Do you want to buy clothes at SHEIN or Zara but don't know which is really the best option? In this article I explain the differences between these two fashion stores so that you can decide which is the best option to buy in your case.
What is SHEIN
SHEIN is a store Chinese fashion online. Their factory and warehouses are located in China and it is from there that they ship orders. They have international shipments to the whole world except for a very few countries to which they do not ship. They do not have physical stores anywhere in the world.
They are manufactured in a chain and with the philosophy of Fast Fashion they manufacture fashion of current trends in a chain and in large quantities, which they offer to the public at a low price.
Your online store is fully gamified, that is, users can earn points and coupons daily just as they would in a game. These points are then used to buy in their store and obtain purchases of many clothes for a low price.
They have created a social phenomenon by which many people in the world, especially people from Latin America, sell their clothes under catalog . They do not sell wholesale clothes, they are not suppliers for other companies, but users have been called to sell their clothes due to the success that SHEIN has around the world.
SHEIN began its rise to success on the Internet in 2014 and since then he has only expanded his fame being known all over the world. Word of mouth and advertising has been part of its success. But above all, the fact of being an online store of cheap clothes with all kinds of sizes and a lot of variety where shopping is fun is what has marked its success the most.
What is Zara
Zara is a fashion brand belonging to the Inditex chain of mocha stores created by Amancio Ortega in Spain that spread unstoppably to the world since 1975. However, it was not until 2003 that it burst onto the Internet with its online store.
This fashion brand has expanded to almost all countries, being available in 260 countries in which it has a physical store, warehouses and online sales. It also has approximately 6,800 stores around the world.
Like SHEIN, it is a Fast Fashion company that mass-produces and sells mass-produced clothing. They have very similar sales objectives.
Are Zara and SHEIN the same thing?
Although if you know the answer to the question if Zara and SHEIN are the same There are many people who still ask this question, perhaps because they don't know either of the two stores originally.
The answer is NO. Fashion companies are totally independent and have very different concepts and growth objectives. Although they may have some similarities in their fashion design, this is only given because SHEIN seeks to manufacture fashion with current trends and is "inspired" by Zara for being one of the giants in the fashion sector, among other stores and fashion designers. .
Origin of the SHEIN vs. Zara rivalry
Zara's start on the Internet was in 2003 while this was the queen of fashion who arrived in 2014 to shake the foundations of online fashion sales and hitting the table.
The problem for Zara is that SHEIN started as a small Chinese fashion store that gradually increased its variety of clothing and gained fame with garments that are similar, such as the Moft brand, to theirs but with a very low cost price, making a large part of the clients buy from SHEIN.
During the year 2021 Zara decided to change course and become a company premium progressively raising its prices to position itself towards another type of public and avoid in this way that SHEIN incurred within its clients.
Therefore, this SHEIN vs. Zara competition is nothing more than a healthy competition between giants of the fashion retail sector.
Comparison of SHEIN vs Zara
There are a series of key ideas that differentiate SHEIN from Zara, and vice versa, that you should know to know which is your best option to buy :
Physical stores SHEIN vs Zara
SHEIN does not have physical stores while Zara does, so we can try on your clothes in person.
Shipping SHEIN vs Zara
Zara has clothing stores all over the world and therefore has faster online order shipping than maximum one week. While SHEIN has shipments that revolve around 10 to 20 shipping days depending on the country in which we are. We can find SHEIN shipments for a minimum order depending on the country, as in Zara.
If you like shopping at SHEIN but you like ZARA fashion, find ZARA clones at SHEIN here.
Returns SHEIN vs Zara
Zara and SHEIN returns are really similar. Although SHEIN is usually further away from most of the people who buy in this store, the return is easy to do. The only difference is that the period between when you send the order for the return and it arrives at the warehouse is longer at SHEIN than at Zara. The return is free at SHEIN on your first returned item. At Zara we will also have free shipping.
In the case of Zara we can also make returns at their physical stores for free, which allows us to have an instant refund of the money, while at SHEIN we can only do online returns.
Measures SHEIN vs Zara
One of the most striking advantages of SHEIN is the fact that indicate the measurements for each of their garments. The fact of expressing the measurements of the garments in great detail greatly reduces their returns. ( Does SHEIN clothes run big or small?)
This is a disadvantage for Zara, which has a general size table and does not indicate the measurements of the sizes for each garment . For this reason, it is really easy to make a mistake when shopping at Zara if we are not very used to trying on their clothes regularly.
Another advantage of SHEIN is that their large sizes can measure up to 150 centimeters from the hip, while the Zara's largest size is an XXL with a hip of 116 cm. This is why plus-size people cannot shop at Zara even if they label a 45-inch waist as a large size.
However, plus-size people can wear some Zara sizes if they are wide garments that stretch enough. But it is not a general rule and we can only find out if a garment is suitable for a large size by trying it on in its physical stores, since if we order online we can make a mistake unless we have the reference of another person who has bought a large size.
However, the smaller hip size in SHEIN and Zara shows a different nuance. And it is that the smaller sizes are similar. And both stores have children's sizes that can cater to petite women.
Style SHEIN vs Zara
Unlike Zara in which we find clothing of a very specific fashion style with an elegant cut, SHEIN has many different clothing brands that are sold on its website with very different styles and for all tastes, among which is Emery Rose, Dazy or Moft among all. ( Find ZARA clones at SHEIN here)
Coupons and discounts SHEIN vs Zara
You should know that when it comes to coupons and discounts the comparison between SHEIN and Zara is clear . Zara is a more traditional store: medium prices and physical stores complemented by online sales. While SHEIN only has one card which is online sales.
SHEIN focuses all its efforts on the online store and offers daily deals, coupons and discounts that customers don't have to work hard to get. If not, it's really easy. For this reason, Zara does not offer discounts or coupons beyond the offers of its sales period in order to be able to cover the costs of physical stores (What day is better to buy in SHEIN for save money?).
Quality SHEIN vs Zara
Surely you were waiting to know who has more quality in their clothes, SHEIN or Zara. The answer is a bit random. Zara has the best finishes of the garments and the clothes in their entirety are professional. SHEIN has clothes with better and worse finishes and it depends on the price of the garment.
On the other hand, that Zara has more expensive prices does not mean that its clothes do not break and this is possible. In my case I have been able to verify it. So it all depends on the store where you buy, many times it depends on the garment itself.
Why choose SHEIN to buy fashion online
If you want large size clothes (more than 116 centimeters from the hip) your answer is clear, you should buy at Zara. If you want to spend little money on clothes, your answer is SHEIN. If you want to have many garments in your wardrobe with which you can combine or be able to choose garments without taking into account trends, SHEIN's variety will be very useful for you to make your purchases.
Why choose Zara for buy fashion online
If you want to buy fashion and be able to physically try it on, you don't care about the price and you have a hip size less than 110 centimeters, you can buy at Zara. In addition, it can also be positive for you to buy at Zara if it seems important to you that your clothes are from a recognized brand.
In the event that you support the Slow Fashion initiative, that is, the manufacture of conscious fashion, neither of the two stores is recommended for you, although Zara is incorporating the manufacture of garments through other disused garments that customers deliver in their containers.
I hope I have helped you in this article to know the difference between these two fashion platforms such as SHEIN and Zara and being able to make your choice to buy in one or the other.
If you want to know many more online fashion stores, you have many articles at your disposal in this blog you can read.