A lot of consumers turn to fast fashion for microtrends and for special events. Once those seasons and events end, many pieces get tossed or donated to thrift stores.
Unfortunately, some thrift stores do not look up the original retail value and instead set prices according to what they think they can get for it. This results in fast fashion pieces worth only a few dollars being priced higher.
One thrifter came across one such piece by Shein and shared their experience on the r/ThriftGrift subreddit.
"$25 for a Shein tank top in the 'fashion forward' section?" the OP questioned.
The attached image shows the $24.97 price tag and the label indicating an extra small tank top made by Shein.
Shein is one of the biggest brands in the world and is the biggest polluter in fast fashion, according to Yale Climate Connections. Its production timeline can take as little as 10 days, and the website offers up to 600,000 items for sale at a time, with an average price of $10.
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This excessive production caused Shein to emit 16.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, according to a company sustainability report. The brand is also infamous for recycling under 10% of its textile waste, adding dangerous chemicals to clothing, causing illegal shipping delays, evading taxes, and violating workers' rights.
Needless to say, Shein has a less-than-ideal reputation, yet because of its prices, 44% of Gen Zers in the United States buy from Shein at least once a month, according to a market analysis.
Thrift stores are taking advantage of the popularity of Shein by pricing its items higher on their racks. However, anyone who prefers shopping secondhand would never be fooled.
A vast majority of the time, thrifting offers positive experiences wherein consumers can find designer or everyday items at incredible discounts — such as a Hermès scarf for $1.25 and a Cartier belt for $5. You can also celebrate the fact that you saved something from a landfill.
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Cheaper clothes 🤑 Fellow Redditors joined in on the disappointment in the brand and the thrift store.
"Yep, fashion forwarded straight to the landfill," one user commented.
"I saw something similar recently. There was a dress from Shein in my local GW for sale at $24.99. It's only $12 on Shein's own site," another shared.
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