Shein makes a quiet comeback in India through Amazon

Nanjing-based Shein is set to make a comeback in India over a year after the online fashion retailer, along with a host of other Chinese applications, was banned in the country amid border tensions between the Asian neighbors.

Image credit: Shein

This time, Shein will list itself as a seller on Amazon rather than operating as a standalone entity. The ultrafast fashion brand will be launched as a part of Amazon’s “Prime Day” sale, slated to be held between July 26 and July 27 in India.

Shein’s debut on the ecommerce major’s marketplace “will allow Amazon to take some real fashion market share,” Ashutosh Dabral, chief product officer at fintech firm MoneyTap, wrote on Twitter.

In July 2019, the fashion company landed in hot water after allegedly undervaluing clothing imports to avoid customs duties. As a result, the customs authorities in the Indian city of Mumbai seized 500 parcels belonging to Sino India Etail, the Indian retailer for Shein.

For more than a year now, order placement on Shein’s website has remained suspended in India.

Photo credit: Shein

Shein did not immediately respond to Tech in Asia‘s queries about its India comeback.

Founded in 2008, Shein started out by making low-cost wedding dresses and selling them overseas for a hefty profit. Over the years, it has expanded its product range to include all types of women’s fashion.

See also: To Shein or not to Shein: the billion-dollar question facing every ecommerce player

Shein is also known to be affordable, especially for financially constrained teenagers. Earlier this year, a UK-based blogger said she managed to buy about 30 to 35 bikinis for just 100 pounds (US$137.27). Prior to the India ban, the average order value on the platform was between 1,000 rupees (US$ 13.34) and 1,500 rupees (US$20.01).

Meanwhile, Shein’s return to the Indian market could also be a potential threat to online clothing retailers like Urbanic, which was viewed as an alternative to Shein.