Shein in hot water again as online retailer sells 'swastika' necklaces

Fashion retailer Shein is facing backlash for the second time in as many days for selling a "swastika pendant".

In the latest incident, the e-commerce site was slammed on social media for promoting anti-Semitism by advertising a necklace with a "Nazi symbol" on Thursday, July 9.

The product was hastily removed, with Shein stating that the jewellery was in fact based on a Buddhist character which "symbolised spirituality and good fortune".

Shein has since issued an apology on Twitter, telling customers they have "recently established a committee to review products before they're sold and promise to work even harder in the coming days to improve our product selection process."

They also said they would "cease the sale of any religious items on our site".

One Instagram user said: "Shein, a company that’s become popular for YouTube 'try on hauls', appears to be selling swastika necklaces?!!! I am disgusted."

Another added: "Oh my god someone in product development needs to be fired."

Replying to the post one user said: "You are kidding me! First the insensitive prayer rugs than this."

However, some user jumped to the company's defence and one said: "Swastika is also a holy Hindu symbol .. misinterpreted by nazis to propagate Aryan race. Swastika is used very commonly India it’s a symbol of good luck often found on doors of houses"

Another added: "To be fair the Nazis' turned this symbol into something bad as it was originally a sign of peace.

"It's still used today in other cultures as a symbol of peace."

The necklace, which was retailing for $4, was swiftly taken down from the website but a Shein spokesman said the Nazi swastika had a different design to the one advertised.

"For the record, Shein was not selling a Nazi swastika pendant, the necklace is a Buddhist swastika which has symbolised spirituality and good fortune for more than a thousand years," the representative told The New York Post.

"The Nazi swastika has a different design, it is pointed clockwise and tilted at an angle.

"However, because we understand the two symbols can be confused and one is highly offensive, we have removed the product from our site."

The retailer came under fire days earlier for listing an Islamic prayer mat as a home decor item, describing it as a "Greek carpet".

The Standard Online has reached out to Shein for comment.

Read more

Shein apologises for selling Islamic prayer mats as 'Greek carpets'