Have you heard about Shein’s big comeback in India? Of course, you have! After all, this Chinese Fast-fashion retailer has had a great impact on people worldwide, especially Gen Z who are crazy about the Shein app due to the impressive clothing variety Shein has. So, speaking about the comeback of Shein, the app has signed a deal with Reliance, a top Indian Retail firm owned by the Richest ‘Mukesh Ambani’.
Before moving forward with more details about Shein, it is needed to know that the Shein app was outlawed in India in the year 2020 along with some other Chinese apps including TikTok.
But after this partnership, it depicts that it is no longer a Chinese entity as it has also shifted its headquarters to Singapore. Above all, we can’t deny the fact that it is the most popular fashion application who acquired around 91 million app downloads globally that too in the four first months of the year 2023.
This huge popularity is the reason why businesses are showing much interest in creating online cloth shopping apps like Shein along with its comeback. Are you also looking to make a fashion shopping app like Shein? Then, you’re at the right place!
This below guide to Shein clone app development will take you to the details that are necessary to look into. Here, we will be discussing why eCommerce businesses need a mobile app like Shein, its working, key features, development process, and associated costs. Without any further ado, let’s start with-
Table of Contents
What is Shein App?
Shein was established by Chris Xu in the year 2008 and is popular due to its reasonably priced clothing. It is an international eCommerce app and has a large customer base in countries like the USA, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and others. The app enables customers to browse and buy clothing, accessories, footwear, and other beauty products at a very affordable price.
App users can search and filter the product as per their requirements and can add them to the cart. It also has a wide range of payment options such as PayPal, credit/debit cards, and many more for the convenience of buyers.
This app mainly targets women customers across iOS and Android platforms, pushing it to be the top-ranking app in App Stores. Overall, the Shein app has gained immense popularity among fashion enthusiasts who are in search of affordable and trendy clothes and related products.
This extensive product range, user-friendly interface, and worldwide shipping option are the reasons that make Shein a go-to platform for fashion-forward people looking for the latest collection.
How Much Does It Cost to Develop An App Like Shein?
The cost of building an app like Shein is such a factor that has a great impact on the mobile app development process. Being an eCommerce or online retail application, it is significant to have unique and advanced features in order to be competitive in the market and repeat the success of an app like Amazon.
Therefore, if you are looking to create a Shein clone app, you must know that the cost to build an app like Shein varies depending on several factors such as app complexity and its features, different platforms, app design requirements, mobile app development tech stack, development team location and rates, and project timeline.
Alongside, aspects like payment gateway implementation, third-party integrations, and back-end infrastructure also impact the overall cost. Some of the factors that affect the overall cost are-
1. App Size
The cost to create an eCommerce app like Shein largely depends on the different app sizes. Hence, you need to check which app size you are working for. It can be determined with the features you are adding. In the below table, we have defined the time and cost based on different app sizes. Have a look-
| Different App Sizes | Time | Cost | |
| Small-scale app |
| 4-6 months | $25,000-$35,000 |
| Medium-scale app |
| 6-8 months | $35,000-$45,000 |
| Large-scale app |
| 6-12 months | $45,000 and more. |
2. App Platform
Different businesses target different audiences and according to that requirement, they choose the app platform. If ventures are trying to grasp a large base of customers, they can go for cross-platform online shopping apps like Shein, if they want to mark a specific territory of customers, they can either go for Android or iOS. To check out the estimated cost of specific platforms, you can follow the below table-
| Platforms | Time Estimation | Cost Estimation |
| Android | 4-8 months | $25,000-$40,000 |
| iOS | 8-10 months | $35,000-$45,000 |
| Cross-platform | 10-12 months | $45,000-$55,000 |
3. App Developers Location
| Country | iOS Per Hour Cost | Android Per Hour Cost | Cross-platform Per Hour Cost |
| USA | $100-$180 | $100-$150 | $150-$200 |
| UK | $90-$160 | $80-$110 | $100-$180 |
| India | $35-$70 | $25-$50 | $30-$100 |
| UAE | $50-$100 | $50-$80 | $80-$120 |
| Singapore | $60-$100 | $60-$90 | $80-$130 |
| Japan | $80-$140 | $80-$130 | $80-$150 |
| Malaysia | $40-$60 | $40-$50 | $50-$70 |
| Canada | $70-$150 | $50-$130 | $80-$160 |
| Europe | $60-$120 | $50-$100 | $70-$130 |
Considering these factors, the overall cost to develop an app like Shein will be around $25,000 to $55,000. It can increase or decrease depending on the evolving business requirements. Thus, we can say that this is not a final price just an estimated one.
