Despite facing scrutiny over their working practices, Shein shoppers in the UK and US remain undeterred from buying affordable clothes from the Chinese fast-fashion giant. 21-year-old Emily Morris from Swindon spends around £20 per month at Shein for new party or holiday outfits, even though the quality is bad. She has considered stopping buying from Shein due to its unethical labour practices, however, everywhere else is “way too expensive.” Morris is not the only shopper who prioritises affordability over ethical and sustainable concerns. According to GlobalData, Shein is one of the world’s biggest clothing firms, with global sales estimated at $36.9bn (£30.2bn) last year, transforming from a little-known company just a few years ago into a fashion powerhouse since it began. Shein stocks thousands of different clothing lines, dwarfing rival fast fashion brands such as H&M and Zara, with thousands of new products released daily, encouraging shoppers to buy more.
Sophie Wills, from Birmingham, said she had previously purchased clothes from the retailer for their affordability; however, saving up and “making investments in stuff that is probably higher quality would be a good way to go.” Georgina, 24, from London, says she is “embarrassed” that she has shopped at Shein, and has now stopped. However, even with the scandals surrounding Shein’s working practices, shoppers believe it is still affordable. Louise Deglise-Favre, senior apparel analyst at GlobalData, said affordability will continue to outweigh ethical concerns for Shein shoppers. Younger customers tend to not have much disposable income due to being in school or low paying jobs, she said. Shein has grown into a hugely successful brand that may soon go public, but it needs to tackle the challenges of sustainability, ethics and its environmental impact.
Shazia Saleem, a fashion designer and academic, said that people in Generation Z often say in surveys that sustainability and ethics are important to them, but that doesn’t necessarily come through in their buying choices. Young people can feel pressure to buy new outfits to keep up appearances on social media, and they don’t have much disposable cash, so they will probably continue to buy fast fashion. She added that although people should make informed buying decisions, it should be down to the
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