It is a collaboration that does not go unnoticed. Shein, the Chinese e-commerce giant, has just announced a strategic partnership with Pimkie, the French ready-to-wear well known. Objective displayed: support the fashion sector and support Pimkie in its digital transition. An announcement that comes when the hexagonal brand is going through a period of great economic difficulties.
Pimkie seeks to strengthen her digital
Founded in 1971, Pimkie still has nearly 200 shops in France and more than 700 employees. But the brand crosses an eventful period, marked by store closings and several social plans. Today, only 6 % of its turnover comes from digital.
With this partnership, the ambition displayed is clear: bring this share to 30 %, in order to support and relaunch activity in store. For Pimkie, the visibility offered by Shein – whose platform affects more than 160 countries – represents a unique opportunity to receive a new, young and connected clientele.
Shein x Pimkie: an unprecedented fashion partnership
Concretely, Pimkie will offer its products by the end of the year directly on the Shein platform. The brand will also benefit from logistics services and digital tools made available by the Asian group.
For its part, Shein insists on the complementarity of this type of collaboration. The company wants to prove that its online production and distribution production model may coexist with traditional physical signs.
Contrasting reactions
The announcement, however, aroused strong reactions in the clothing sector. Several French and European textile federations say they are concerned about this rapprochement. They fear that these partnerships strengthen the domination of international platforms, to the detriment of an already weakened European textile sector.
For some representatives, this choice sends a negative signal to the whole profession. But for other observers, it especially illustrates the need for historic brands to find new solutions in the face of trade upheavals.
A European issue
This partnership is part of a context where the European textile industry multiplies calls to regulate international competition. Indeed, several players in the sector believe that Asian platforms benefit from an important competitive advantage.
In an open letter to the European Commission, the clothing federations of different countries thus require rapid measures to stem the progression of so-called “ultra-ephemeral” fashion. They point to the multiplication of imports, the pressure on prices and the environmental consequences.
A turning point for Pimkie
For Pimkie, this partnership with Shein could be a new start. By relying on the technologies and the distribution power of a global player, the French brand hopes to strengthen its competitiveness and find a strategic place in a changing market.
The bet is daring: on the one hand, the possibility of giving new breath to the brand; On the other hand, the risk of fueling the criticisms that already surround Fast Fashion. The future will say if this alliance will allow Pimkie to reconnect with growth and to seduce a new generation of customers.
