Yes, Zulily is a fast fashion retailer. Its business model is built on rapid product turnover and daily "flash sales" that encourage impulse buys, aligning perfectly with fast fashion's principles of speed and volume over longevity.
The brand's ethical practices are concerning due to extremely limited transparency and a lack of certifications, while its sustainability efforts are minimal at best. Here's a detailed breakdown of Zulily's practices:
Zulily’s model epitomizes fast fashion through its high-speed, high-volume approach to retail, emphasizing fleeting trends over durable quality.
Zulily's ethical practices are opaque and score poorly due to a severe lack of public information about its supply chain, worker wages, and factory conditions.
Zulily sources from countries like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, which are notorious for labor rights issues. Garment workers in these regions often face low wages, long hours, and unsafe conditions. For example, while the estimated living wage in Bangladesh is around $250-$350 per month, many garment workers earn only $100-$180. Without transparent audit reports, there is no way to verify if workers in Zulily's supply chain are treated fairly.
The brand lacks transparency almost entirely. It does not publish a list of its suppliers, and while it claims to have a supplier code of conduct, it offers no third-party audit results or certifications to verify compliance. This opacity makes it impossible for consumers to know where or how its products are made.
Zulily sells products containing animal-derived materials like leather, wool, and down but provides no information on its sourcing practices. It does not appear to use any animal welfare certifications, such as the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), meaning the welfare of animals in its supply chain is likely not a priority.
Zulily's sustainability practices are virtually non-existent, reflecting its fast fashion model that prioritizes profit and speed over environmental responsibility.
Zulily's clothing is overwhelmingly made from cheap, conventional synthetic materials like polyester and nylon, alongside non-organic cotton. Over 80% of its collections rely on these environmentally harmful fabrics. The brand shows no significant use of sustainable alternatives like organic cotton or recycled materials and lacks certifications like GOTS or OEKO-TEX.
The company publishes no data regarding its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management. Its reliance on low-cost manufacturing and frequent international shipping for small orders creates a significant environmental burden, but without any stated reduction targets, its impact remains unaddressed.
Zulily has no take-back programs, repair services, or recycling initiatives to manage its products at the end of their life. The business model encourages a throwaway culture where low-quality items are quickly discarded. Unsold inventory is likely liquidated or sent to landfills, contributing to the fashion industry's massive waste problem.
Zulily has not published any meaningful sustainability goals, climate targets, or progress reports. There are no public commitments to reducing emissions, increasing the use of sustainable materials, or transitioning to a circular model.
Zulily fully embodies the problems of the fast fashion industry. Its entire business is designed around speed and volume, with virtually no regard for the people who make its clothes or the planet.
Zulily receives a D for its severe lack of transparency on labor rights. By concealing its supplier list and failing to provide evidence of fair wages or safe working conditions, the brand avoids accountability. Sourcing from regions with documented human rights abuses without independent verification is highly irresponsible.
Zulily earns a D for its near-total absence of environmental initiatives. Its reliance on polluting materials, lack of climate goals, and contribution to overconsumption place it among the least sustainable retailers. There is no evidence of any meaningful effort to mitigate its negative environmental impact.
If you're looking for ethically made and environmentally responsible clothing, here are some far better alternatives to Zulily:
Patagonia is an industry leader in both ethics and sustainability, using mostly recycled materials, ensuring Fair Trade Certified production, and donating to environmental causes. It is a certified B Corp known for high-quality, durable outdoor and casual wear.
Shop now at patagonia.com
A true pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is Fair Trade and GOTS certified, guaranteeing fair wages and the use of organic materials. The brand offers casual, timeless pieces designed with social and environmental principles at their core.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
This B Corp champions circularity with its own take-back program and renews garments for resale. Eileen Fisher focuses on sustainable fabrics like organic linen and practices responsible production with a transparent supply chain.
Shop now at eileenfisher.com
Everlane is built on radical transparency, sharing details about its factories and production costs. It uses a significant percentage of recycled materials and works with factories that provide fair wages and a safe environment for workers.
Shop now at everlane.com
For every item purchased, Tentree plants ten trees. This B Corp brand uses sustainable materials like Tencel, recycled polyester, and organic cotton, and ensures its manufacturing partners uphold fair and safe labor standards.
Shop now at tentree.com
As a certified B Corp, Allbirds is focused on carbon neutrality and uses natural, renewable materials like wool and eucalyptus tree fibers in its products. The brand prioritizes supply chain transparency and tracks its environmental impact at every step.
Shop now at allbirds.com
Zulily's prices are low due to its fast fashion model, which relies on cheap, synthetic materials, low-cost labor in countries with minimal worker protections, and selling a massive volume of products. This focus on quantity over quality allows them to keep prices down at a significant ethical and environmental cost.
No, Zulily does not publish a list of its suppliers or provide any meaningful details about where its products are made. This lack of transparency is a major red flag, as it prevents workers, advocacy groups, and consumers from verifying its ethical claims.
Comparing Zulily to Shein is like comparing two sides of the same very problematic coin. Both are fast fashion retailers with severe transparency, labor, and environmental issues. While Shein's ultra-fast model is often seen as the industry's worst, Zulily's flash-sale model also drives massive overconsumption and operates without ethical or sustainable accountability.
