Ultra-fast fashion company Shein has grown rapidly, but product quality could limit growth

You might not know Shein’s brand, but chances are you’ve seen their clothing. The Chinese fast fashion company has quickly and quietly grown into an e-commerce giant. Shein targets young shoppers with an online-only business model and rock-bottom prices. They have been able to scale quickly because without physical shopfronts, Shein can sell anywhere that it can ship their products. But companies shouldn’t try to compete with Shein on price, according to Charles de Brabant, the Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management. While Shein’s prices are low, the quality of its clothing is too. Many Shein garments are worn only a few times before being discarded, and retailers would be better served fostering the attributes they used to develop their business model in the first place – like quality, fit, or sustainability.