Photo: Raysonho / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
Shein is putting more of its European shopping business closer to the doorstep. The online fashion retailer said Wednesday it is investing €500 million in expanding its logistics hub in Poland, aiming to move orders faster as Europe’s rules for low-value imports become more expensive.
The investment will bring Shein’s total spending in Poland since 2022 to about €1 billion, according to Drapers’ report on the announcement. The company expects the expanded operation near Wroclaw to employ more than 10,000 people by the end of 2026.
For shoppers, the immediate promise is delivery speed, not a guaranteed price cut. Products already stored at the Polish hub can reach customers in some European markets within 48 hours, Reuters reported. That is not a promise covering every product or destination.
A bigger warehouse network, with thousands of robots
Shein says the expansion will increase its warehouse footprint by 25%, bringing it to about one million square meters, with more than 6,500 autonomous robots supporting the operation, according to Drapers.
The investment also reaches beyond Shein’s own workforce. The company works with more than 230 Polish small and medium-sized businesses supplying goods and services, the report said.
Wroclaw’s local news service, reporting from a company visit Wednesday, described an operation spread across several locations rather than one giant building. It reported that roughly 8,000 people currently work in the Polish operation, with another 2,000 positions targeted by year-end.
More goods inside Europe
The expansion comes as Shein and competing online retailers face new European charges on low-value shipments arriving from outside the European Union. Those costs challenge a business built around inexpensive individual orders.
Holding more stock in Europe changes the delivery model: goods can be moved into warehouses in bulk and individual customer orders filled closer to their destinations. It does not mean the company or its customers are exempt from applicable customs rules.
Shein framed the investment as a long-term commitment to the European market. Its global head of public affairs, Leonard Lin, said the spending would help the company serve shoppers and European brands selling through its marketplace, according to the reports.
Jobs and delivery targets are still targets
The year-end staffing figure is a company target, not an independently audited completion number. Wroclaw’s local news service reported that more than 6,500 robots are already working across the center. Delivery times depend on where a customer lives and whether the product is already stored locally.
Even so, the scale of the spending shows how important local warehouses have become to low-cost online shopping. Shein is investing in the machinery, space and people needed to compete on speed as well as price.
Additional reporting: Wroclaw’s account of the logistics-center visit.
JBizNews Desk | Global
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