Chinese fast fashion brand SHEIN plans to become more focused on sustainability

Its vice chairman said that customers are looking beyond prices these days.

Gawain Pek | April 28, 2023, 11:48 AM

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Chinese fast fashion retailer SHEIN plans to become more focused on sustainability, its Executive Vice Chairman Donald Tang said on Apr. 25.

Tang made the remarks as he was speaking at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona, Reuters reported.

According to Reuters, Tang commented that consumers these days are looking beyond prices.

"In the next phase of growth we need to think everything we do with ESG in mind," Tang was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Two ways

Tang also provided two examples of how the retailer is undertaking efforts to become more sustainable.

One is through its evoluSHEIN line, where customers can choose products made out of more sustainable materials.

evoluSHEIN was launched in April 2022.

According to the SHEIN website, all evoluSHEIN pieces are made with materials "specially selected for their lower impact on the planet".

These materials include recycled polyester derived from water bottles.

Purchases also come with packaging incorporated with recycled content.

Image via evoluSHEIN.

Another example Tang pointed out is SHEIN exchange, a platform for users to resell used clothing, Reuters wrote.

The vice chairman also highlighted that SHEIN continues to grow robustly, and regularly has less than two per cent of its inventory left unsold.

Founded in China in 2008, SHEIN has grown to become a global fashion retailer which rakes in multi-billion dollar revenues by selling clothes for cheap.

It has gained a reputation for its business model, which has been accused of being environmentally unfriendly, among others.

In 2022, SHEIN announced commitments to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by 2030.

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Top image via Office Snapshots