SHEIN may soon sell clothes from Forever 21: but how likely are customers to buy?

Samuel TanAPAC Data Journalist / B2B Content Manager
September 29, 2023, 3:11 AM GMT+0

Two fast fashion giants – e-commerce platform SHEIN and retail chain Forever 21’s owner SPARC Group Holdings – recently entered into a partnership that would allow Forever 21’s clothes to be sold on SHEIN’s global site, as well as for SHEIN to operate stores within F21 outlets across the USA down the line.

But how likely are users of SHEIN’s platform to buy Forever 21 branded apparel?

Latest data from YouGov Profiles shows that current customers of SHEIN in Singapore, the Philippines and the USA are much more likely than the average consumer in these markets to consider making their next fashion purchase from Forever 21.

In Singapore, about one in eight SHEIN customers (12%) say they would consider buying their next fashion outfit from Forever 21 – three times more than the average consumer (4%). And while less than a fifth of all Filipino consumers (17%) would consider Forever 21, this rises to one in three among SHEIN customers (31%). Meanwhile, almost two in five SHEIN customers in the USA (38%) are considering Forever 21 for their next fashion purchase – three times higher than among all consumers in the market.

SHEIN’s ultra-fast fashion business, which churns out thousands of new designs every day, has faced criticism over its environmental impact. But how concerned are SHEIN customers about sustainability when they shop?

Data from YouGov Profiles reveals that when consumers in Singapore were asked if they “prefer brands that are sustainable”, SHEIN customers are both significantly more likely than the general population to disagree with the statement and significantly less likely to agree. Overall, less than half of SHEIN customers say they prefer eco-friendly brands.

However, the reverse is true in the Philippines and USA, where most SHEIN customers express their preference for sustainable brands – and are significantly more likely than the average consumer to say so.

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Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for Singapore is nationally representative of all adults (18 years or older), weighted by age, gender and ethnicity, and reflect the latest Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS) estimates. Profiles data for the Philippines is nationally representative of all adults (18 years or older), weighted by age, gender and region, and reflect the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimates. Profiles data for the USA is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.

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