In this episode, La Loupe deciphers the workings of the Shein machine with Julie Thoin-Bousquié and Thibault Marotte, journalists in the Economy department of L’Express.
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The team: Charlotte Baris (presentation), Léa Bertrand (writing), Miléna Rossi (editing), Jules Krot (directing)
Credits: YouTube, TikTok
Music and dressing: Emmanuel Herschon/Studio Torrent
Image credits: Shein
Logo: Anne-Laure Chapelain/Benjamin Chazal
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Charlotte Baris: I will take you to the heart of the capital, to the Marais district. It is May 5, 2023, and there is a crowd at 18 rue des Archives. Early in the morning, several thousand young people line up in front of the doors of a Haussmann building. They are often under 25 years old, some are even accompanied by their parents. And everyone is waiting for one thing: the opening of the pop-up store of the Chinese brand Shein.
Forty-five minutes of waiting later, it’s finally time to go home. Inside the store, we discover a “Shein bakery”, a photo booth, and even a fabric recycling bin. But what catches the attention of visitors is obviously the clothes displayed on the racks. A blue skirt for 8 euros follows a very chic evening dress, barely 19 euros. Then a set for 12 euros. All without counting on the promotions displayed on the shelves. Over 4 days, nearly 900 references are gathered here.
And this is not the brand’s first attempt. Already last year in March, the Chinese brand welcomed more than 8,000 people to its pop-up store in Lyon.
It must be said that in a few years, Shein has become very popular with young people, to the point of outstripping Zara and H&M. Low-priced items, shared en masse on social networks. But behind the store, the reality is not all rosy. What are the workings of this ultra fast fashion empire? This is the question we are asking at La Loupe today.
For further
Environment: Shein, the hidden face of the Chinese fashion giant
Wish, Shein, Temu… Beware of a hangover for the champions of the “good deal”
Fast fashion: MPs vote on measures to limit its consumption