Summary

Shein’s rise as the world’s largest fast-fashion retailer is powered by 5,000 factories in Guangzhou’s “Shein village,” where workers often exceed 75-hour weeks, violating Chinese labor laws.

Paid per piece, wages remain low despite long hours, with some earning as little as £10 per day.

Allegations of forced labor and child workers persist, alongside concerns over its use of Xinjiang cotton.

Shein, valued at $66bn, plans a London IPO, prompting promises of better governance.