Shein to Open Pop-up Store in South Africa to Woo More Shoppers

A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
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Shein to Open Pop-up Store in South Africa to Woo More Shoppers

A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)

Fast-fashion giant Shein, known for its $5 tops and $10 dresses, will open a pop-up store in Johannesburg, South Africa in August as the online retailer aims to expand its brand recognition in the country.

Shein, founded in China, and its rival Temu have aggressively expanded worldwide as online shopping has surged after the COVID pandemic. They have been accused of exploiting tax loopholes by exporting China-made products in small quantities to avoid higher duties.

Shein will open its pop-up store from Aug. 2-11 as an "exhibition space" for customers to try on trendy fashion and lifestyle products and order them online at a discount, the company said in its South African Instagram post on Tuesday.

Local influencers were tapped for a pre-opening marketing campaign.

Brick-and-mortar and online fashion retailers have urged South African regulators to impose a 45% import duty on all clothing item imports, no matter the price, to level the playing field. Shein, which is planning to go public in Britain, taps a network of largely China-based suppliers which take small initial orders and scale up based on demand.

A Shein spokesperson told Reuters the retailer is engaging with South African regulators to ensure its continued compliance with local laws.

"That said, such tax measures are not critical to the success of our business or the competitive prices we offer our consumers. We keep our prices affordable through our technology-based on-demand business model and flexible supply chain," the spokesperson added.



Saudi Fashion Commission, SAIP Launch Intellectual Property Protection Guide

The new initiative builds on the commission's role in empowering the fashion sector
The new initiative builds on the commission's role in empowering the fashion sector
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Saudi Fashion Commission, SAIP Launch Intellectual Property Protection Guide

The new initiative builds on the commission's role in empowering the fashion sector
The new initiative builds on the commission's role in empowering the fashion sector

The Fashion Commission launched the Intellectual Property and Designers' Rights Protection Guide for the fashion industry, in collaboration with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP).

The initiative builds on the commission's role in empowering the fashion sector, supporting its community, and fostering a developmental environment that addresses all stages of the product value chain.

The guide aims to serve as a reference for designers to benefit from intellectual-property laws by protecting and registering their innovative designs, thereby enabling them to obtain legal protection.

It also seeks to promote a culture of creativity and encourage designers to develop new creations while safeguarding their rights against replication or intellectual theft.

The Fashion Commission offers the protection guide to cover four key areas within the fashion industry: patents, which include new inventions and technological advancements in fabric and garment production; industrial designs, which pertain to aesthetic elements and decorative patterns that give fashion items their unique appearance; copyright, which covers artistic and creative outputs such as illustrations, patterns, and designs; and trademarks, which include logos and symbols that distinguish a product in the marketplace.

The Fashion Commission said designers and brand owners can access the Intellectual Property and Designers' Rights Protection Guide through the commission's official website.

Moreover, SAIP receives public rights complaints via its website from rights holders or their representatives regarding violations of works protected under the Copyright Protection Law and the Trademarks Law.