The e-commerce platform SHEIN has been around since 2008, I personally first became aware of it around 2017, when it started gaining attention through influencers. At that time, I was about 12. I remember it becoming well-known—not so much for its amazing clothes, but for its cheap prices, which were often linked to controversies like child labour. As a young teenager, I was very much against it. In fact, up until fairly recently, I still refused to order from the brand out of protest.

My First Encounter with SHEIN

Then, I moved to Madrid. And while I’m not exactly proud of what happened next, I’m also not afraid to admit it—because let’s be real, no one’s perfect.

After moving to Madrid, I met the most amazing group of girls, who are still some of my closest friends today. They were true fashionistas, and I always thought they looked incredible. One day, one of them showed me a massive haul of everything she had ordered from SHEIN. I, as a “SHEIN virgin” was honestly a little flabbergasted, not knowing what to expect. But as she showed me each piece, her excitement was infectious. She kept mentioning how little she had paid for everything, and I couldn’t help but get caught up in the thrill of it all too.

The Dopamine Loop of Online Shopping

The scary thing about the platform SHEIN is that it is a constant “game”. I personally have the Mobile App and so whenever I am slightly bored on my phone, meaning I have already been doomscrolling on instagram for about an hour I go to my last page where I have Apps such as Vinted, the ZARA app and more. Going through SHEIN feels like what I might think gambling is like; because if I find a super cheap item and I “bet” my money on it for it to be good and I receive and it actually is then I am super happy. But – if I eventually get it and the material and fit is awful then I have essentially thrown away my money. 

This idea of “gambling” on clothes shows a psychological loop that is called the dopamine effect. Every time you have hit a “jackpot” on a clothing item you’ll want to feel that thrill again, making you go back to the SHEIN app to buy more clothes in the hope of experiencing this dopamine reward again. SHEIN and other big brands know this system and they keep designing it for this instant gratification, speed and thrill. 

SHEIN's Global Influence

This experience, however, is not unique to me; SHEIN has become one of the most powerful fashion retailers in the whole world. By 2023, some estimates put SHEIN’s valuation in the $60–70 billion range, some commentators even argue that it puts SHEIN at a surpass from fashion giants such as ZARA and H&M. 

The cruel production processes of SHEIN are mostly seen through the labour practices. The low prices on the platform result in factory workers often earning only a few cents per garment, amounting to less than €10 a day meaning they are working well below a living wage (Remington, 2021).

This is not the only problem with the platform; there is also a staggering impact on the environment. Yale’s Climate Connections claimed that in 2023 SHEIN has doubled its emissions making it the biggest polluter in the industry (Sachi Kitajima Mulkey, 2024). 

The pollution from SHEIN’s practices comes from the wild amounts of textiles being wasted due to a problem of people not returning clothes. This happens due to the low prices that people don’t see it as worth it to return the cheap garments. In addition, SHEIN’s global supply chain relies heavily on international shipping and air cargo, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, further worsening the climate crisis.