How your £5 Shein dress really gets made: Inside the fast fashion 'village' where labourers toil through 75-hour working weeks and earn less than 1p per garment
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Sometimes a bargain just seems too good to be true. And when it comes to crop tops as cheap as £1.50 and dresses for less than a fiver from Shein, that definitely seems to be the case. Although the ease and convenience of snagging a trendy pair of jeans for less than £10 seems irresistible, shoppers may think twice if they were to take a stroll through Guangzhou.
![[In an interview with the national broadcaster one worker revealed that they get paid around 2 yen - less than one pence - per garment]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/13/11/94032997-14277851-In_an_interview_with_the_national_broadcaster_one_worker_reveale-a-21_1736767071411.jpg)
The city in south China houses more than 5,000 factories - many of which supply to the fast fashion retailer - and sees labourers braving 75-hour weeks, all to get just 12 yen an hour. Workers not only routinely endure hours that are not legal but only get one day off a month too.
![[One of the women the BBC spoke with had been working for Shein since they started - and says they will get 'stronger and better']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/13/11/94032999-14277851-One_of_the_women_the_BBC_spoke_with_had_been_working_for_Shein_s-a-22_1736767075022.jpg)
According to a BBC report, it is not unusual to face 12-hour work days with staff leaving the textile hubs as late as 10pm and beyond. Shein - which one woman interviewed said some 80 per cent of the labourers in the area work for - last year discovered two cases of child labour in its supply chain last year as it geared up to trade shares in the UK.
![[The city in south China houses more than 5,000 factories - many of which supply to the fast fashion retailer - and sees labourers braving 75-hour weeks, all to get just 12 yen an hour]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/13/11/94032859-14277851-The_city_in_south_China_houses_more_than_5_000_factories_many_of-a-23_1736767086918.jpg)
Scrutiny over the company has been growing as it nears a £50billion market debut on the London Stock Exchange. It made a £1.5billion profit last year but its ultra-cheap prices – including £5 dresses – have raised eyebrows. After previous criticism for mistreating workers, Shein has insisted checks on factories have increased and that it takes action against dodgy suppliers.
![[Industrious work ethic is routine in Guangzhou, but, speaking to the outlet, David Hatchfeld of consumer group Public Eye said Shein is 'opaque' when it comes to transparency of working conditions in its supply chain]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/13/11/94033881-14277851-Industrious_work_ethic_is_routine_in_Guangzhou_but_speaking_to_t-a-27_1736768194237.jpg)
