In spring, when Shein’s French subsidiary announced it was setting up a programme to support French designers and brands, by putting at their disposal some of the Singapore-based Chinese fast-fashion giant’s assets, many wondered which type of player would be willing to join forces with a highly criticised e-tailer like Shein. On Tuesday, Shein has revealed the first participants of the Xcelerator programme, now officially deployed in France, the UK and China. The programme caters both to emerging designers, providing support for launching their brands, and to established names, to which it offers solutions for expanding their e-tail business and extending their international presence.

In terms of designers, Shein has said it will help Mathilde Lhomme set up and grow her Overblush label. “It’s a truly significant opportunity for me. I’m really very proud to be the first young French designer to join the platform. I’ve started working with [Shein’s staff] and I was able to travel to China to choose my fabrics,” said Lhomme. She added that she is setting up her own team, while Shein is supporting her in manufacturing and distribution. Lhomme seems an obvious choice for Shein. She was one of the first designers to be talent-spotted through the SheinX programme in 2021, and her joining the new programme is a logical outcome.

Instead, the collaboration between Shein and Pimkie is like a thunderbolt striking the French fashion retail landscape. By the end of the year, Pimkie products will be available on Shein’s marketplace, as Pimkie has decided to partner with Shein to grow its online business.

Pimkie products on sale in 160 markets

“I’m delighted to announce that Pimkie will soon be online on the Shein website,” said Salih Halassi, CEO of the French fashion retailer he acquired in early 2023, speaking to the media on Tuesday.

“We are turning the business around, and we expect to balance the books in 2026, when our EBITDA will have gone from minus €40 million to zero euro. But e-tail is a grey area for us, accounting for less than 5% of revenue. I believe a physical retailer cannot survive without a robust online business. Creating a joint venture with Shein to develop a strong digital presence means committing to the company’s long-term success. We will have access to 160 markets, to on-demand manufacturing solutions and to a supply chain that will enable our digital business to account for a 30% revenue share in three years,” he added.

Results-wise, Pimkie is currently forecasting a revenue of €150 million for 2025, and is targeting €300 million in 2028. Its online business would therefore be set to grow from the €7 million it generates today to nearly €100 million. It also means that Halassi is prioritising this opportunity despite the reputational risk of associating with an e-tailer with a tarnished image, one whose practices are regularly criticised by the textile and apparel industry both in France and Europe.

As for Pimkie’s stores, Halassi is convinced that opting for a digital partner will not change the brand’s physical retail strategy.

“I’m interested in making Pimkie a success. We must look at the future through a digital perspective, and Shein will ensure guaranteed access to the global market,” said Halassi.

Pimkie currently operates brick-and-mortar stores only in France and in the country’s overseas territories.

“Physical retail of any kind can thrive if it has a digital counterpart, accounting for up to 30% of the business, if you look for example at Inditex. Pimkie has 200 stores and 750 employees. We opened 20 stores last year, and further openings are on the cards,” he added.

Issues remain: While Pimkie will keep control of intellectual property rights and handle product design internally, planning to hire about 50 new staff to manage its assortment on Shein, the French brand will be relying on the e-tailer’s on-demand manufacturing organisation, selling products that are different from its in-store range, and doing so at more aggressive prices. It will therefore have to manage two parallel manufacturing streams, at least during the first few seasons, and monitor its French customers’ reactions. Hoping of course that growth rates will keep up with forecasts.

“With Pimkie and Salih, our goal is to achieve 190% online sales growth in the first year,” said Quentin Richard, head of communications for Shein in France. Why this figure? Shein said it has run a test for nearly two years, working with some 20 brands of different sizes.

“These brands have benefited from our support in on-demand manufacturing services and order management, and have had access to 160 countries,” said Richard.

“In two years, they achieved an aggregate revenue of €340 million, their online sales growing on average by 190% in the first year,” he added. 

It must be noted that the lion’s share of this business has been driven by a big name in British fashion retail, Missguided, which has partnered with Shein. Richard said that Missguided generated a revenue of €230 million in two years. In 2023, Nitin Passi, a former Missguided executive, set up a joint venture with Shein Sumwon Studios, whose flagship brand Sumwon is widely available on Shein. 

Shein did not wish to indicate how much it has invested to develop the Xcelerator programme, but said it is a profitable initiative, while most of the group’s business interests remain focused on its eponymous brand. Pimkie’s products are set to be available on Shein by the end of the year. The Asian giant, which claims to have tens of millions of customers in Europe but did not provide any revenue data, might well announce new partners soon.