SHEIN is a Chinese online fast-fashion retailer that was founded in 2008. According to the company's vision statement, "SHEIN aims to provide trendy pieces while also being dedicated to quality, value, and service." From the beginning, SHEIN's priority has been to export its products abroad to western countries. SHEIN can attribute its success to its strategy of copying fashion trends from social media such as Instagram and TikTok instead of waiting to copy fashion trends from the catwalk. Copying from social media allows the company to get its clothing out faster than other fast fashion brands like Zara or H&M. While competitors place orders to manufacturers for a minimum of 2,000 items in 30 days, SHEIN places orders for as few as 100 items in as little as 10 days. The smaller initial orders of products allow SHEIN to predict the success of the product and whether or not to order more. Not having physical stores enables SHEIN to place small orders. There are thousands of styles on the SHEIN site and about 1,000 are added each day. SHEIN does not work with large factories, instead, they work with small-to-midsize workshops that pick up orders daily. Slowly SHEIN improved its supply chain by cutting out suppliers that produced products that were not up to the company's standards.
Wow. 1000 styles each day? That's insane. It seems like a perfect extension of social media. Not saying this is a good thing haha.
ReplyDeleteI find it funny that the mission statment says they aim to provide quality and service, when in most fast- fashion instances that is just not the case. They are just in it for the quick profit turn around.
ReplyDeleteIt's fascinating to see how much Shein has expanded since its start in 2008.
ReplyDeleteI think its interesting how in the statement they do not mention quality or service throughout production as well, meaning environmental, or human benefits.
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