How Does Shein App Work?
While looking for how to create an app like Shein, you should know how it works first. For users, the app has a simple registration process and after registering, users can search for the products they want to buy among a wide variety of clothing ranges.
They can also add desired products in the virtual cart to buy them later or same time. They can also apply different filters such as color, size, style, price, and more to find the exact product they need.
For payment, they have multiple security options to choose from. They can add their address to get delivered the product and can use a return policy if they find the product not appropriate or changed.
From a business perspective, Shein has applied different algorithms and data science techniques to analyze what the target audience wants and new market trends. Continuing it, the app adds over 3000 new clothing preferences and styles every week, that’s why Shein is called a fast-fashion app.
The addition of new clothing variety every week is only possible due to the applied outstanding supply chain framework. The app has a clone-bonded relationship with the suppliers to maintain the consistency of the work process.
Apart from that, Shein also uses supply chain management software to observe the entire manufacturing procedure regularly and closely. It also assists in providing real-time customer activity data with suppliers that help them to design and produce the products of their interest. The short duration manufacturing process and affordable price in comparison to competitors is the reason why Shein is so successful today.
Business Model of Fashion App Like Shein
The Shein Business Model has been one of the reasons why other businesses are showing much interest in developing online shopping apps like Shein. This applied business model has been so profound that it has helped the app get a place higher than other fashion giants like H&M, Zara, and others. Ventures owning eCommerce industry solutions are studying the Shein business model to analyze what is so different about it, let’s get to know-
The Shein confirms the fact it fetches data from varied sources like Google trends, social media platforms, hashtags, competitors’ websites, and so on. By gathering all this data and information about the latest trends, its in-house design team creates the desired clothing range for the customers.
Also, every supplier has their own platform to monitor the stocks and prevailing sales involved with the manufacturing suggestions of new stock. The direct connection between Shein and its manufacturers helps them to create such amazing and updated designs in less time.
Before hoping for the products to sell, they must pass the verification phase to be assured that they will be successful in the market. Then, the products are directly shipped from the factory to customers.
To lure the audiences and grab their attention, Shein also has varied gamification assets like trending stickers, countdown timers, subscriber discounts, and others. Other marketing tactics of Shein include social influence, Shein Haul, Body positivity, and micro-influencer.
Why Fashion App Like Shein is So Popular?
It is not easy to create a fashion & clothing app like Shein that too when it is immensely popular among people worldwide. Undoubtedly, Shein has created a flawless and wonderful medium between clothing mobile apps and audiences.
To continue this medium and become a household name in this realm, various businesses are obtaining mobile app development services from well-known firms to get an effective solution.
But how Shein has made it in the market for so long? Do you want to know? If yes, then keep scrolling down to get dive into the details of what guided the growth of Shein-
- Market Scope and Size
- User-generated Content & Influencer Marketing
- Personalized Shopping Experience
- Trend-focused Approach
- Affordable Pricing
1. Market Scope and Size
Looking at the vast market size Shein has been holding onto, it has good scope for the future. To ensure the facts and figures, we can look at its annual revenue between 2016 to 2021. Shein generated US $15.7 billion as annual revenue in the year 2021. Whereas, it only had revenue of US $600 million in the year 2016.
Another one is, the Shein app’s monthly downloads on Android and iOS platforms from January 2017 to December 2022 in the USA were quite impressive. From iPads and iPhones, the app recorded downloads around 1 million in December 2022, on the other hand, there was tracked 850,000 downloads from the Android devices in the same month.
