Shein IPO Valuation Sinks 70% to $27 Billion as ESG Risks Derail London and New York Plans
Updated
Updated · Euronews · Sep 6
Shein IPO Valuation Sinks 70% to $27 Billion as ESG Risks Derail London and New York Plans
2 articles · Updated · Euronews · Sep 6
Summary
$27 billion was Shein’s valuation when it pivoted to Hong Kong on Sept. 1, down 70% from its nearly $100 billion 2022 private-market peak after failed listing efforts in London and New York.
ESG concerns drove the discount, with investors treating supply-chain and environmental controversies as material financial risks rather than reputational issues, according to sustainability expert Ildiko Almasi Simsic.
32% of 56 garments tested by Greenpeace in 2025 exceeded EU chemical limits, including children’s clothing, while Shein had already disclosed two child-labour cases in 2023 and faced reports of 75-hour workweeks in 2025.
Shein says responsible growth is central to its model, but its prospectus earmarked only 10% of expected IPO proceeds for sustainability and corporate responsibility despite adding 2,000 to 10,000 new styles a day in 2021.
France this week passed levies of up to €19.50 per item on ultra-fast fashion by 2030, underscoring a wider regulatory shift that could force Shein to absorb higher compliance costs and slow its growth model.