How Many People Use Shein? (2017–2023)
As smartphones, PCs, and tablets continue to dominate as the top shopping channels, businesses aiming to amplify their sales should consider listing their products on shopping apps and websites.
Shein is one such platform. It’s an online fast fashion retailer whose app consistently ranks among the top shopping apps. Here’s a look at how many people use Shein to understand its potential for ecommerce businesses.
How many people use Shein globally: 2017–2023
Founded in China in 2008, Shein has witnessed a significant surge in its global user base, now in the millions. This is a feat made even more impressive when considering that the company does not sell to consumers in its home country, the second-most populous nation in the world.
|
Year |
No. of global Shein users |
|---|---|
|
2017 |
2.8 million |
|
2018 |
4.8 million |
|
2019 |
5.6 million |
|
2020 |
15.5 million |
|
2021 |
43.7 million |
|
2022 |
74.7 million |
|
2023 |
88.8 million |
In 2017, the number of Shein users was recorded at 2.8 million, which soared by 71.4% the following year, to 4.8 million. The annual growth rate in 2019 slowed by nearly four times, to 16.7%, and brought the total number of Shein users to 5.6 million.
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The pandemic period of 2020 and 2021 saw an exponential rise in the number of Shein users. In 2020, there were 15.5 million people using Shein—an annual increase of 176.8%. This is followed by another strong year for the Chinese company, growing its user base by 181.9% in 2021, to 43.7 million. This was also the largest annual increase from 2017 to 2023
According to a recent analysis, while many US fashion companies saw sales decline in 2020 and 2021, sales on Shein more than doubled. Industry experts attribute this to the enforced lockdown—as consumers spent more time indoors browsing, they discovered new brands, which led to Shein’s rise.
In 2022, Shein’s user growth experienced a deceleration. The number of Shein users increased by a relatively slower 70.9%, to 74.7 million. Its most recent user count in 2023 showed 88.8 million users worldwide, after a 18.9% annual increase.
How many people use Shein: website visits and traffic sources
Recent data on Shein’s website visits shows that there were 211.2 million visits to shein.com in March 2024, a 20.1% increase from the previous month.
Notably, more than one-third (35.2%) of its traffic originated from the United States. This is followed by Brazil (9.7%), France (6.6%), and Spain (5.6%).
How many people use Shein in the US: 2017–2023
With monthly traffic from US consumers in the millions, there’s no questioning the popularity of Shein there. This raises the question: How many people use Shein in the US?
|
Year |
No. of US Shein users |
|---|---|
|
2017 |
490,000 |
|
2018 |
670,000 |
|
2019 |
1.12 million |
|
2020 |
2.8 million |
|
2021 |
7.5 million |
|
2022 |
13.7 million |
|
2023 |
17.3 million |
Recent data reveals a rising number of Shein users in the US, mirroring the brand’s global growth trend. In 2017, there were just under half a million Shein users. Two years later, this had more than doubled to 1.12 million.
Annual growth rates hit 150% and 167.9% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, taking Shein’s user base to 7.5 million. In 2022, this figure rose to 13.7 million, before another annual increase in 2023 brought it to 17.3 million.
This data not only highlights Shein's rapid expansion but also signals the evolving landscape of online shopping, where digital platforms like Shein are becoming increasingly crucial for businesses looking to capture the attention of a globally connected consumer base.