Shein shines as a pop-up in Schaumburg

Clothing company Shein just debuted its first retail pop-up in Illinois at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. From December 15-17, 2023 fashionistas were offered racks of clothing at 5 Woodfield Mall from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Located next to Eddie Bauer by the Macy's entrance in the northwest suburb, this was possibly a test drive on a permanent storefront.

This was a special limited opportunity across the country for customers to not have to wait for items to arrive in the mail. The prices were the same as online and not raised for the upscale venue. Lines of people formed outside the space to snatch up bargains before they were gone.

There were separate men and women's sections along with plenty for the non-binary shopper as well.

There were beauty supplies, shoes, hats and other accessories with new shipments arriving each of the three days. Many items were under $20 and the quality remained strong throughout the inventory.

Pronounced She-in, not “sheen” the Chinese company founded in 2008 was originally called ZZKKO.

For those who feel the mega company uses inspiration from other fashion designers, local artists such as Kaori Semaj were featured at the venue. He is part of the program Shein X where he has launched four collections so far. His influences include nature and various cultures.

There were other treats in store for partakers of the pop-up. Cookie Spin supplied desserts for hungry guests with its signature deep-dish cookies. Their storefront is located at 4350 North Leavitt Street in Chicago with more information cookiespinchicago.com.

Shein popping in for the weekend just before the holiday rush only added to the frenzy at the mall. Luckily for consumers on a budget, this company presented its products at the right price at just the right time.

Until Shein finalizes brick-and-mortar stores in the future, shop online at shein.com.