Shein South Africa – Full Review: 9 Pros and Cons

The fashion industry has constantly been evolving at a fast pace ever since brands like H&M and Zara pioneered “fast fashion.” That was in the 1990s when they mass-produced clothes worn by fashion show models in as little as three weeks. However, in this day and age, there is a 3-day mass production wave dubbed Real-Time Retail.

According to Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), the current industry leader is Shein South Africa in this new wave. This beauty and fashion e-commerce company achieved this by streamlining its supply chain, choosing to ship only from the country of origin, and investing in an industry-leading e-commerce site.

These are the substances behind the form that is Shein. Axios reports that Shein is now worth $100 Billion, more than H&M and Zara combined. In South Africa, Shein is a growing trend among fashion influencers and online reviewers. In this article, we look at its online store, shipping, pros, cons, and top hauls for South Africa.

Shein South Africa Online Store

You can access Shein Online Store through their mobile app or the official SA website. The mobile app is available from Playstore on Android, App Store on Apple’s iOS, and the Huawei App Gallery on Huawei’s EMUI.

Shein’s Online Store lets you shop for fashion items by category, clothing brand, trendiness, style, or even newness. The store has a variety of models to showcase its catalog of clothing items. Browsing through the store is a delight because different clothing items can be seen at a glance, and subsequent window shopping is done within minutes.

For tops, skirts, suits, and even sweatshirts, several measurements can be chosen. Organizing your shopping cart is easy, once again. You can add and remove items seamlessly from your cart and even increase their different numbers.

At the checkout, Shein lets you pay for the selection on your shopping cart using Paypal or Credit and Debit cards. Credit and debit cards can be Visa cards, Mastercard cards, Maestro, or American Express Cards. After you make your payment, your order is confirmed. You will receive an email with the period your parcel should take to arrive. Shein also lets you track the order while it is in transit.

In addition to shopping, Shein online also has a social media page. The page lets you view posts from different buyers who showcase their Shein hauls in videos and pics. You can comment, like, and even go directly to the purchase page for any item on this page. You can also create posts of your own using pics and videos-your own Shein haul.

Shein Item(s) Shipping

For shipping, Shein uses either Aramex Global Shopper (AGS) or Buffalo Freight Systems. They select these couriers in an undisclosed way. Even so, both courier services are quite reliable. The orders typically take about three weeks to a month to arrive. This is a relief to buyers, given that the South African Post Office is mired in problems at present.

Apart from a few people like Business Tech, who said they had a package stuck in transit in their online retailer comparison article, most of those who bought fashion items online using Shein got their parcels in good time. When purchasing items on Shien, there are three costs you should expect to incur. You will pay the cost of your purchase, a delivery fee when making your order, and a customs fee when the parcel arrives in the country.

Pros of Using Shein Online Store South Africa

1. Shein is advantageous because items on the Shein Online Store are quite affordable, even when you factor in the extra costs like customs and delivery fees.
2. Another advantage is that most of the items sold on this online store are of good quality.
3. Third, the store has a 30-day return policy. Buyers can return fashion items that are in new condition within 30 days after purchase if they are dissatisfied with the purchase. However, if you make a return, you will have to pay for the shipping back to Shein.
4. Fourth, Shein has a huge catalog of fashion items for you to select from. The website is updated with 6000 new clothing items daily.
5. Another advantage is that the online store is easy to use and intuitive.
6. Yet another advantage to using Shein is that they also have several discounts for first-time shoppers and for shoppers who use the store regularly.
7. Lastly, you earn points for logging in every day. You can use these coupons to shop in the store. 

Cons of Using Shein Online Store South Africa

1. The company is rife with controversy, from producing knockoffs of clothing items from niche designers to possible human rights violations in its production lines. There have also been documentaries reporting that the e-commerce giant collects users’ personal data. This personal data is then used to curate its online store using the interests of the specific user. That is one of the ways in which it manages to stay popular. It does not help that the company shies away from the public glare and even maintains a very low profile. Only choosing to release statements in response to high-profile claims or top news channel queries.
2. Despite the fact that most of the items sold on Shein are of good quality, you have to do your due diligence to make sure you get the fashion item you want. You have to know your size perfectly so that when you make an order, it does not turn out to be too small or too large. In addition, you might have to read the reviews and look at the pictures so that you are pleased with the item when you receive it.

Top Hauls by South African Youtubers for Every Season

SA Youtuber “Life with Noms” showcased her 2022 selection of warm clothes for the winter in her YouTube Shein winter haul. Another Youtuber, Hope Malebye, also her Shein haul for this year on her YouTube channel. Michelle Geldenhuys also posted a Shein review video for South Africa that included a haul of her clothing items selection from Shein.

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