While comparing the Shein app to any other market giant, we can see it is still one of the leading fast-fashion companies in the USA. Between March 2020 and March 2022, the growth of Shein in the US market has doubled which was approx. 18-40%. You can look at the below graph to get more details on the growth comparison between top fashion apps.
2. User-generated Content & Influencer Marketing
To create an app like Shein and continue similar success, a business must leverage influencer marketing and user-generated content for brand and product promotion. Shein app collaborates with a wide range of influencers with millions of followers to make them showcase Shein’s clothing variety indulged in real-life scenarios. Shein also motivates its customers to leave their reviews and suggestions to create a sense of community and have social proof around its brand.
3. Personalized Shopping Experience
Shein has always put a great emphasis on its mobile application to provide customers with a highly personalized experience. Hence, if you are looking to develop an app like Nykaa, Shein, or anything, you must take assistance from a top eCommerce app development company to design a user-friendly interface that enables customers to search and shop easily on their mobile devices. The Shein app also augments users’ shopping experiences by offering them exclusive discounts, personalized recommendations, curated collections, targeted promotions, and many more.
4. Trend-focused Approach
To build an online shopping app like Shein, you have to concentrate on the latest fashion trends. The Shein app has been the one and only one that rapidly focuses on modern fashion first.
The app and its marketing team continuously keep an eye on fashion influencers, targeted audiences’ latest buying, runaways, etc. to stay updated on future trends in fashion. Then, it produces a similar cloth range in no time that makes it extraordinary among all with a sense of exclusivity and fashion-forwardness.
5. Affordable Pricing
It is one of the topmost reasons why Shein has skyrocketing popularity. To date, no fashion industry solutions are able to surpass Shein’s price. The app offers fashion items and cloth varieties at a significantly lower price in comparison to other online fashion apps.
The affordability it offers has allowed users to come back and shop more while maintaining a long-term relationship. The combination of a wide range of trendy fashion choices and low prices has made the app top the chart every time.
Key Features to Include in A Fashion App Like Shein
The most important aspect that makes your app different from others is its features. While creating a women’s fashion shopping app like Shein, you should pay attention to features that are going to be added to the app. You must offer unique features to your targeted audiences to get lumps of downloads.
Here are some top features and functions to comprise into Shein-like app with the help of a leading mobile app development company. Let’s dive in-
Customer Panel
Have a look at some essential features to add to the customer panel of the Shein clone app-
User Registration
It allows customers to create accounts on the app by entering their name, phone number, email, and password. They can also use other social media accounts to complete the process or create a profile.
Product Searching/Browsing
It enables users to search and browse for products according to different categories, keywords, and filters.
Product Information
The app includes products with the proper information comprising photos, reviews, descriptions, and prices.
Wish List
Fashion shopping apps like Shein must have this feature so that users can save the products they like to buy later or for future reference.
Shopping Cart
It allows users to add items or products to the cart that they want to buy right away. It also facilitates them to manage quantities, and further, proceed to checkout.
Secure Payment
To make users have an amazing shopping experience, the app should integrate different secure payment gateways such as credit/debit cards, UPI, etc.
Push Notifications
To make an app like Shein, this feature is essential to add for updating app users about the latest offers and discounts, order confirmation and arrival, or other things.
Ratings & Reviews
This feature is a must added to build a clothing app like Shein as it enables customers to provide feedback on the products they have purchased and used.
Customer Support
Customer support is an integral part of eCommerce mobile app development. It provides customers access to different channels such as live chat or email for queries or assistance.
Vendor Panel
The following are the most suitable features to include in a vendor panel, check them out-
Vendor Registration
Vendors also need to register when it comes to starting an eCommerce business with a mobile app. To register, they can create an account by submitting the required details and login for product & order management.
Add/edit/update Products
This feature enables vendors to add, edit, or update product details comprising pictures, descriptions, prices, and inventory.
View & Manage Orders
Here a dashboard is provided to vendors so that they can view or manage customer orders, and shipping processes, and update customers’ order status.
Inventory Tracking
Develop an app like Shein by integrating this feature for vendors to track and manage the inventory that involves stock level and product variations.
