Shein Takes Aim at Temu with Category Expansion, Brand Partnerships
In Shein’s ongoing efforts to stave off the threat of rival discount shopping app Temu (which overtook Shein as the No. 1 shopping app in America in April 2023), the company is expanding its product assortment beyond fashion and has signed agreements to sell products from brands including Skechers and Lansinoh.
The product expansions will be enabled by Shein’s newly launched integrated marketplace, which opens the platform to third-party sellers. Prior to the launch of the marketplace, Shein had operated as a traditional retailer by acquiring its own inventory, in contrast to competitors like Wish and Temu, which use a consumer-to-manufacturer marketplace model.
The Shein marketplace offering is currently available in Brazil and the U.S. with the company saying in a press release that it plans to expand the model to other markets in the coming months. New categories available from third-party sellers on Shein go well beyond fashion and apparel to include home goods like appliances, smart products and DIY products like bathroom and kitchen fixtures and wallpaper.
Shein also has reached agreements with a number of global brands to sell on the marketplace including footwear brand Skechers and mother-care brand Lansinoh. The company said it is alsoworking with “prominent global multi-label boutiques” to add to its collection of fashion, beauty and lifestyle offerings.
“We are always committed to providing our customers with high-quality products at affordable prices, and our expansion into new categories reflects that,” said Molly Miao, COO of Shein in a statement. “Through our collaborations with these curated brands, we not only highlight the distinctive value of Shein’s newly launched marketplace, but also demonstrate our dedication to customer satisfaction and our mission to make fashion and lifestyle products accessible to everyone.”
The new marketplace is only one piece of Shein’s efforts to maintain its current dominance in the realm of discount shopping apps. The company has introduced a range of social impact initiatives in response to criticism of its environmental and societal impacts, and is doubling down on its presence in EMEA with a new headquarters in Ireland and plans for 30 pop-up events across the region this year.
