The Chinese giant Shein is expanding its footprint through strategic acquisitions and international growth. Its rapid ascent as a low-price fashion powerhouse is now evident in the UK, where Missguided, owned by the Frasers Group, was announced for acquisition on a Monday. No price was disclosed. Industry experts highlight this internationalization as a key pillar for future expansion, especially amid rising protectionism and growing competition. Frasers will maintain Missguided’s workforce and stores within the group, while Shein plans to keep doors open for new operations.
Originating in China and now headquartered in Singapore, Shein has sharpened its focus on the British market to counter Temu, the Temu being backed by the Pinduoduo group. Temu mimics Shein’s model by offering inexpensive products sourced from Chinese manufacturers to Western consumers. Temu reached a market share close to Shein’s in the United States within a single year.
Shein has reported annual revenue around $23 billion. Practically, it sells twice as much online as Inditex while generating roughly half of Inditex’s invoices. This illustrates both the scale of its capacity and its ongoing potential. The trend continues to consolidate, with major fashion players classifying Shein more as a tech-enabled retailer than a traditional fashion house, even though the brand competes fiercely in categories like party dresses and swimwear where Shein remains dominant.
“This partnership marks the start of a new operating model for Shein, aligned with our ongoing commitment to meet customer needs,” stated Donald Tang, Shein’s chief executive officer. “We aim to revitalize the Missguided label, amplify its personality, and drive global growth through our on-demand manufacturing approach, e-commerce expertise, and broad reach.”
Rethinking strategies
Even as leadership rhetoric might border on hyperbole, the reality is that explosive growth has compelled apparel brands to rethink strategy and market positioning. Brands born from fast fashion have increasingly shifted toward higher quality and differentiated pricing to distance themselves from ultra-low-cost producers and from brands with advanced logistics. Shein has reimagined the traditional fashion production model with rapid replenishment and ultra-short production runs, enabled by real-time data guiding on-demand manufacturing. Its decision centers near factories allow for faster design changes than European rivals like Inditex, Mango, and H&M.
As an independent brand, Missguided products and collections will be accessible to Shein’s global user base through its website and Missguided.com, broadening its reach.
Shein also recently announced a joint venture with Forever 21, a fast-fashion label popular with Generation Z and aiming to expand physical store presence. Investors backing Shein include Sequoia Capital and General Atlantic. Forever 21 operates in more than 572 locations worldwide and maintains an online presence. Earlier this month, Shein hosted its first Forever 21 pop-up at the Ontario Mills mall in California, drawing over 7,000 attendees.
Brands, brands, brands
Forever 21 itself maintains a portfolio of over 50 iconic lifestyle, entertainment, and media brands. Headquartered in New York City with a global network, Authentic, the official owner of Forever 21, coordinates a vast ecosystem of operators, distributors, and retailers. The brand family collectively generates substantial annual retail sales and has a broad retail footprint across 150 countries, including thousands of standalone stores, shop-in-shops, and myriad points of sale.
The Authentic portfolio includes a wide array of well-known names and icons, spanning Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham, Dr. J, Greg Norman, Neil Lane, Thalia, Sports Illustrated, Reebok, Brooks Brothers, Barneys New York, Judith Leiber, Ted Baker, Hunter, Vince, Hervé Léger, Hickey Freeman, Frye, Nautica, Juicy Couture, Vince Camuto, Lucky Brand, Aéropostale, Forever 21, Nine West, Rockport, Eddie Bauer, Boardriders, Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, DC Shoes, RVCA, Element, VonZipper, Honolua, Spyder, Volcom, Shark, Tretorn, Prince, Airwalk, Izod, Jones New York, Van Heusen, Hart Schaffner Marx, Arrow, and Thomasville.
Attributions: This overview reflects market developments and brand portfolios as observed in industry reports and corporate disclosures.