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Native name | 希音 |
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Formerly | ZZKKO |
Industry | Retail |
Founded | October 2008Nanjing, China | in
Founder | Sky Xu aka Chris Xu |
Headquarters | 112 Robinson Road, |
Key people | Quist Huang |
Number of employees | 10,000+ |
Parent | Roadget Business Pte Ltd |
Subsidiaries | ROMWE |
Website | shein |
Footnotes / references [1][2] |
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Chinese | 希音 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Shein (/ˈʃiːɪn/ SHEE-in; styled as SHEIN; Chinese: 希音; pinyin: Xīyīn) is a fast fashion retailer. Founded in Nanjing, China, in October 2008 as ZZKKO by entrepreneur Chris Xu, Shein grew to become the world's largest fashion retailer as of 2022. The company is currently headquartered in Singapore.
Known for selling relatively inexpensive apparel, Shein's success has been credited to its popularity among Generation Z consumers.[3] The company was initially compared to a drop shipping business, as it was not involved in design and manufacturing, instead sourcing products from the wholesale clothing market in Guangzhou.[4][5] Beginning in 2012, Shein began to establish its own supply chain system, transforming itself into a fully integrated retailer.[5] The company has established its supply chain in Guangzhou with a network of more than 3,000 suppliers as of 2022. However, it has faced controversy due to its use of Chinese sweatshops and child labor.[6]
In 2022, the company moved its headquarters from China to Singapore for regulatory, international expansion, and financial reasons – while keeping its supply chains and warehouses in China.[7] In 2022, Shein generated US$24 billion in revenue, a sum almost as large as established retailers Zara and H&M.[6] Shein was valued at $100 billion after a funding round in April 2022.[8] According to Bloomberg Businessweek and others, Shein's business model has benefitted from the China–United States trade war, particularly in regards to tax advantages.[9] In recent years, Shein has found itself in the middle of trademark disputes, lawsuits involving competitors, product safety concerns, as well as accusations of tax evasion and being involved in labor law and human rights violations.[10]