Shein, known for ultra-low-priced fashion, is getting into print: print books, that is. The Shein Marketplace U.S. has partnered with Alibris, an online marketplace for independent sellers of new and used books as well as rare and collectible titles.
The newly launched Alibris storefront on Shein features more than 100,000 titles across genres including romance, fantasy, mystery, non-fiction and young adult. The assortment also includes affordable textbooks for students, and Shein plans to grow its selection of Alibris titles in coming months.
Referencing a recent Shein survey of 11,000 U.S. adults, George Chang, General Manager and Head of Shein Marketplace U.S. said: “The average Shein customer reads one to three books a month — this isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle. We’re excited to support our customers’ love of reading and learning by teaming up with Alibris to offer a wide variety of books to our shoppers for the very first time.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Shein to bring our wide selection of books to a whole new audience of Gen Z and millennial readers,” said Rob Lambert, VP of Global Sales and Marketing at Alibris in a statement. “Together, we’re making it more convenient than ever for readers to discover and access the books they want.”
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Books Enjoy Tariff-Free Status
Shein and its low-price rival Temu have been struggling in recent months as they’ve been hit with tariffs on Chinese-made goods, which make up a large portion of their assortments, forcing both retailers to raise prices in April 2025. The end of the de minimus exemption in May 2025 was another blow to their business models.
Shein’s move into books, which are exempt from tariffs, is a likely reaction to the reconfigured global trade environment of 2025. And those with long memories will recall that that Amazon started its corporate life as an online bookseller.
