Founded in 2012, Shein has become one of the most prominent companies in fast fashion, Chinese owner and businessman Chris Xu, also known as Xu Yangtian, who is the owner, has managed to build a global giant thanks to his technology and SEO skills.
Chris Xu, born in 1984 in Shandong, China, studied at Qingdao University of Science and Technology, where he excelled in search engine optimization (SEO), which according to The Guardian, his skill in this field was fundamental for detecting trends and promoting products online, which allowed him to establish the foundations of his business success.
Before Chris Xu created Shein, he co-founded an e-commerce company called Nanjing Dianwei Information Technology. However, due to disagreements with his partners, he chose to go it alone.
It was until 2011, when the businessman launched a business focused on wedding dresses.SheInside which would eventually evolve to become Shein in 2015. According to Reuters, this transformation included considerable expansion and the move of the headquarters to Guangzhou.
Although it was in 2021, when Shein relocated its headquarters to Singapore, and today, the brand enjoys global recognition, especially among the young audience.
Its advertising approach focuses on the use of social networks and partnerships with influencers, which has strengthened its presence in key markets.
Shein now operates completely online, shipping its products directly from China to more than 150 countries.
Finally, in 2023 Xu Yangtia was ranked 58th among the richest people in the world, according to Bloomberg. Shein’s valuation reached $2.5 billion in 2018 and doubled the following year.
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