Have you ever visited a store and thought I could get this cheaper online? Well, you are not alone; with the Legislative Analyst’s Office stating that Prices have grown by 19 percent overall since 2020, many Americans have had no choice but to think about cheaper options. With many Americans refraining from in-store shopping income online world of fast fashion and the ruler of that kingdom, Shein. Shein is an online-only fast fashion retailer with prices that would make the cheapest dad shocked. Prices on shein can be as low as $3 per shirt. But have you ever stopped to wonder about the cost of getting cheaper options? Well, with this current rise of Shein, new disturbing information has come to the surface.
A documentary titled “Inside the Shein Machine,” created by a British broadcast television channel, recently discovered the horrible work conditions the employees at Shein face. The documentary revealed that workers would begin their day at 8 a.m. and finish at dawn the next morning. One worker was interviewed and stated that workdays are usually 18 hours, and they only get a day off monthly. Workers are paid by the item produced, not the hour, and get paid 0.27 yuan per item (approximately 36 cents in American currency. )The workers are being so overworked they use their breaks to keep up with their daily lives as the documentary shows female workers using their lunch break to wash their hair. Employees at Shein are being overworked and underpaid, and consumers are purchasing these items for an insignificant price.
Shein is also responsible for the increase in the world’s carbon footprint. A 2021 report by Synthetics Anonymous stated that Shein leaves an estimated 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere annually and uses around one-tenth of the world’s water to run their factories and clean products. With all these allegations, Shein has yet to make any effort to announce any plan that does not mention production policies or how they plan to deal with their impact on global warming. Shein is also responsible for the population of the oceans due to their low-quality items. Shein uses synthetic materials, a significant factor that causes plastic microfibers to end up in the oceans. These plastics take ages to degrade in the ocean, causing them to be there for ages, and once they do break down, they release toxic substances that hurt our marine ecosystems. With Shein being to blame for a significant harmful environmental impact, the company must address these issues and create protocols and policies to help lower these impacts.
Although Shein has the winning hand in production and costs, they have yet to have the creative ideas to keep customers interested and, in turn, have started finding different ways of finding ideas. Shein has been accused multiple times by independent businesses and designers of stealing their work and selling it for cheaper. Shein is currently in a lawsuit over copying independent designers’ works. Artists Krista Perry, Larissa Martinez, and Jay Baron accused Shein on July 2023 of making exact copies of their work without their knowledge. Shein can distribute their products worldwide and has million-dollar ad campaigns and celebrity spokespersons that allow it to outshine independent artists. Shein has yet to comment on any of the accusations made by the artists. Artists work extremely hard to make products to make a living, and large companies such as Shein abuse their power with little to no consequence. Stealing art is a punishable act under copyright and fair use laws, and Shein should face every charge they are accused of.
While Shien is appeasing the consumer due to its low prices and style, what many Americans need to realize is the damaging effects purchasing these items has. It is up to the consumer to acknowledge these negative effects and demand change from their retailers, or the consequences could become worse or irreversible.
