Shein shows one way this can go - it’s built a smartphone-only fast fashion brand that appears to be bigger than H&M and Zara combined in the USA. Part of the Shein story is the pace of inventory and the use of data (it claims to add 8-10k new SKUs every single day) but the other is that it has built this business with cheap shipping and (like... See more

Shein’s strength comes from taking China’s advantages, and applying them to the global market.

Shein doesn’t have a style. It doesn’t try to impose its taste on global consumers. It doesn’t even have its own taste. It’s a mirror that reflects each country’s current style back to it, in real-time, based on data alone. Remaining generic, storyless, and nationless allows it to project whichever image is needed in the moment on its loose army of... See more

Shein combines parts of Apple and Amazon to build its compounding advantage. Like Apple, it controls its entire value chain, from the factory floor to the Shein app. Building a strong brand and user experience should allow it to charge premium prices, like Apple, but instead, it chooses to consistently delight customers through lower prices, like... See more