Cider is a very new Chinese fast fashion brand (founded 2020) that has grown rapidly through social media marketing. It has attracted significant investment but has a short trading history and limited established consumer trust record. Reviews are mixed, sizing is inconsistent, and returns policies are complicated. We recommend caution, particularly given the lack of track record.
Cider (shopcider.com) is a fast fashion brand founded in 2020 that has achieved remarkable growth through social media — primarily TikTok and Instagram — in a very short period. The company is US incorporated (Cider Inc) but operates a Chinese manufacturing model, producing very short production run garments to order. This approach allows it to test designs and only produce what sells, which Cider markets as a more sustainable model. In practice, it shares the fundamental characteristics of the broader Chinese ultra-fast fashion ecosystem, including Shein and Romwe, in terms of supply chain practices, data handling, and product quality variability.
The brand has attracted investment from well-known venture capital firms, which provides some degree of institutional accountability. However, as a company less than five years old with no long-term consumer track record, it is difficult to assess its reliability with the same confidence as more established retailers. Consumer reviews are genuinely mixed — some customers are satisfied with what they receive, while a significant proportion report that items do not match photographs, sizing runs smaller than expected, and customer service is slow to resolve issues. The production cycle (reportedly as short as three days from design to listing) raises legitimate questions about quality control.
For UK shoppers, the practical concerns are similar to those with other Chinese-origin fast fashion brands: UK delivery takes 1–3 weeks, post-Brexit customs charges may apply, and returns for international customers involve complications. Cider's return policy allows returns within 14 days, but the process for UK customers involves shipping to an international return address, and costs are not always transparent. Given the brand's very short trading history, limited consumer protection infrastructure for UK buyers, and mixed reviews, we recommend caution. If Cider's aesthetic appeals to you, similar styles can be found on ASOS or Vinted with considerably better consumer protections.