Shein, a B2C Chinese online clothing and accessories retailer, has opened an office in Dublin, which serves as headquarters for its operations in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
The new location aims to strengthen local operations.
Shein’s Singapore general manager, Leonard Lin, said in a LinkedIn post: “Ireland has an open economy, a pro-business environment, and a skilled talent pool, making it an attractive hub for global companies like Shein to build and launch operations from.”
This year alone, Shein plans to host around 30 pop-ups in the EMEA region also looking into opening new distribution centres in the region, including a warehouse in the UAE.
Last year, Shein opened three distribution hubs across the region – in the UAE, Poland and Italy.
Ireland’s Ministry of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment said in a statement that Shein intends to hire 30 key roles for specialist areas in the country by the end of 2023.
The ministry said that Shein X, a fashion incubator program launched in 2021, has teamed up with around 390 designers and artists across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Founded by Chris Xu in 2008, Shein entered the Middle East market in 2016 and within a short period of time its sales in the region skyrocketed.
In 2022, the fashion and lifestyle e-retailer ranked among the top 10 shopping apps in the two main markets in the Middle East- the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
According to CNNB Solutions, the fashion e-commerce market in the Middle East will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.7 per cent till 2025.
Increasing awareness of internet shopping and e-commerce is expected to bolster this growth.
