Shein Group Ltd. — Ethics Grade F

Shein Group Ltd. receives an overall ethics grade of F (12/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Retail. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 8
• privacy: 60
• consumer: 40
• environment: 5
• humanRights: 10

Documented incidents (3)

• Uyghur Forced Labor Allegations (high, 2022) — Laboratory testing of Shein garments found cotton linked to the Xinjiang region of China, suggesting the use of forced labor. The company has been criticized for lack of supply chain transparency regarding its 6,000+ factory partners.
• Excessive Overtime and Unsafe Units (high, 2022) — Undercover investigations revealed factory workers at Shein suppliers pulling 75-hour shifts with only one day off per month, earning as little as 4 cents per garment. Many units lacked emergency exits and window bars.
• Systemic Intellectual Property Theft (medium, 2023) — Multiple independent designers and brands (including H&M and Dr. Martens) have sued Shein for using algorithms to identify and mass-reproduce copyrighted designs without permission or compensation.

Documented good deeds

• Sustainability Fund Investment — Committed $15 million over three years to the Or Foundation to manage textile waste in Kantamanto Market, Ghana, aimed at improving waste management in second-hand clothing hubs.

Ethical alternatives

• Patagonia, Inc. — Leader in sustainable sourcing, fair trade labor, and environmental activism; profit is directed toward climate change mitigation.