Now than ever, it’s easier to buy any piece of clothing from the internet. You don’t have to go through the stress of walking down different aisles in the mall; different swipes on the website pages of your favorite online fashion retailer will do. However, which online fashion retailer provides stylish clothes at reasonable prices? Shein claims to do so.
History Of Shein
How Did Shein Start?
Shein started as a dropshipping business in Nanjing, China, in 2008 before it became a fashion retailer. It was founded by Chris Xu. Its name is a portmanteau from the word “SheInside,” but pronounced as ” she-in.”
The company sources its products from the markets in China, especially the Guangzhou market when it was mainly a dropshipping business. In 2014, they bought a Chinese e-commerce business, Romwe. With this, Shein was able to secure its supply chain and manufacture clothes themselves.
When Shein pivoted to fashion retailing, it became all-inclusive offering clothes of different styles at affordable prices in huge quantities. There is something for everyone: women, men and kids.
There are also personal care products, home items, accessories, pet supplies, etc. Presently, Shein has grown to a $15 billion company, only next after Amazon. Watch this video for more information on Shein:
How Did Shein Come To Limelight?
Shein’s marketing strategies are very commendable. The company leverages its followership on social media to advertise its products and uses low prices to achieve huge demands. For example, they encourage their customers who buy bulk clothes at low prices to post on Tik Tok, encouraging others to buy.
Their customers are mainly millennials and Gen Zs who have low budgets but want to look stylish and trendy. They have over 2 million followers on Tik Tok and about 22 million on Instagram. With that, they were able to secure their presence as a foremost social media fashion retailer.
Where Does Shein Operate?
Shein is an online fashion retailer with no physical office yet, but you can find them in some major stores in places like Miami, Dallas, Chicago, etc. They operate in 220 countries across the globe, covering the Middle East, America, Australia, etc. You can also buy their products from other online fashion retailers like AliExpress, Amazon, etc.
Any Controversies?
Despite Shein’s global success, some controversies surround the brand. For instance, there have been complaints of Shein’s products not meeting up to standards and not ethically and sustainably produced. However, this isn’t uncommon with online fashion retailers; it’s left to the consumers to do their due diligence before buying any product from the websites.
Want To Get Free Clothes From Shein? Follow These 4 Steps
If you’ve been wondering why Shein has become so popular recently, here’s why. They have a free trial program that allows people to get 3 free products per week in exchange for detailed reviews and photos. This way, you get more clothes to fill up your wardrobe while strengthening Shein’s marketing tactics. Here’s how to go about it.
Create an account on the website
You can’t win free clothes from Shein without having an account on their website. Download the app or use the website. When creating an account as a user, ensure you fill in the correct details to get your free garments. However, Shein must approve your account before you can get the free clothes. If they don’t, you won’t.
Navigate the free trial center
If you’re a new user on Shein, you can’t participate in the trial if you go to the free trial center on the app. You should instead search for the Shein Free Trial Centre on Google and locate their official website.
You can log into your account from there and participate in the trial. You can only get 3 clothes in a week, and you have 10 days to upload the reviews and photos required. Entering the trial doesn’t mean you automatically win free clothes, but if you do, you’ll be contacted through email.
Be a part of the live shows
Participating in the free trial program isn’t the only way to win free merchandise from Shein. You can also win free merchandise by participating in their live shows.
They usually host live shows where they inform their consumers of their new stock and give fashion tips on how to combine them stylishly. But this isn’t the only thing they do; they also give out gift cards as well. You can use these gift cards to shop on Shein.
Gift card draws
Shein holds gift card draws you can participate in. With the gift cards, you can buy any items of your choice as long as the gift card covers them. But you must use the gift card within the limited time that makes it valid. You must also download the Shein app and turn on your notifications to take advantage.
3 Things To Know When Shopping For Free On Shein
One thing that helps you buy from online fashion retailers is to know how to use the information provided to source the best products for yourself. If not, you’ll most likely end up among the people that tag online fashion retailers as scams. Here is a guide for navigating Shein.
Read the product description
Before you request any free product, read the description. The description provides the type of material used in making the clothes, the fit type, and other details. For instance, not all materials are of the same quality. Synthetic materials such as polyester won’t hold up to the same pressure as natural fibers like wool.
As such, you can’t expect everyday polyester wear to last forever. Besides, the fit matters too. If you’re a plus size, don’t go for a regular size unless the material is stretchy. Other details like stitching and hemming will also help you determine if the artistry is poor or good.
Know the measurement
Before shopping from online fashion retailers, you should know your measurement and compare it with the measurements on the websites. For example, 20 inches on the website can equal 15 in reality.
If you order such clothing with the thought that you’re getting a 20-inch waist, you’ll be shocked. If you’re not sure of the measurement of a particular dress, you can check other products. Read this article on how to take your measurements.
Read the reviews
If there are reviews, don’t be lazy to read them! Reviews save you from a lot of distress. Imagine requesting clothes that aren’t to your taste and finding it challenging to return them when you could have just read two or three reviews and save yourself the stress.
Shein allows its consumers to give thoughts, and this is a great advantage. However, since you’re getting free clothes, Shein is counting on you to try on the clothes and provide reviews; as such, you might not find reviews for that particular clothing. But should you decide to pay for an item, do read the reviews!!
While the tips above help get the best out of Shein, they aren’t 100% guaranteed. However, they’ll help reduce your chances of having bad shopping experiences.
5 Things To Consider When Uploading Your Reviews On Shein
If you want to keep winning free merchandise from Shein, you must know how to comment and upload your photos. Within 72 hours, Shein reviews your review, and if they find it worthy, you win redeemable points. Below are some steps to follow.
Install the app
To comment on Shein, you must install the app as the option to comment isn’t available on the website. You can comment using an Android phone or iPhone.
Quality of the review
There are parameters your review must meet before it’s accepted. It should be objective and provide all necessary information. Other customers must find it helpful.
Also, you’re not allowed to use any foul or disrespectful words; Shein wants non-offensive content. Besides, you must support your reviews with photos as this helps convince other people, and the length of your comment shouldn’t be less than 80 words or exceed 400 words.
Inappropriate content
Shein frowns upon all forms of inappropriateness on their website or app. This include including your phone numbers or email address in your comment, uploading watermarked videos or URLs not related to Shein, expressing intolerance for people of different identities, promoting illegal acts such as child abuse, violence, alcoholism, etc. However, you can question anyone about the reviews or products they upload in a non-offensive or non-threatening manner.
Editing/Rating
You can edit your comment or re-upload your photos on Shein when you’re prompted. However, this is optional. You can also rate a review by going to the item on your order history and following the steps to rate it.
Points
When you get points for a great review, ensure you take note of the expiration date. The points Shein gives don’t last forever; they’re usually valid between 7 days to 3 months. As such, you must redeem them during this period.
If you don’t, Shein automatically deletes them from your account when they expire. In addition, for every 100 points you get, you have $1 already. But there is a limit to the number of points you can win daily. Once you’ve reached your limit, even if you participate in draws and win, you won’t receive more points.
Summary
Getting free clothes on Shein isn’t difficult; the different ways to go about it have been explained above. However, as with other online fashion retailers, you should manage your expectations as there are chances you won’t have the best experience every time. Reading reviews and product descriptions also helps you make the right choices.
Jessica Oliver is a fashion enthusiast with more than ten years of experience in the industry. She previously managed her own clothing store in New York before becoming a mother of three. With a passion for sustainability and a desire to share clothing care and recycling tips.
