Shein falls behind in May website traffic surge

Global fast fashion giant Shein has been overtaken by The Iconic and David Jones in terms of total website traffic in May 2025, according to new data from SEO platform Semrush.

Total traffic for Shein hit 6.1 million last month, up by 20.26 per cent compared to April 2025. Despite the double-digit percentage surge, both The Iconic and David Jones have retaken their leading spots, hitting 8.69 million and 8.66 million in total website traffic, respectively. 

The Iconic’s traffic was up 18.93 per cent month-on-month, with David Jones up 29.76 per cent.

Myer remains the top leader in online traffic for the Australian fashion sector, with its total traffic in May at 15.69 million, up 39.99 per cent monh-on-month.

While it is typical to see a lift in fashion traffic in May across Australia, Semrush noted that 2025 was exceptionally strong.

“EOFY sales began early for many retailers, and cooler weather and strong promotional cycles (e.g. Myer, David Jones, and Cotton On all pushing winter collections) contributed to the surge,” Semrush shared with Ragtrader. 

On top of this, most fashion retailers posted double-digit month-on-month traffic growth, particularly Myer and David Jones, but also Lululemon, which saw a traffic lift of 78 per cent. 

“Even niche players like Dissh and White Fox surged up 37 per cent and 71 per cent, respectively,” Semrush added. “This suggests strong consumer engagement and spending intent – possibly tied to pent-up demand or early EOFY discounting.”

Kookai, Country Road and Depop also recorded monthly lifts in traffic above 40 per cent.

As for the shift down in Shein’s leaderboard status behind The Iconic and David Jones, the SEO platform indicated this could be due to local loyalty and delivery confidence from domestic players, a saturation at the top for Shein’s customer base, or a subtle change in brand perception or trust dynamics.

Globally, however, Shein is still huge. The fast fashion platform’s May 2025 traffic reached 244 million visits, up from 210 million in April. 

However, Shein's year-on-year global growth sits at 32.1 per cent, much lower than the 69.7 per cent year-on-year traffic growth in Australia.

The April-May rebound shows Shein recovering from a soft April, according to Semrush, likely influenced by geopolitical factors – such as the United States’ announcement of 25 per cent tariffs on fast fashion in April – and the lag between macro news and consumer behaviour, as shoppers wait to see how pricing or availability will shift.

“In contrast, Australia is currently unaffected by these tariffs, which may explain the stronger local rebound and higher YoY growth,” Semrush reported. “Still, global media coverage around regulation and sustainability might be shaping perception — and eventually, conversion.”