How to Build an App Like Shein

Did you know that global e-commerce sales are expected to cross $7.4 trillion by 2025? It highlights a massive opportunity that will only grow with time. And it is one of the reasons that retailers are keen on joining this lucrative industry.

With e-commerce spreading its wings across the mobile space, retailers have the option to sell their products through the customer’s most intimate device—a smartphone!

Leading fashion brands, like Shein, have successfully taken their business to mobile devices, making it possible to place orders anytime and anywhere. In 2023, the Shein app boasted around 262 million app downloads globally.

Shein is best known among Gen Z and Gen Y users:

As a fashion retailer, it’s time for you to make smart choices. You can also reap benefits from this lucrative industry by creating a Shein clone app or an app better than it.

At first, the entire idea of creating such an app might sound intimidating to you. But don’t worry, Protonshub Technologies has your back. We have taken all the challenges away and created a detailed guide to help you easily build an app similar to Shein.

In this guide, you will learn:

Let’s get started!

Shein Shopping App Market Overview

Essential Features to Add to an App Like Shein

Do you know what separates Shein from other apps? Of course, it has unbeatable prices and attractive deals. But it can’t be just that!

The Shein app itself is so good that its users don’t even think of moving to its competitors. The app has brilliant features that make it super popular among customers.

Don’t forget to hire an e-commerce app development company and add these features to your Shein clone app:

1. Registration and Login

Add a quick registration and login feature to your Shein clone app so your users can easily create an account and log back in when they want. Your goal should be to make the registration process as simple and hassle-free as possible.

2. User Profile

Allow your users to create their profiles with an image, payment details, addresses, and contact details. The user profile can also be used by the app owner to offer loyalty benefits.

3. Search and Filters

Your app's search feature should make it easy for users to find what they're looking for. It allows users to enter specific keywords to narrow down the results. Thanks to the filters, when app users specify their needs, the search function becomes efficient, making the results more relevant.

4. Add to Cart

Allow app users to quickly add items to their carts without leaving the website to shop. After adding items to the cart, they can check the price breakdown, total cart value, shipping costs, and estimated delivery time.

5. Secure Payment

Include multiple secure payment gateways so users feel comfortable while entering their payment details. The overall checkout process must have minimal clicks.

6. Order History and Tracking

The order history feature makes it easy for app users to track their orders, especially if they want to place another order. Order tracking is even more beneficial because it informs users about the order’s location and approximate delivery time.

7. Chat Support

In case of a query or concern, app users must be able to contact the brand. Additionally, having a direct line of connection enhances the brand's overall legitimacy.

Steps to Build an App Like Shein

From conception to release, developing an online shopping app like Shein is a complex process.

You must hire the best e-commerce development company to make sure your Shein clone app offers users a rich purchasing experience. Additionally, follow the given steps to smoothly develop the app:

Step 1: Conduct Market Analysis

Conduct a thorough market analysis to create an app similar to Shein. Study the pioneers in the field to succeed. Understand the advantages, disadvantages, and potential of Shein-like apps while developing mobile e-commerce apps.

Determine aspects like features, platforms, mobile app development costs, and project deadlines to develop the Shein clone app. Avoid making mistakes like your competitors to stay away from potential pitfalls.

Step 2: Design UI/UX

When creating an e-commerce app similar to Shein, be aware of the importance of the user interface. Why? Because the amount of user attention your app receives will depend on its design.

The first impression is the last. It means if you have an interactive app with an eye-catching design, it will draw in a lot of users. Create a comprehensive strategy with wireframes, prototypes, structure, and interface to visualize app flow, navigation, and interface.

Lastly, use cutting-edge mobile app development tools to develop visually appealing and responsive designs for the Shein clone app.

Step 3: Start App Development

In this phase, mobile app developers write codes. Creating back-end applications, user authentication, server-side functionality, database creation, API design, implementation, and configuring infrastructure are also included in this step.

Integrate third-party services like payment gateways and logistic providers to manage orders, enable safe transactions, and give consumers social sharing capabilities.

