Fast fashion brand SHEIN enters SEA with new SG hub

Global fashion e-tailer SHEIN has expanded to Singapore and the Southeast Asia region, with a new hub based in Singapore. 

The expansion of the brand’s international footprint is accompanied by the launch of its SHEIN VACAY MODE campaign. The campaign is currently ongoing from now till 5 July 2021, featuring its summer series with various coupons offered to SHEIN users. It is also working with Mercury Marketing and Communications for the launch.

The brand focuses its expertise in marketing to Gen Z, and aims to set itself apart with a strong social media marketing strategy featuring influencer campaigns on all social media platforms. It cited its presence on TikTok as fuel for growth, and a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE revealed that it has over 1.9 million followers on its official TikTok account, with over 14.9 million likes.

The brand also encourages user-generated content to connect with its shoppers on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and Tiktok using the hashtag #SHEINgals. SHEIN hopes that through these platforms, shoppers can share their looks and hauls, and form a strong community of #SHEINgals consisting of fans of the brand. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to SHEIN for additional comments on its entry to Singapore and Southeast Asia.

According to SHEIN, it has experienced positive growth with a community of about 100 million members and approximately 230 million app downloads globally since its launch more than a decade ago in 2008. It carries a wide range of products where new items are introduced online daily, and caters to a diversified group of customers at an affordable price, said the brand. With consumer’s preferences constantly evolving, SHEIN aims to be able to match the ever-changing shifts swiftly and engage consumers through its wide selections of product offerings.

The brand’s premium label, MOTF, features products made of higher quality materials. According to the brand, the silk collection presents apparels made from 100% mulberry silk, delivering quality at an accessible price point. SHEIN also has its own in-house cosmetic line, SHEGLAM, which the brand says provides cruelty-free makeup products with effective formulas and a variety of colours, at an affordable price.

In addition, SHEIN believes in supporting the fashion community with the launch of the SHEIN X programme in January 2021. The brand said that the programme aims to be an “innovative designer incubator where the brand works closely with emerging and indie designers to take them from the inception phase to sampling, production, and distribution via the SHEIN website.” The designers will be able to leverage on SHEIN’s global reach and receive exposure with each collection launch, as well as gaining a share in the profits from the sale of their designs. 

Due to the positive response from customers and the indie designers community, SHEIN is now continuing the programme indefinitely. This month, SHEIN began expanding the programme to support and showcase up to 50 designers per month.The brand also shared its plans to work with the local community, with the first batch of Singaporean designers in the SHEIN X programme being unveiled next month in July 2021.

Meanwhile, with sustainability being all the rage nowadays, SHEIN is also doubling down on efforts in this space, one of them being its ongoing initiative with NGOs to plant over 600,000 trees. According to the brand, only 50 to 100 pieces are produced when manufacturing new products to ensure that no raw materials are wasted, and large-scale production is only utilised when a particular item reflects a high demand. Additionally, SHEIN uses environmentally-conscious technology in its manufacturing and optimises its supply chain to minimise waste and reduce carbon emissions.

The brand is also committed to contributing to both the global and local communities. According to SHEIN, it has donated over US$1.5 million to various causes and worked with different non-profit organisations. In May last year, the brand launched its #SHEINTogether initiative as a response to COVID-19 relief efforts. The initiative featured international celebrities such as Katy Perry, Rita Ora, Hailey Bieber, among others in a global livestream event that raised over US$200,000 for the UN COVID Relief Fund. During September 2020, in partnership with Dress For Success, SHEIN organised a global virtual fashion show and raised over US$150,000 to support women worldwide to reach their professional dreams.