Australian study explained demand for Shein and Temu — ABC News Australia
A study in Australia among millennials found that shoppers on ultra-fast-fashion platforms Shein and Temu continue to place orders even though they are aware of the environmental and ethical problems associated with such consumption. Low prices, convenience, promotions, a wide selection and the influence of social media remain important factors for them, ABC News Australia reports.
Prices and discounts
Researchers surveyed 20 Australian millennials who buy products on ultra-fast-fashion websites. The findings of the study, published in the Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, showed that concerns about sustainability and ethics often do not affect respondents' actual purchasing behaviour.
Among the main incentives, participants named affordability, convenience, promotions, fashion trends on social media, novelty, variety of products and social approval. Low prices also allowed shoppers to choose styles they would not have dared to spend more money on.
Many such purchases were not entirely spontaneous. Respondents kept items in their carts or wish lists, tracked sales and waited for payday. Study co-author Carol Tan, an associate professor at RMIT University's School of Fashion and Textiles, called this behaviour “strategic spontaneity”: the decision may appear impulsive at the time of payment, although an item may have remained in the cart for anywhere from a week to a month beforehand.
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The difference of ultra-fast fashion
Traditional fast-fashion brands usually release new collections every two to four weeks, offering from hundreds to thousands of styles and selling them mainly in physical stores. In contrast, ultra-fast-fashion platforms create between 2,000 and 10,000 new styles every day and operate primarily through digital channels and mobile apps.
Social and economic motives for shoppers often outweigh long-term ethical considerations. Participants explained their choices by limited budgets, a lack of affordable sustainable alternatives, a reduced sense of personal responsibility and the belief that a single purchase has little impact.
Fees and the durability of clothing
According to the Australia Institute, Australians buy an average of 56 new items of clothing each year, while more than 200,000 tonnes of clothing end up in landfill annually. France has banned advertising by ultra-fast-fashion businesses and introduced a fee that is to rise to 10 euros per item by 2030. New Zealand has a fee of 2.21 New Zealand dollars per parcel.
Australia has the voluntary Seamless programme: companies that join it pay a 4% fee for each item of clothing to support repair, rental and recycling. It does not apply to overseas retailers, including Shein. Carol Tan believes that assessing the cost per wear of an item and paying attention to its quality and durability may influence shopper behaviour more effectively.
