It’s known for its slick business model that delivers low-cost dresses from factories in Guangdong to teenagers in the West within days. But Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein’s own path to going public has been anything but smooth.
After several rounds of delays, including shelving plans for a New York IPO as China-U.S. relations soured, the fast fashion sensation is now on track for a listing as early as April on the London Stock Exchange, according to a Reuters report last week. Revival of the London plan comes about half a year after the Financial Times reported Shein’s London listing plan had collapsed and the company had already given up on New York due to deteriorating geopolitics.
News of the London plan’s death was probably premature. Still, it’s far from clear that Shein will ultimately find a home in London, which has managed to attract few, if any, major Chinese stocks despite its status as one of Europe’s largest stock exchanges.