Shein to open pop-up in Cork city centre this month

The fashion retailer has found itself at the centre of conversations surrounding the impact of fast fashion

(Front) Rebekah O’Leary with (Back, l to r) Aisling Chan, Jodie Dodrill and Freya Brophy attends the exclusive SHEIN pop up showroom at 32 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 on 22nd March, 2022. Picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

Global online fashion giant Shein has announced its second Irish pop-up will open in Cork next week.

Based in China, Shein has been rapidly growing over the past number of years and as of 2022, the fast fashion giant is the world’s largest online fashion retailer.

After two similar pop-up shops in Dublin, the company has announced that its next pop-up shop will be in Cork City’s Opera Lane.

The Cork pop-up will open on May 12 with what is described as an “exclusive opening party” before officially opening its doors to customers from May 13 - 17.

According to a press release announcing the latest venture: “Shein shoppers will be able to shop a selection from their much-loved collections, including glitz and glamour from SHEIN Bae, TikTok-worthy swimwear, holiday staples from SHEIN VKAY, and in a first for Ireland, Kidswear will be available too.”

Shein also said it will be making a monetary donation and donating all remaining stock from their pop-up shop to its charity partner, The Society of St Vincent De Paul.

The company, which was valued at $100 billion in April 2022, has been criticised in the past for its alleged unethical business practices. Due to its popularity (#shein has been viewed over 56 billion views on TikTok), the fashion retailer has also found itself at the centre of conversations surrounding the impact of fast fashion.

In October 2022, a Channel 4 documentary titled Untold: Inside the Shein Machine saw Iman Amrani investigate the company and its factories. In the documentary, Shein was accused of underpaying workers and having its employees work up to as much as 18 hours per day.

Shein currently ships to 150 countries and regions worldwide. 

'Shein comes with three price tags, not one'

Cork woman Laura de Barra, who has built an online community through her 'She.I.Y' tutorials, believes that buying cheap garments from places like Shein is actually “expensive to own.” 

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, she said: “If the concern is the cost of clothing, you will be buying that garment twice because usually, the synthetic fibers break down.

“They break down microplastics each time they’re washed, and if you are wearing something that’s supposed to be like a T-shirt or something that’s against your armpits, our arms will react very badly to things like polyester."

You may need to wash the garment more when it’s synthetic, and will therefore end up losing that garment quite quickly, she said.

“So while it seems cheap to buy, it’s more expensive to own. That would be what most people have to remember.” 

Laura de Barra also said that it is important to not be judgemental of people buying from Shein due to a pure necessity.

She said: “Some people buy fast fashion due to budgets, sizing restrictions and access, like where they live.

“We have to be aware that if you see someone going into a pop-up like that, out of necessity, it’s because they can’t get it anywhere else in the city — there is that side to it.”

“However, a store like Shein comes with three price tags, not one. There is the cost to the person buying it, the cost of the people who make it, and the cost to the environment."