Vendor Analytics
This feature provides detailed reports and insights to vendors on sales performance, customer behavior, and order trends.
Admin Panel
Here are some features that must be integrated into the admin panel of a Shein-like app, have a glance-
Dashboard
Online marketplace developers add a dashboard to provide a detailed overview of key metrics including orders, sales, and registered app users to admin.
User Management
This feature allows administrators to manage all the registered accounts along with the registration approval and user role assignment. Admin can also remove or add any user’s account.
Vendor Management
It facilitates administrators to manage vendor accounts efficiently, verify their registration, and process communication to ensure smooth coordination.
Product Management
Create an online cloth shopping app like Shein by integrating this feature as it provides a centralized system to handle product listings that include categorization, approvals, and content moderation.
Order Management
Every software development company prefers to add this feature to enable admins to observe and manage customers’ orders, manage cancellations or refunds, or create reports.
Content Management
This feature allows administrators to manage static content, promotional and banner content along with all the announcements within the fashion mobile application.
Analytics and Reporting
It offers detailed analytics and reporting capabilities for revenue, sales, user engagement, and other related metrics. It also provides valuable insights into each aspect of your venture.
Support and Communication
This feature comes with different tools that are helpful for the admin to manage customer inquiries, support requests, and feedback. It helps in augmenting the user experience.
How to Build an Like Shein?
The Shein-like app development process implies appropriate steps to be followed in order to create a desired solution fortified with primary features and functions to generate revenue. To know how to develop an app like Shein, start by hiring a top mobile app development company in the USA for assistance.
The agency will help you with the step-by-step process starting from app idea & conceptualization to design & development to launch & maintenance. Check out all the detailed steps below section-
- Market Analysis
- Design App UI and UX
- Development
- Testing
- Launching
- Maintenance
Step 1: Market Analysis
To build an app like Shein, you must conduct a detailed analysis of the market and your competitors to gather the required information. In order to gain success, it is significant to draw vital points from pioneers in the industry. You are required to be well informed about the Shein-like apps’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats while having eCommerce mobile app development.
Various app development aspects will be determined in this step such as app features, platforms, cost, project deadline, and others. Also, don’t repeat the flaws done by your competitors previously to avoid any downfalls.
Step 2: App Designing
You must know the importance of user interface if you want to create an online cloth shopping app like Shein. How your app is designed will decide how much user attention it is getting. They say, ‘The first impression is the last impression’, so if your app has an appealing and interactive design, it will be able to lure a huge base of users.
Generate a detailed plan including app wireframes and prototypes to represent the app flow and navigation, overall structure, and interface. Remember to create appealing and responsive designs with the help of modern mobile app development tools to develop an app similar to Shein.
Step 3: App Development
This is the phase where your chosen retail eCommerce software development company will write the code with the help of their expert mobile app developers. Setting up the infrastructure and back-end app development are also included in this step. It also comprises creating a database, APIs design, employing user authentication, and implementing essential server-side functionalities.
There must be integrated third-party services involving payment gateways, logistics providers, and others to track orders, enable secure transactions, and facilitate users with other social sharing functionalities.
Step 4: App Testing
The process of how to build an app like Shein is incomplete without following the mobile app testing guide. It is significant to conduct rigorous testing procedures on the app for analyzing, identifying, and solving issues or bugs. There are available multiple testing including performance testing, compatibility testing, and user acceptance testing.
Throughout the testing procedure, complete test cases, test plans, and bug-tracking systems will be used to document and pass out the issues found at the time of testing. The purpose of this phase is to make the eCommerce app flawless before releasing it to the public.
5. App Launching
Once you are done with the testing of an eCommerce app like Shein and it is ready to launch, you can deploy it to chosen app stores (Google App Store, Apple App Store, or both). To launch an app successfully on these stores, you must follow the particular app store guidelines for submission.
This phase also requires well coordination between the development team, marketing team, and support team to be assured about a successful app launch. It is important to plan and implement an effective marketing strategy to get higher user acquisition.