Step 4: App Testing

You cannot create an app similar to Shein, without using the mobile app test guide. Conduct thorough testing to find, evaluate, and address flaws in the software. You can choose from various testing options, like compatibility testing and user acceptance testing.

To document the discovered issues, the testing procedure will use complete test cases, testing strategies, and bug-tracking tools. It ensures that the e-commerce app stays error-free before its public release.

Step 5: Final Launch

After the testing is done and your app is ready to be released, upload it to the app store of your choice. Follow the app store submission rules to launch your app successfully.

The marketing and support teams must work with the iOS or Android app development team for a successful launch. Planning and implementing a marketing strategy is essential to increase user acquisition.

Step 6. Maintenance and Updates

After launching your app, you must keep it updated and maintained. This way, you can address user feedback, include new features, address bugs, and guarantee compatibility with the most recent devices and operating systems.

You can identify areas requiring improvement by analyzing user statistics and app performance. It keeps going all the way through the app's lifecycle. Companies can provide users with an amazing experience, enhance security, and outperform rivals.

Cost to Develop the Shein Clone App

Wondering what e-commerce app development cost is? Well, the cost directly impacts the overall mobile app development process.

Before starting the development process, you must know the cost of building the Shein clone app. The cost of building the Shein clone app depends on factors like complexity, features, app design requirements, development team location, project timeline, and different platforms.

Besides this, third-party integrations, payment gateway implementation, and back-end infrastructure also impact the overall cost.

Below are the factors that commonly affect the overall cost:

1. App Size

Shein clone app size can significantly impact the development cost. So, you need to be careful about the size of the app you choose. The size depends on the features you include.

In the table below, you can see how much time and money it takes to develop different-sized apps.

2. App platform

Different businesses target different audiences, and they select the app platform based on that requirement. If businesses wish to target a particular customer base, they can choose between Android and iOS. Or they can use cross-platform online shopping apps like Shein to reach a wider audience.

Here’s an approx cost breakdown of the different platforms:

3. App Developer's Location

Here’s the Shein-like app development cost breakdown as per developers’ location:

Online Shopping Apps Similar to Shein

If you have online shopping app development ideas similar to Shein, you must check four of its alternatives:

1. Amazon

If you look at any list of the best shopping apps, Amazon is at the top. Whether it's e-commerce or not, Amazon profits handsomely from its app. The app has almost 98 million active users who shop on the app each month. This is consistent with the 200 million unique visitors to their website each month.

2. Walmart

Walmart is replicating the success of Amazon in the retail and marketplace spaces. Walmart has a thriving marketplace of independent suppliers but leans more toward being a retailer.

Walmart has a significant online presence. This includes their web platform, which ranks among the top five apps downloaded in the US on the Google Play and iOS stores.

3. Etsy

The Etsy app sells genuine, vintage, and handcrafted items. You can purchase one-of-a-kind and original goods from independent third-party vendors on Etsy.

These vendors are like those found on online marketplaces like Amazon or Walmart. Additionally, if selling Korean and Japanese goods is your goal, you can create an app similar to YesStyle.

4. ASOS

One of the greatest apps for online shopping is ASOS. It has more than 850 brands, 85,000 products, and a wide range of categories, like shoes, makeup, accessories, and clothes.

By using the app, one can find contemporary looks. ASOS allows customers to upload images of items to find comparable products and offers free shipping and returns.

How Can Protonshub Help You Develop an App Like Shein?

Want to enter the profitable e-commerce industry but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry. Top e-commerce developers from Protonshub Technologies will help you understand users' perspectives and create an app that satisfies their needs.

The increasing competition in the e-commerce industry has made it necessary to be attentive to what you are developing. Our developers will closely collaborate with you to understand your needs.

We follow agile development methodologies to make the apps scalable and to handle any possible development challenges. No matter how simple or complex your Shein clone app development requirements are, our team of experts can develop it for you.

Don’t wait anymore. Contact us today!

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Ekta Singh

"Senior Content Writer"

Ekta Singh is a rookie food experimentalist and k-drama fan with 4+ years of experience in writing. Bridging gaps between companies and customers through conversion-driven content is her forte. She believes in writing stories for a living and living life for exploring places.