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The news: Shein has launched a resale marketplace, Shein Exchange, that allows US customers to buy and sell previously owned items in the fast-fashion retailer’s mobile app.
The launch appears to have two purposes: to mollify critics of the retailer’s fast-fashion model and to capture a share of the rapidly growing recommerce market.
Is Shein’s resale marketplace greenwashing?The launch is aimed at addressing the “ongoing issues of textile waste” and building a “future of fashion that is more circular,” Shein noted in a press release.
However, it's unlikely that message will resonate with critics given that fast fashion is synonymous with inexpensive, relatively disposable clothing that is unlikely to stand up to repeated wearings.
The launch also comes at a time when Shein is under the microscope for its harsh labor practices. Workers at factories in China that supply clothes to Shein regularly work up to 18 hours a day with just one day off per month, per an undercover investigation from the UK’s Channel 4 and The i newspaper.
The big takeaway: There are signs that fast fashion’s environmental toll is turning off younger consumers who are increasingly attuned to sustainability issues. For example, Shein only has a 44% approval rating among Gen Z consumers, and an even worse 22% approval rating among all adults, per Morning Consult Brand Intelligence.
While a resale marketplace is an acknowledgement of fast fashion’s environmental impact, there’s little sign that Shein is seeking to address the broader issues that are endemic to its model.
This article originally appeared in Insider Intelligence's Retail & Ecommerce Briefing—a daily recap of top stories reshaping the retail industry. Subscribe to have more hard-hitting takeaways delivered to your inbox daily.