Shein repurposes excess inventory from other retailers
The Chinese online fast-fashion giant is seeking to minimize its need for new textile resources.
Shein is leveraging the Queen of Raw Materia MX solution to utilize other companies’ “deadstock” materials in its own supply chain. Through repurposing other brands' excess inventory, Shein intends to avoid consuming new textile resources.
Utilizing Materia MX, Shein will source existing materials from brands and retailers looking to clear out their excess fabric inventory, avoiding having it go to landfills.
"We look forward to supporting one of the world's leading retailers on its journey to transform its supply chain. Shein's influence in the fashion industry aligns with our position as the global leader in measuring and reporting environmental impacts for excess inventory and waste streams across industries," said Stephanie Benedetto, CEO of Queen of Raw. "Our technology empowers Shein to incorporate local deadstock textiles from other brands into its on-demand business model to optimize future inventory purchases. As a result, climate and water impacts are reduced while enhancing transparency."
The software enables Shein to automate the verification of unused materials that meet both its own sourcing requirements and Materia MX's deadstock standard. These materials are then made available to Shein designers to incorporate into products sold on the e-tailer’s platform. T
Leveraging Materia MX, Shein can also track and report sustainability data in line with science-based standards. This rollout is part of Shein’s larger commitment to the World Circular Textiles Day initiative, which calls for a fully circular textile industry by 2050.
The Queen of Raw deployment also aligns with Shein’s newly established sustainability roadmap, evoluShein. This framework, comprised of three key pillars - equitable empowerment, collective resilience, and wasteless innovation - includes programs addressing topics such as responsible sourcing, decarbonization, resource efficiency, building circular systems and accelerating sustainable solutions.
"Partnering with Queen of Raw supports our advancement to a more circular system, starting with the design of our products," said Caitrin Watson, director of sustainability at Shein. "Since Shein's business model is to create products on demand, we don't accumulate excess fabric liability, which is one of the biggest financial and sustainability challenges for the fashion industry. We are poised to purchase high-quality surplus materials, helping us to reduce the environmental impact of our products and become a circular solution for other businesses."
[Read more: Online fashion giant Shein jumps into online resale — but with a twist]
Headquartered in Singapore, Shein is a global, integrated digital marketplace leveraging on-demand production methodology.