Fashion brands from the around the world are increasingly turning to China – its middle class loves to shop and the numbers doing so online are rising, with an estimated 300m e-commerce enthusiasts on the mainland.
On Tuesday, Topshop and Miss Selfridge, two of the UK’s best-known fast fashion brands, became the latest to announce they are launching online in China, on the heels of Asos, the online retailer, and brands from Gap to Burberry.
But while the online fashion market in China may have huge potential, it is also fiercely competitive and price-sensitive, mainland retail analysts say. There is no cheap and easy way to break into the market, they add, even for brands that are household names in their home countries.