Chinese fast fashion e-tailer Shein is becoming an unforeseen rival to some of the biggest fashion companies like Zara and H&M.
According to a report by Euromonitor, Shein has become the largest, purely online, fashion retailer in the world in terms of sales of self-branded products.
Based in Nanjing, the retailer’s mantra for success is focusing on the social media-savvy Gen Z and Millennial population around the world.
Instagram and TikTok influencers along with discount codes are an excellent marketing strategy adopted by the company to reach this target audience.
Shein adds hundreds of new styles to its app every week and the clothes are offered for very low prices.
With fashion changing so quickly, audiences are drawn to buying such fashion-forward merchandise at half the price of Zara. Additionally, the pandemic has boosted online sales, giving an impetus to businesses like Shein, Asos and Zalando.
In September alone, Shein’s app garnered 10.3 million downloads across Google Play store and Apple’s App store, while H&M and Zara had online 2.5 and 2 million downloads, respectively.
Despite becoming the biggest online fashion player, Shein does not have the same transparency as Zara and H&M.
With limited visibility in its home country China, shoppers worldwide often complain about the quality of the items and erratic delivery times. Shein also does not give any background information about the manufacturing, sourcing or working conditions of employees on its website or annual reports.
