In recent years, SHEIN has become one of the biggest fashion brands in the world, right up there with ZARA and Uniqlo. Many of my friends who studied abroad in Europe and the US say that lots of locals shop on SHEIN. With all its popularity, first-time shoppers often wonder about 5 key questions of Shein as below.
What is Shein?
Shein is a legitimate retail platform founded in 2008, initially selling wedding dresses and now specializing in fast fashion and accessories, along with shoes, bags, kids’ clothes, etc. It’s available for shopping outside mainland China, especially popular in the US and EU.
Shein is known for:
Real-time fashion, with a clothing délai de production as fast as 7 days and 2k-10k new items launched every day. Shein reportedly introduces as many styles in just a few weeks as Zara does in a year.
Unbeatable affordability, with prices typically ranging from $5 to $25 and an average item cost of $7.90. This is significantly lower than Zara, where items average around $38, and H&M, at approximately $28. Some Shein shirts are priced as low as $2.90. This is irresistible for young, fashion-conscious shoppers seeking budget-friendly options.
Why is Shein so cheap?
Shein has 4,000+ clothing suppliers, mainly located in the Panyu district of Guangzhou and the surrounding Delta de la rivière des Perles. This region has one of the world’s most comprehensive clothing supply chains, from tissus, and accessories, to production and sales, etc. This supply chain advantage helps Shein reduce production costs.
Another key reason is Shein’s agile supply chain model–“small batches with fast returns” and “on-demand production.” When a new product is launched, Shein orders just 100-200 units from the factory, quickly testing the market and then ordering based on actual demand.
This approach allows Shein to have a high sell-out rate of 98% and keeps its inventory levels below 2%, much lower than the industry average of 30%. Low inventory means lower costs, which gives Shein the flexibility to offer even lower prices.
Shein’s clothing suppliers were originally small, traditional workshops. Shein provided them with a digital supply chain management system, allowing suppliers to see real-time updated production schedules. Through this system, Shein connects every step of the garment production chain—from product planning, design, sampling, ordering, and production, to le contrôle de la qualité—achieving seamless collaboration between upstream and downstream processes.
Is Shein safe and good quality?
Shein itself is safe with buyer payment security ensured, supporting many modes de paiement internationaux like credit cards and PayPal. It’s used by many consumers—over half (51%) of US shoppers, for example, said they buy adult clothing from Shein.
Regarding Shein’s stuff quality, opinions online are mixed. After analyzing a lot of negative reviews and chatting with many of my overseas friends about Shein shopping experiences, the general opinion is:
The quality of small items is generally average, but they’re cheap and come in a wide range of styles. For clothes, if you choose carefully, you can still find some good fits.
SHEIN is a good option if you’re looking to buy trendy shirts, skirts, dresses, swimsuits, etc., at very affordable prices, like just a few dollars. The stylish designs at such low prices are hard to resist. For example, when my friends and I went to Thailand for a trip, we shopped on SHEIN for photo ops. There are so many styles to choose from, and it’s much cheaper than local street vendors. Here are some comments from Reddit.
Some tips for you to have a better shopping experience.
Read as many customer reviews as possible, especially those with photos, as they can give you a better idea of the materials, colors, sizing, and fit. Comparing your waist, bust, and hip measurements is really important!
Keep your eyes peeled—if you see similar items with a small price difference, it might be worth spending a little extra, as the quality could be better.
There’s indeed luck involved. Sometimes the quality exceeds expectations, other times it doesn’t. For example, some people report that $12 snow boots have a strong smell, or that a few-dollar bag doesn’t hold up well to wear and tear. But there are also those who are happy with their purchases. Overall, reading customer reviews and looking at others’ experiences is key—it’s a great way to make informed decisions.
When you open the package, don’t worry if the clothes are wrinkled—this is normal, just iron them out.
In case you’re not 100% satisfied,
Use the Shein return label to postmark your return (a nearby parcel locker is also OK) within 30 days from the delivery date. This return policy applies to most items sold on SHEIN.com. And the first return shipping is free. For later returns or additional returns from the same order, a $7.99 fee will be deducted per return package.
What about Shein shipping and customer service?
Most products are shipped directly from China, usually taking 7-14 days to the US. Sometimes, it might take a bit longer due to holidays and customs clearance. For closer countries like Japan, delivery within 5-6 days is normal, and sometimes even 4 days. Items with the ‘QuickShip’ label are shipped from a US warehouse.
When you place an order, you’ll see an estimated delivery date. In most cases, your package will arrive on time.
In case:
- Your package hasn’t arrived within the estimated time.
- Tracking shows it was delivered, but you haven’t received it.
- Your package is missing items or has wrong items, or there are other shipping issues.
You can head straight to their customer service within 45 days of payment. The chatbots are available 24/7, but there is no live support agent. You need to submit a ticket to [email protected], then, wait for the response, usually within 24 hours.
Any good alternatives for Shein?
If you’re just shopping for a couple of items for your own use, you can compare Shein, AliExpress and Temu. These three are major Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms directly connecting Chinese retailers with end consumers overseas.
If you’re in business, Shein, Temu, and AliExpress are also helpful for you to find product selection inspirations, just like some of our clients. But keep in mind:
Shein doesn’t offer dropshipping services. AliExpress is the go-to option for dropshipping beginners.
Products on Shein are mostly retail prices, with different discounts for varying quantities, but there are no wholesale prices. If you want to buy wholesale, you have to send an inquiry to [email protected], and they’ll reply within 48 hours.
Good alternatives include DHgate for small wholesale orders such as a few hundred dollars. If your wholesale budget is around $1,000 or more, JingSourcing is a great option.
As a leading sourcing company in China, JingSourcing has been trusted by 4000+ buyers. Most of our clients are startups and small sellers on Amazon and other e-commerce platforms. We help you find reliable Chinese suppliers, get really most competitive prices, and monitor the supply chains in China to ensure stable quality et on-time delivery.
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