and young adults, as well as the caused environmental impact. Other media outlets have pointed at the addictive nature of the app, noting how its low prices encourage users to make impulse purchases. In 2023, Time magazine reported that the company was producing more than 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide every year. The manufacturers’ rapid use of virgin polyester and large consumption of oil churns out the same amount of CO 2 as approximately 180 coal-fired power plants. In response to criticism, Shein launched a resale service on its US app that enables the buying and selling of secondhand Shein fashion. Shein prices are highly affordable hence customers may choose to buy a new item rather than purchase a resale piece. In 2023, Shein contributed 16.7 million total metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted into the air. 76% of Shein's products use polyester, a fabric that easily sheds microplastics, and only 6% of those clothing items are recycled.

Legal and regulatory issues

See also

SHEGLAM Temu

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378817817 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.