6. App Maintenance
After launching a women’s fashion shopping app like Shein, it needs regular maintenance and updates to address users’ feedback, add new features, fix bugs, and ensure the app’s compatibility with modern operating systems and devices. Observing the app’s performance and user analytics can also help analyze the scope for improvement.
App maintenance is considered an ongoing process that continues with the entire app lifecycle. Through this, businesses will be able to deliver users an amazing experience, and better security, and outshine the competitors.
Tech Stack Required to Create Fashion App Like Shein
An appropriate technology stack plays a vital role in how to make an app like Shein. The particular mobile app development frameworks and technologies used commonly in Shein app development are described below.
If you want to use the below cutting-edge tech stack for Shein-like shopping app development, it is necessary to hire eCommerce app developers. Have a look at below table-
| Functions | Technologies |
| Programming Languages | Swift, Java |
| Front-end Development | HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript |
| Back-end Development | Django, Node.JS, Ruby on Rails |
| Frameworks | Xcode, Android Studio |
| Database | MongoDB, MySQL |
| APIs and Web services | JSON, RESTful APIs |
| Cloud Services and Hosting | Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Web Services |
How SemiDot Infotech Helps you to build an app like Shein?
To make shopping apps like Shein, you can hire mobile app development company in India like SemiDot Infotech with expert and professional developers. They follow a proper mobile app development guide along with the latest technologies, frameworks, and tools to develop an appropriate feature-rich app.
When it comes to a top eCommerce app development company, SemiDot Infotech stands second to none. With more than a decade of experience in the tech industry, we understand that competition is tough, and businesses need to get ahead of that.
We have technical experts and knowledgeable developers who will assist you at every step of the development process. When it is to the cost to create a clothing app like Shein, you don’t need to worry at all as we provide cost-efficient and competent services. Our development and consultancy team are also good at communication, so you can easily contact us anytime for any query regarding your project.
Conclusion
Want to enter in the eCommerce industry by creating a fashion app like Shein? Then, you need to hire an on-demand app development company that can help you to understand the user’s perspective and create a proficient solution to facilitate an augmented shopping experience. With the increasing competition, you need to be attentive to what you are going to develop. Try to focus on primary features and necessary functions to avoid any inconvenience in the future.
Also, consider that the development of a mobile app needs investing a substantial amount of time and effort. While talking about the cost to develop an app like Shein Fashion, we got it all covered. You just need to focus on the process of how to develop an app similar to Shein from the users’ point of view.
FAQs
Check out these questions and answers related to Shein-like app development to get detailed information-
How to create an Online Fashion app like Shein?
To create an Online Fashion app like Shein, you need to define the business model & target audience first by analyzing the market. Then, define app features and go for an appealing UI/UX app design. After that, develop the front-end and back-end with the help of advanced technologies. Then, conduct thorough testing to launch the app appropriately. After the launch, provide the app with consistent support and maintenance.
How much does it cost to develop an Fashion app like Shein?
The cost to develop an fashion app like Shein might range between $25,000 to $55,000. This is just an estimation as it can vary depending on different factors like features, platforms, complexity, development team rates, and mobile app design cost.
Why should you choose SemiDot Infotech for develop an fashion app like shein?
Choosing SemiDot Infotech for Shein app development will offer several advantages to your business. We possess the required experience and expertise along with a dedicated mobile app development team. We also have the necessary skill set to ensure high-quality and fast-performance solutions. At SemiDot, our professionals also facilitate you with easy project management, a smooth development process, timely delivery, and continuous support.
How Can I Reduce the Cost of Shein App Development?
To reduce the cost of Shein App Development, it is required to determine the app features in the initial stage, optimize the design, use open-source technologies, along with planning & communicating effectively. Considering these aspects will surely decrease the overall cost.
What tech stack is required for developing an fashion app like Shein?
Here is the tech stack for Shein app development-
Programming Languages: Swift, Java
Front-end Development: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
Back-end Development: Django, Node.JS, Ruby on Rails
Frameworks: Xcode, Android Studio
Database: MongoDB, MySQL
APIs and Web services: JSON, RESTful APIs
Cloud Services and Hosting: Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Web Services
