Shein faces growth challenges as low-cost advantage erodes

Shein built its global fast-fashion business by selling low-priced, real-time trend-driven clothing and bringing new designs to market quickly, while cutting inventory wastage.

But the conditions that helped fuel its rapid growth are changing.

Shares of the Singapore-headquartered retailer were trading lower for a fourth straight day, and have lost 17.5% since their Hong Kong market debut on Tuesday.

The initial market reaction puts the focus on whether Shein can reaccelerate growth as the low-cost model that fueled its rise comes under increasing pressure.

Analysts say Shein will need to show it can compete on more than price, localize more of its operations and find new sources of growth outside its key U.S. and European markets.

"I think it shows they've got a lot of work to do to prove to investors that this is a business that can continue to grow," said Josh Gilbert, lead analyst for APAC at investment platform eToro.

$5 dress gets harder to sell

Shein reported revenue of $41.8 billion in 2025, compared with $38.7 billion a year earlier. In the first quarter of this year, the company posted a net loss of $99 million, compared with a profit a year earlier.

"The U.S. and Europe are still the key markets, but the easy part of the growth is over," Gilbert said.

Both markets have tightened rules that had allowed low-value imports to enter duty-free. The U.S. ended de-minimis treatment for shipments from China and Hong Kong in May last year, while the EU also stopped its customs-duty exemption for low-value imports worth up to 150 euros in July.

The EU has introduced a temporary 3-euro duty per item. Nearly 5.9 billion low-value items entered the EU in 2025, according to European Commission data.

"The structural advantage that let Shein ship a $5 dress halfway around the world for next to nothing has disappeared," Gilbert said.

The changes raise a bigger challenge for Shein as it lifts prices. Gilbert said that as duties push prices up, shoppers who came to Shein primarily for price could start comparing on quality, "a fight Shein hasn't had to have before."

Bryan Gildenberg, managing director at Retail Cities, said Shein's ability to tie technology to a network of manufacturers that can respond in real time remains an advantage, but competitors are narrowing the gap.

"That to me still looks like a competitive advantage, although the fast fashion industry digitally is catching up," Gildenberg told CNBC.

Limits of Shein's model

Marguerite LeRolland, senior global insight manager for fashion at market intelligence company Euromonitor International, said Shein will need to redefine its value proposition beyond "low prices and constant novelty," including by curating its marketplace offerings and developing services.

LeRolland also said Shein needs to improve its brand image as regulators and public opinion become increasingly critical of the company.

"The business will have to pivot its model," LeRolland said, pointing to greater localization as tariffs and regulatory requirements put pressure on Shein's cost advantage in the U.S. and Europe. Shein will also need to gain scale across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America to sustain global growth, she added.

But expanding into new markets brings its own challenges. While Gildenberg pointed to Southeast Asia as one potential area for growth, he said it was probably one of the most competitive e-commerce markets in the world.