In recent days, Chinese fast fashion giant Shein took a handful of influencers on a tour of its Guangzhou factory. The content created by the diverse influencers depicted khaki-clad employees “not sweating” (words of Destene Polidore) and singing the praises of Shein’s working conditions.
“I think my biggest takeaway from this trip was to be an independent thinker, get the facts, and see it with your own two eyes,” said influencer Dani DMC in a now-deleted video that summarized her Guangzhou trip with Shein. “There’s a narrative fed to us in the U.S. and I’m one that always likes to be open-minded and seek the truth. So I’m grateful for that about myself, and I hope the same for you guys.”
This content is generating significant backlash as journalists and civil rights groups have reported on Shein’s human rights violations, hazardous working conditions and forced labor practices. The questions remain: why did Shein do this now? And why did the Chinese-owned brand pick a group of predominantly marginalized influencers for this trip?
Many speculate that the Shein factory tour was a PR gimmick aimed to foster goodwill and improve the brand’s reputation ahead of a rumored initial public offering. But over the last few weeks, and prior to this trip, Fortune interviewed influencers who are known for their fashion haul content (videos in which influencers unwrap and model the contents of their packages from online shopping), and they all separately reported that the popularity of their Shein hauls have diminished on TikTok and Instagram.
Though it remains unclear how the brand’s sales have shifted (if at all) as Shein hauls lose their social luster, the diminishing viewership and backlash against the Guangzhou influencer trip suggest that Shein is no longer fast fashion’s viral darling.
The Chinese company sells a seemingly endless variety of on-trend women, men and kid clothing–as well as homewares and beauty products–at extremely low prices. (To illustrate, jeans cost around $8 and fitted sheets are $4.90 on Shein’s website). And in order to market its low-cost goods, the company has relied on influencers. But rather than show off date night, party or office looks–as is standard fare for fashion influencers–Shein’s strategy has tapped influencers to exhibit their “hauls,” parading enormous volumes of on-trend clothing that creators purchased for low prices.
For a time, Shein haul content had been wholly viral. On TikTok, #SheinHaul has accumulated about 11 billion views. In turn, the company netted $100 billion in gross sales volume in 2022, per Time. This has motivated the Chinese-owned company to pursue an IPO in the U.S. and inspired fast fashion competitors like Fashion Nova, Temu and Mango to pay influencers for haul content on socials.
One influencer Fortune interviewed–Sha’Riauna Campbell, who used influencing to help fund her 2023 MBA degree–said that only her Shein hauls have diminished in viewership, while hauls of other brands remain popular.
“Shein Hauls are becoming less popular,” says MBA-influencer Campbell, whose Shein Hauls have helped her grow a social media following. “I think it’s because people are doing more Fashion Nova, more Oh Polly.”
Three influencers with whom Fortune spoke said they believe that the Shein Hauls have diminished in popularity in-part because of the brand’s association with “very slim” and “very petite” women, says influencer Tabria Pearce, who has published Shein Hauls on TikTok.
The brand’s association with conventionally attractive models could help explain why it solicited and selected diverse influencers for the June Guangzhou trip.
Still, non-inclusive models, questionable labor practices and lack of sustainability may be excusable for many consumers who are strictly motivated by price. As Twitter user June Maebe puts it: “The $400 shein haul tik tok [sic] girlies look at “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism” like a golden ticket to avoid any self reflection.”
