The increased popularity and usage of many fast fashion platforms such as Temu, Shein and TikTok Shop is a clear indication of the demand for inexpensive products. Often on a limited budget, many students at SCHS look for the cheapest option when indulging in a shopping spree. The ethics of supporting such brands and the possible impact they can have on the environment, however, have forced some students and staff to look further into the companies.
Inexpensive shopping platforms make it easier to buy something for a one-time usage at a cheap price. Junior Varsha Venkateswaran decided to use TikTok Shop to buy her homecoming dress for that reason.
“I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a dress I would only wear once,” Venkateswaran said.
Despite its accessibility, students have noticed that having lower prices has caused an inconsistency in shipment timings and quality of items. Freshman Grace Baisa has seen many people have bad experiences with Temu and Shein, popular and inexpensive online shopping websites.
“For some people, their shipment gets delayed by weeks and weeks and weeks,” Baisa said. “Or the products just don’t come out good.”
English teacher Maichen Liu-Grossman advises people to shop with caution on these sites as cheap products often will not arrive as advertised. She believes that being wary when shopping online is an important skill.
“If you order anything online, you haven’t seen it in person yet,” Liu-Grossman said. “Sometimes it’s an unpleasant surprise, what you actually receive.”
Liu-Grossman also recognizes that these platforms may not use ethically sourced labor due to their astonishingly low prices.
“Other people have also told me that because it’s so cheaply made, that it’s often exploited labor in third-world countries,” Liu-Grossman said.
Claims against Shein and Temu have been around for a while. In April 2023, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission published an issue highlighting the “exploitation of trade loopholes; concerns about production processes, sourcing relationships, product safety, and use of forced labor; and violations of intellectual property rights” in Shein, Temu and Chinese e-commerce platforms.
Due to the many downsides that come with using platforms such as Temu, Shein and TikTok Shop, students find that supporting local businesses is the best way to shop. Even though online shopping services have cheaper and more accessible items, there are many who do not need to use them.
Baisa believes that those who have the budget and means should try to buy ethically-sourced products from stores.
“You could get stuff really cheap, and for some people, it’s more accessible than buying more expensive things,” Baisa said. “But if you have the privilege to buy expensive things, then I don’t think that you should be using Shein or Temu.”
Many in the SCHS community believe it is important to know the reality behind services and brands like Temu, Shein and TikTok Shop before deciding to use them or not. The many opinions surrounding the negatives of these e-commerce platforms, however, may also come from a general lack of information.
“I think it helps more people be in touch with what’s on trend,” Liu-Grossman said. “But I don’t know all the facts.”