Berlin’s luxury shopping mile, the Kurfürstendamm, starts at Breitscheidplatz and becomes more and more exclusive towards the west. If you walk further and further west from the Memorial Church, past Gucci, Chanel and Hermès, you will find yourself at the completely opposite end of the price and quality scale until August 6 of all things: Shein. The Chinese ultrafast fashion company has opened a pop-up shop there together with the payment service provider Klarna. Luxury surroundings and rock-bottom prices, how does that go together?
A visit to the store clearly shows what makes Shein (pronounced ‘She-in’) so interesting for many people, especially the younger target group. The store is attractively designed, visitors are greeted by a store whose pink and orange paintwork and surfaces invite you to buy and put you in a good mood. Pink shelves with a terrazzo pattern, summery designs, little orange trees and climbing plants underline the cheerful vibe. For all visitors there is either a voucher for an ice cream or a coffee to welcome you at the entrance. You can be picked up in an area on the first floor resembling a beach bar. The designs are trendy, size inclusive and ensure a fashion moment. It is obvious why teenagers leave their pocket money here: There are many great things for a small price.
criticism and reaction
Indeed, Shein’s image seems to be changing. The company has received a lot of criticism in the past. allegations of plagiarismviolations of occupational safety and sustainability allegations – and the company reacts.
When asked about these issues, Shein states: “Through our small batch sourcing model, we only produce a very small quantity of each style on our site, only 100-200 pieces, measure the market reaction in real time and then respond with a larger production, to meet demand when justified. We sell 98 percent of the goods produced. If the rest of the industry followed this model, it would result in 20 percent less product wastage almost immediately.”
In addition, the company wants to shift “to more sustainable materials such as recycled polyester” and uses them “more” in its products. As part of its sustainability efforts, Shein says it joined the CanopyStyle initiative and created the EPR fund to address the fashion industry’s waste problem. It also supports the Or Foundation in Ghana, established the $10 million Shein Cares Fund to support organizations that nurture communities and help protect the environment. Since April there is a new more sustainable line called EvoluShein.
This new clothing line includes items made from 50 to 100 percent recycled polyester. “EvoluShein is a (…) collection with inclusive sizes and responsibly sourced materials. With EvoluShein we support women’s empowerment projects around the world. The first collection of Evolu Shein clothing will be made from recycled polyester. Compared to the production of virgin polyester, the recycled polyester process requires fewer raw materials and significantly reduces the amount of water and energy required,” writes the company.
Of course, with recycled plastic, the problem of plastic waste at the end of the product lifespan is by no means eliminated, and it is also not always clear where it comes from – and whether it has actually been recycled. As a result, Shein’s announcement drew criticism, calling it “greenwashing” and calling the company’s sustainability ambitions “a tiny band-aid on a very large, oozing wound.”
More shein than his
Back in the pop-up, another ingredient of Shein’s successful model is revealed at second glance: savings are made where possible. The terrazzo shelves turn out to be plastic, as do the plants. The store’s real parquet floor was covered with linoleum carpeting. The ice is a shave in a cone and the coffee comes from a capsule machine. On the rest of the Ku’Damm, customers would rush out indignantly.
Here it is mainly young women who storm into the changing rooms to try on the clothes, most of which cost less than ten euros and which they cannot then take with them directly. Everything in the store is scanned with a smartphone, then ordered online and delivered to your home – and not necessarily “ultrafast”. The delivery time is one to four weeks.