Frasers announced that it was selling Missguided's intellectual property and trademarks to Shein, but it is retaining the real estate as well as Missguided's employees, both of which ‘have now been integrated into Frasers' fashion division’.
Shein pledged to use its ecommerce expertise to 'reignite' the brand and increase its foothold in the western market.
Frasers bought Missguided out of administration last In June 2023 for GBP 20 million. The reason they now sold it was that the company wanted to rationalise its business to focus on fewer brands, as per Frasers officials. They did not reveal how much they sold the brand for.
Frasers has other fast-fashion, online brands such as I Saw It First and Missy Empire. They said that the company had been in discussions with Shein about potential collaboration across both companies.
Missguided was founded in 2009 and grew to become one of the UK's biggest online fashion businesses, focusing on younger women. On its site, Missguided declares that ‘babe power is at the heart of their brand’ and ‘they believe in championing young talent and real women’.
After suffering from supply chain issues, rising freight costs, and increasing competition from rivals, Missguided fell into administration in May 2022 before being bought.
Commenting on the deal, Shein’s executives said they aim to reignite the Missguided brand, capitalising on its unique brand personality, and fuelling its global growth through Shein's on-demand production model, ecommerce expertise, and global reach.
In 2022, Shein entered talks with investors, aiming to raise USD 1 billion, potentially reaching a valuation of USD 100 billion. The discussions involved investors like General Atlantic.
Shein's success is attributed to supply-chain expertise, data-driven design, and tax advantages. The company, surpassing Amazon.com in US app downloads, operates globally with a vast product range. Its backers include Tiger Global Management, IDG, and Sequoia.
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