Shein’s first results as a public company showed a sharp divide between sales and underlying profitability. Revenue grew only slightly in the first half of 2026, while adjusted profit fell by more than half. Europe was a particular weakness in the second quarter, as higher prices and less online advertising coincided with a steep sales decline.
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Shein’s first-half and second-quarter results
| Period |
Revenue |
Adjusted profit |
Adjusted margin |
| First half of 2026 |
$20.1 billion, up 1% year over year |
$499 million, down 55.6% |
2.5% |
| Second quarter of 2026 |
$11.08 billion, up about 0.9% year over year |
$228 million, down about 67% |
2.1%, versus 6.2% a year earlier |
Shein’s first-half adjusted operating profit also fell 50.4%, to $538 million.
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The company separately reported first-half net income attributable to shareholders of about $2.3 billion. That figure is not the same measure as adjusted net profit; treating them as interchangeable would obscure the steep decline in adjusted earnings.
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Europe led the regional sales declines
In the second quarter, sales in Europe fell 13.9% to $3.77 billion. U.S. sales were down about 6%; one report put U.S. revenue at $2.5 billion.
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Shein raised prices and cut online advertising in Europe ahead of new EU fees on low-value e-commerce parcels. Those changes coincided with weaker regional sales, but the available reporting does not establish how much each factor contributed to the decline.
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The sources provide figures for Europe and the United States, but not a comparable, reliable breakdown of sales growth across all other markets. They also do not quantify EU user losses, so the sales decline should not be presented as a measured loss of users.
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Tariffs and freight costs pressured margins
Shein pointed to tariff headwinds and logistics-cost volatility as risks for the second half of 2026. Its results also showed the impact of higher oil and freight costs: Reuters reported that rising jet-fuel and freight expenses helped push the second-quarter adjusted net margin down to 2.1% from 6.2% a year earlier.
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Customs costs were another concern. The U.S. had removed a duty exemption for small packages, while EU fees on low-value parcels were expected to add pressure in Europe.
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15 These cost pressures landed as revenue growth slowed, leaving less room to absorb higher fulfilment and shipping expenses.
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Shares fell as investors weighed the outlook
By the time Shein reported its results, its shares had fallen about 28% since its September 1 Hong Kong listing. They dropped more than 6% in early trading on September 29 after the profit decline renewed concerns about margins and slowing growth.
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Shein warned that tariff headwinds and volatile logistics costs could persist, leaving the rest of 2026 uncertain. The central question for the coming quarters is whether it can protect margins without further weakening demand—especially in Europe, where sales fell after price increases and advertising cuts.
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