Shein’s SEA ambitions and our top ecommerce stories of 2022

Welcome to The Checkout! Delivered every Thursday via email and through the Tech in Asia website, this free newsletter breaks down the biggest stories and trends in ecommerce. Get it in your email inbox by registering here.

Hello there,

When it comes to clothes, my wife and I have completely different habits. I do my shopping once a year, and about 80% of my wardrobe consists of clothes from Uniqlo, while the rest is made up of other mall brands.

My wife, on the other hand, shops all year round (or so it seems to me) – sometimes from Uniqlo or Zara, but often local brands on Shopee and Tokopedia or from thrift shops in Jakarta.

But the one place we both don’t shop from is Shein – even before it left Indonesia in 2021.

In this week’s Big Story, my colleague, Melissa, unpacks Shein’s ambitions in Southeast Asia, albeit its biggest market won’t be part of those plans. As it does in the US, the company’s ultrafast fashion approach would complicate things for competitors, but there are hurdles unique to Southeast Asia – especially on the logistics front.

Meanwhile, in lieu of the Hot Take, we’ve rounded up some of our most popular ecommerce stories during what has been a very eventful year. From TikTok’s rise as an ecommerce player to Shopee’s troubles and Lazada’s quiet resurgence, find them all below.

Thank you for all of your support in the past year! This will be the final newsletter for 2022 – The Checkout will return on January 12.

Till then, happy holidays to you and yours!

— Putra

THE BIG STORY

Shein’s rapid rise in Southeast Asia could topple ecommerce giants

Image credit: Timmy Loen

The ultra-fast fashion firm is reportedly evolving into a full-fledged marketplace. But it has struggled in Indonesia, and logistics remain a problem.

2022’s TOP 10

These were our most read ecommerce stories of the year.

NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

FYI