Shein cancels pop-up event weeks before start of new fast fashion tax

by Admin
June 13, 2024

A Shein pop-up store that was to be opened in Perth has abruptly been cancelled weeks before the federal government is set to begin taxing fast fashion retailers.

The three-day event was to reportedly include a live DJ, photo booth and giveaways and was pencilled in to launch on June 21 at the Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre.

Both the centre and the company have been tight-lipped on why the occasion has been axed.

A Shein pop-up store that was to be opened in Perth has abruptly been cancelled. (AP)

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“At Lakeside Joondalup we work with a diverse range of retailers, partners and brands to provide our customers with engaging centre experiences,” a centre spokesperson said.

“This includes short-term pop-up activations with both local businesses and community groups as well as popular brands.

“This activation will no longer be proceeding at Lakeside Joondalup, but we look forward to bringing other new and exciting experiences to our community soon.”

Shein, while similarly vague, hinted the event may return in the future.

“Shein is committed to providing the best pop-up experience for our Perth customers and will provide further updates in due course,” a Shein spokesperson said.

Shein has catapulted in popularity despite accusations of poor working conditions and unsustainable practices, which has sparked calls for its ban.

Australian shoppers spend an estimated $1 billion on Shein each year as they turn to cheap fast fashion brands amid the cost of living crisis, Roy Morgan research has found.

The Australian Institute found about 200,000 tonnes of clothing end up in the landfill each year. (Getty)

Those sales have helped Australia overtake the United States as the world’s biggest consumer of fashion per capita with the average person buying 56 new items a year, according to the Australian Institute.

But widely reported concerns have been raised over the environmental impacts of the quick-churning fast fashion industry.

The Australian Institute found about 200,000 tonnes of clothing end up in landfill each year – the equivalent weight of almost four Sydney Harbour Bridges.

The federal government has consequently introduced a four-cent levy that retailers will be forced to pay on every clothing item sold from July.

The money will go towards central fund Seamless, which was launched by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to encourage brands to create lasting and recyclable clothing.

France is also eying ways to manage the industry and recently passed a bill through its lower house of parliament that would apply a $16 tax to every item sold by ultra-fast fashion brands.