Cheaper online shopping is becoming more popular amongst teens and young adults. Tik Tok Shop, Temu, and Shein are some of the more popular websites and it has been up for debate on which is the better option.
I have ordered from all of these platforms with little to no issues. However, I can confidently make a pros and cons list on these apps.
When it comes to Tik Tok Shop, I recently ordered from them just to see what the hype was all about. Honestly, I think it is the best out of the three. There are better platforms out there but if you’re looking for at least decent quality items at a low price, I think this is a perfect platform to shop on. There is little to no shipping fees, and while it’s not as fast as Amazon, it is reasonable.
Temu is definitely not my favorite. They have some good deals, but I would only use the platform for little gadgets or something like that. Don’t buy clothes from there. They are cheaply made and most of the time they don’t look the same as they’re advertised. The shipping is long and doesn’t always arrive within the window that it says it will. The prices are decent, but the low quality definitely matches the low price.
Now, Shein is a completely different story. Shein has been pushed to the top of the fashion ladder, making it the world’s most popular fashion brand in 2022. Yes, they have good prices and yes, their products are good quality, but I don’t think it’s that great.
According to TIMES Magazine, the employees working at the factories that make Shein products are working 17 hour shifts and getting paid a salary of $20 a day. This $20 would then get reduced to $14 a day if there are any mistakes on the products.
Just to put this into perspective, I work a job that pays $14 an hour. If I work four hours a day, then I am getting paid roughly $56, so I am working four hours and getting paid more than someone who works 17 hours. Shein violates labor laws and safety protocols in China, but no one seems to care to shut them down because their business is helping the economy.
The workers making bikinis and crop tops are working in unsafe factories with no windows and no emergency exits. Many are also working without contracts or minimum wage requirements, so the company could pay them whatever they wanted instead of actually paying them a proper amount.
According to TIMES Magazine, Shein admitted to what was happening in their factories and released a statement that read, “We know we have a responsibility to safeguard the welfare of workers in our supply chain. In light of the recent report in the news, we launched an investigation into the claim that two of our suppliers had unacceptable working conditions at their facilities.”
Shein might be a cheap way to get items delivered to your house, but just remember the hours that people put into making these items and what little pay they’re getting before you buy from them. I think the best place to buy from has to be Tik Tok Shop. When you shop on their platform, you get what you pay for. Now, I haven’t ordered everything off of Tik Tok Shop so I don’t fully know if all of the products are good quality, but from what I have ordered, I can confidently say that I am satisfied with my purchases.
