By Sidhima Choudhary
Shein, a Chinese fast fashion brand is back in India after a five-year ban. The app is officially relaunched by Reliance Retail strengthening its market presence. The app is available to download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Reliance Retail launched the app under a licensing deal with China, aiming to boost its share price while directly competing and challenging Myntra owned by Walmart’s Flipkart and other fashion platforms. This move signifies a strong ownership of Reliance in India’s online fashion market.
The entry of Shein into the Indian market was long-awaited after the Government of India announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps in the year 2020 after a border dispute between both the countries.
The ban included apps like TikTok, one of India’s most popular apps, Shein, UC Browser etc. Shein left India with a popup in the app hoping to resume services soon. 5 years down the lane, Shein is back in India, welcoming customers with a popup saying, “Shein, the fashion OG, is back!”
The app went live on Saturday with deliveries limited to just New Delhi, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Bengaluru, with nationwide circulation happening soon. The app provides affordable clothing with prices starting from just Rs 199 catering to a wider audience whereas the clothes are being designed and manufactured in India.
The app is now available as ‘SHEIN India Fast Fashion’ on the Android and iOS stores, registered under Reliance Retail Private. Shein acquired immense popularity among young consumers by offering trendy Western Fashion through its app at low prices and wide variety.
The app is expected to build a network of local manufacturers and suppliers working under the brand name Shein while selling them domestically as well as globally. Reliance will be paying a license fee for using Shein’s brand name with no equity investment provided in the collaboration.
Thereby, Shein is expected to grow and regain the love of the customers as they did five years ago.