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If you have a Tiktok account, there is a very good chance that you have seen fashion and Influencers' plug Publish their features of the Chinese electronic commerce giant Shein. But even if you are not active on social networks, the name of the company probably sounds a bell because of the negative rumors surrounding a recent press trip it held.

The company has long been criticized for inhuman working conditions and contrary to ethics, but when American influencers were invited to visit one of the Shein factories in China, they went to their accounts to paint a Pink image of satisfied employees and "frightening" working conditions. So what side of the story is real? To obtain answers, we have consulted fashion and retail experts who have a more in -depth knowledge of Shein. Read the rest to find out more about all negative rumors.

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Shein is a brand of cheap Chinese digital clothing that was founded in Nanjing, China in 2008 by the entrepreneur Chris Xu . Now based in Singapore, it is one of the most precious private companies in the world, according to the The Wall Street newspaper , with a current Evaluation of $ 66 billion , against $ 100 billion at the start of 2022. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

It was during the pandemic, however, that she has really become a global phenomenon, with influencers of social media who regularly publish their "traits" of shopping and gushing from the number of articles and clothing accessories that they were able to buy as little as $ 1.50 or $ 5 sometimes sometimes.

The criticisms surrounding Shein have been centered on three main areas: sustainability, tax gaps and working practices, the last issue making the most headlines.

"Recent surveys have raised concerns concerning the conditions to which workers are subject, in particular long hours of work, a low salary and potential violations of workers' rights", " Gareth Boyd , a retainer and co-founder and general manager of Boyd Enter , recount Better life . "These results suggest a potential disconnection between Shein's public statements on fair salary and reality within their supply chain."

More specifically, Shein has been accused of having inflicted forced work on Uighurs, a marginalized group which lives mainly in the Xinjiang region in China.

Chapin Fay , the executive director of Close shein , a coalition formed to ensure safe, ethical and compliant business practices, says that Shein uses "Uighur slave work to pick cotton for products".

Better life contacted Shein, and we will update this story with their answer. But in a Previous declaration at CNBC , a Shein spokesman said: "As a global company, Shein takes visibility seriously throughout our supply chain. We are committed to respecting human rights and joining Local laws and regulations in each market in which we operate. Our suppliers must adhere to a strict strict. Code of conduct which is aligned with the basic conventions of the International Labor Organization. We have no tolerance at forced labor. ""

United States. Import imports From the Uighur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang (Xuar) in June 2022 due to forced work problems. However, in May 2023, the members of the House of Representatives of the United States wrote a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) calling for a more intense examination of the company.

"While Shein claims that his products do not use the Uighur forced work and that he works with third parties to audit his installations, experts compensate for these types of audits are easily manipulated or falsified by a pressure sponsored by the State . Any product made in the Xuar is made with forced work, "said the letter by CNBC.

Shein also faces criticisms for "the exploitation of an American pricing flaw (called minimis) which indicates that if a package is less than 800 USD, it is not subject to the same rates or an examination of the packages in bulk ", according to Fay.

In response to such claims , a Shein spokesman told CNBC: “Our policy is to comply with customs and imports from the countries in which we operate. Shein continues to comply with the importation of imports a priority, including the declaration requirements under American law with regard to minimis entries. ""

And in terms of the impact of the company on the environment, any rapid fashion brand (which has a "rapid and high volume", note Boyd) is intrinsically unbearable.

"Although it is encouraging to see Shein affirm that they have objectives to reduce emissions and waste, consumers should require more transparency around these initiatives," suggests Boyd.

In the media section of their website, Shein says: "We know that we have an important role to play to support the communities where we work, we are looking for and live, and the planet that we all share." They say they visit Sheingroup.com "Find out more about our strategy and our progress in sustainability and social impact".

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In June 2023, Shein invited a group of American influencers to its "innovation center" in Guangzhou, China. CNN has described this as " A shiny and spacious installation With high-tech and robots that transport materials. ""

As such, influencers - Whom Shein calls "partners" - It all started to publish positive accounts of the experience, so brilliant, in fact, that some skeptics even called it "propaganda".

Influencer, model and "self-written" trusted activist " Dani Carbonari has received an intense reaction for his Instagram video now deleted. According to New York Post , she said that she was "impressed to see the working conditions" and that she interviewed a woman in the shein fabric cup department who said that she was "surprised by all the rumors that were distributed in the United States ".

"There is a story nourished in the United States, and I am the one who always likes to be open-minded and seek , so I'm grateful for me, and I hope the same thing for you, "added Carbonari.

Likewise, in her Instagram video , lifestyle influencer Desene southduth said: "By interviewing workers, many of them have been confused and surprised by children's work issues and the heads of clothes because they essentially said:" Our children want to be on social networks Like all of you. "They don't work in factories and our clothes take place through rigorous tests before production."

According to NBC News, Sudduth also said that employees were working from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and that they were not "slave" as she expected, but were rather "cold" and " Not even perspiration . ""

Carbonari has since published a video Explaining his actions, detailing how the visit "did not feel like a show" or "quickly assembled". She also said that the trip had been organized because the company wanted to face negative rumors. While travel and housing has been taken care of, it was not paid for its posts, she said. However, she said that she "should have done more research".

In response to the claims of "propaganda" and controversy surrounding the videos, Shein said in a press release At New York Times , "Their videos and comments of social media are authentic, and we respect and support the perspective and the voice of each influencer on their experience."

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Of course, this is not a simple answer, because most people have never visited a Shein factory. But as Boyd notes, it was a trip "sponsored by the brand", which means that Shein had total control over what influencers saw and how the information was transmitted.

At this point, Fay Note: "Shein is also preparing to make a possible IPO public this year so that they are trying to clean their public image while American legislators continue to examine their practices."

Yesterday, Reuters reported that Shein "had registered with regulators for a initial public offer In New York, people familiar with the case said.

However, in an email in Reuters, a spokesperson for Shein said that the company "denies these rumors". They did not immediately respond to the request for the media for more details, nor the dry.

Jeanel Alvarado ,, retail business And the founder of Retailboss also underlines that there is a difference between an exhibition hall and a factory.

"Many Chinese manufacturers have exhibition halls that house their office to manage the side of commercial operations. Often, this can also have seamstresses and workers who work only on samples, which are small lots or versions of Clothing before sending them to be made en masse, and this often happens in an entirely different installation, "she explains.

Thus, although it remains to be seen how the American government will manage commercial operations with the company, "the problems surrounding Shein underline the importance of transparency and ethical practices in the retail industry", adds Boyd .