Shein named 'most manipulative' website

According to foreign media reports, web design agency Rouge Media surveyed more than 30 large fast fashion retailers and scored the marketing techniques or "dark patterns" used by each retailer. Among them, fast fashion brand SHEIN was rated as the "most manipulative" website.

The so-called "hidden pattern" refers to the means by which online retailers stimulate or even deceive users to perform certain behaviors in a more covert way. These include but are not limited to limited-time discounts with countdowns, additional discounts for registering applications, recommendations for other items that consumers may like, and encouraging consumers to spend more to get free gifts or shipping costs.

Rouge Media found in its investigation that shoppers are faced with eight different hidden modes ( limited-time discounts , exclusive member discounts, hot trends , encouragement for more consumption, and obtaining personal information, etc. ) from the time they start browsing the SHEIN website until they check out .

Despite the controversy, SHEIN has recently become the world’s largest online fast- fashion company. In addition, a recent study also found that SHEIN is at the forefront of TikTok fashion culture, with the #sheinhaul# hashtag viewed more than 3.4 billion times and still increasing.

Some media analysis believes that the reason why SHEIN is so fascinating is related to its excessive use of the "hidden mode" . In addition to SHEIN, other fast fashion brands investigated have been found to use the "hidden mode" to a greater or lesser extent .

Fast fashion as a term first appeared in the early 2000s. This model shortens the process and turnaround time of fashion clothing from design to retail . The decline of the high street , social media as a new shopping channel and the epidemic have triggered the popularity of online fast fashion.

Despite the skepticism, fast fashion remains popular with shoppers , with critics saying it is becoming a new addiction mechanism driven by manipulative marketing (including hidden patterns), free returns, irresistibly low prices and a constant stream of new products .

Andy Woods, Design Director at Rouge Media , commented on the findings: “ Hidden patterns are nothing new, but the scale to which they are currently being used in online retail calls into question. While hidden patterns are indispensable in e-commerce website design , their use needs further scrutiny.”

SHEIN

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Fast Fashion