In the last three to four years, I have noticed that clothes have gotten progressively cheaper. The main reason for this that I can assume is firstly inflation, and secondly the rise of sites like Shein and Temu. These websites offer clothing, accessories, household goods, and so on at an astronomically low price. The reason I thought to write about this topic is because news that Forever21, another affordable clothing option, is going bankrupt and closing all of their stores permanently this upcoming Sunday. I can only assume that the reason for this store closing is due to Shein and Temu selling very comparable items at a much cheaper price online.
This also goes along with the uprise of online shopping compared to retail options. Most people are willing to wait a couple days or even weeks to get their items without having to leave the comfort of their own homes. Although Shein’s shipping takes upwards of three weeks to arrive, consumers are willing to wait that extra time to buy these items for close to fifty percent less than at a store like Forever21.
Now to think of what this might mean for the future of affordable clothing stores. Will online vendors like Shein and Temu continue to flourish and offer significantly low prices or will tariffs on Chinese goods cause their downfall? There was a period of time that this was a very real possibility, but they managed to persist through this threat. The closing of Forever21 should be a warning sign to all other cheap clothing retailers, that they must stay relevant and focus on targeting their market in a successful way. Retailers in general have been struggling since the uprise of online retailers, but they must continue to be aware of the climate they are in and not get comfortable where they are at.
riehljb21 
CalogeroRosado 
trischlerba23
Interesting post. You’re totally right that retailers need to combat this by not getting comfortable where they’re at, and I think one of the best ways to do that is by advertising the clothing’s quality. Temu and Shein are cheap, exploitative, fast fashion companies. They make loads of cheap, trendy, low-quality clothes and when people buy, they have to keep buying because the clothes they get just don’t last. If US retail companies focus on advertising long-lasting clothes, even though there’s a higher price tag, it might provide some pushback against companies like Temu and Shein.
The declining amount of stores like forever21 goes to show the growing dominance of online shopping, especially those offering outrageously low prices like Temu or Shein. In person stores now must focus on how to provide value in a way that online shopping cannot