Chinese online fashion retailer Shein will open its first store in Tokyo later this month, Reuters reports. The online fashion retailer wants to use this to strengthen its physical presence.
Customers can view the garments in store and scan QR codes to then order online. So it’s a showroom like the one seen last summer in the form of pop-ups in several European cities, including Berlin. An exception to this was the Antwerp pop-up, which opened in September, where the clothes could be bought on site.
The permanent space in Tokyo will also be used for fashion shows and other design events, a Shein spokesman told Reuters. The physical store is scheduled to open on November 13th.
Shein is not without controversy. Last month, a documentary by Britain’s Channel 4 revealed that working conditions at the Chinese factory are worrying. The undercover footage showed that garment workers work 18-hour days, have no weekends and are only paid a third of their wages if they make a mistake.
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.nl.