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Online fashion is a form of e-commerce over the internet where you can directly buy clothes and apparel from the seller. Shopping online has become more of a necessity than an option for people due to the effects of the recent pandemic. This also led to a rise in scams and frauds, with more sophisticated ways of cheating people off their money.
Compared to retail shopping, online fashion allows consumers to buy goods in the comfort of their home. Consumer data company Statista estimates that the online fashion market size would grow to $1 trillion by 2025, from the current $664.5 billion in 2020. So even if 1% of online shoppers get scammed, the losses would run in hundreds of millions!
Online fashion stores offer a wider range of products, allow shopping from a computer or mobile, and most importantly increase the consumer reach for brands. But they are not without any loopholes and issues. Here are some of the bad experiences shared by shoppers:
Fraud and scams can put a stopper on the joy of shopping, and more so around the holiday season when you want to buy gifts for your family and friends. You don’t have to be extremely diligent when shopping online, but if you keep in mind the following points, we can vouch that you will be safe.
Here we list some of the popular names in men’s fashion and women’s fashion, and the average number of visitors they get every month. Please note that these companies may not provide their services in every country.
| Website Name | Average Monthly Traffic |
| Trendyol | 200 million |
| Zara | 100 million |
| Shein | 80 million |
| H&M | 118 million |
| Nike | 149 million |
| ASOS | 65 million |
| Uniqlo | 53 million |
| Macy's | 63 million |
| Gap | 45 million |
| Myntra | 37 million |
Trendyol.com, briefly Trendyol, is the leading e-commerce platform in Turkey, with headquarters located in Istanbul. Trendyol was founded in 2010 to make fashion accessible for everyone. More than 1 million packages per day are delivered to customers in numerous categories such as fashion, electronics, home and furniture, mother-kids, and cosmetics. Trendyol app downloaded more than 45 million times and has over 30 million customers.
Zara SA, stylized as ZARA, is a Spanish apparel retailer based in Spain. The company specializes in fast fashion, and its products include clothing, accessories, shoes, swimwear, beauty, and perfumes. It is the largest company in the Inditex group, the world's largest apparel retailer.
Shein (styled as SHEIN) is a Chinese online fast fashion retailer founded in 2008. The company is known for its affordably priced apparel. TikTok plays a large role in driving customers to the company website due to a TikTok trend of bulk buying clothes from Shein and presenting Shein clothes to their audience like a standard haul video. On May 17, 2021, the number of Shein’s app downloads surpassed those of Amazon.
H&M is a Swedish multinational clothing company headquartered in Stockholm. It is known for its fast-fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers, and children. As of November 2019, H&M operates in 74 countries with over 5,000 stores under various company brands, with 126,000 full-time equivalent positions. It is the second-largest global clothing retailer, behind Spain-based Inditex (parent company of Zara). The company makes its online shopping available in 33 countries.
Nike, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment, the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name. Nike sponsors many high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world.
ASOS plc is a British online fashion and cosmetic retailer. The company was founded in 2000 in London, primarily aimed at young adults. The website sells over 850 brands as well as its own range of clothing and accessories, and ships to all 196 countries from fulfillment centers in the UK, USA, and Europe.
Uniqlo Co., Ltd. is a Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer, and retailer. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. As of 31 August 2021, the company reported that 2,312 Uniqlo stores were operational worldwide.
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain founded in 1858. As of 2015, Macy's was the largest U.S. department store company by retail sales. JANA Partners, an activist investment firm, disclosed a large stake in Macy's in 2021, with the goal of spinning off the company's online business.
The Gap, Inc., commonly known as Gap Inc. or Gap (stylized as GAP), is an American worldwide clothing and accessories retailer. The company operates six primary divisions: Gap (the namesake banner), Banana Republic, Old Navy, Intermix, Hill City, and Athleta. Gap Inc. is the largest specialty retailer in the United States, and is 3rd in total international locations, behind Inditex Group and H&M.
Myntra is a major Indian fashion e-commerce company headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. By 2012, Myntra offered products from 350 Indian and International brands. In May 2014, Myntra.com was acquired by Flipkart.
Be careful when doing online shopping as scammers may trick you by impersonating popular brands. Double-check the URL before making the payment.
Source: Wikipedia
