ThredUP (Oakland, Calif.), the largest online consignment shop, sent out a push notification last week asking customers in the San Francisco Bay Area to not visit a Shein pop-up location, according to Retail Wire. ThredUP offered new customers 40 percent off of their first purchase, along with free shipping, if they took a pledge to not visit the pop-up.
Shein, currently the most downloaded app in America, is an online fast-fashion retailer based in China. The retailer hosted a pop-up shop in San Francisco’s Embarcadero Center from June 24 to June 26.
VP of ThredUP, Erin Wallace, speaks on how the goal was not to target Shein, but to raise awareness about fast-fashion business practices.
He says, “It’s about educating and helping customers. As one of the world’s largest online resale platforms, we’re on a mission to fight fashion waste and inspire a new generation to think secondhand first. Shein lists thousands of brand-new styles every day, encouraging endless consumption and creating disposable fashion waste.”
While ThredUP wanted to make a point about clothing waste and reuse, company officials said they did not plan on targeting other retailers in this way going forward.