SHEIN Opens Semi-Managed Model in South Korea to Local Businesses, Requires $400K Annual Sales

Ebrun Exclusive: SHEIN has announced the opening of its semi-managed model for merchant recruitment in South Korea. This initiative targets local sellers with inventory and operational capabilities within South Korea, signaling SHEIN's accelerated shift towards a platform model in the region and enhancing its local fulfillment and service capacities.

Currently, SHEIN's platform operates under three models: fully managed, semi-managed, and merchant self-operated. Under the semi-managed model, merchants can independently select products and handle local fulfillment, while the platform assists with operations and pricing.

Eligibility requirements stipulate that the applying entity must be a registered South Korean business with a valid tax ID, maintain local inventory in South Korea, and possess self-fulfillment capabilities. Additionally, merchants must have prior e-commerce experience in South Korea, with annual sales on other e-commerce platforms' Korean sites reaching at least $400,000 or sales exceeding $100,000 in the past three months. Fulfillment must be completed within four business days.

New merchants can benefit from waived commission and monthly fees, exclusive store setup support, dedicated in-site promotional resources, specialized traffic boosts for the semi-managed model, one-on-one account management, and beginner product selection guidance.

Public data indicates that South Korea is the third-largest e-commerce market in the Asia-Pacific region and the fifth globally, with an estimated market size of around $230 billion, projected to grow to approximately $336 billion by 2027. Chinese e-commerce platforms, including Temu, SHEIN, and AliExpress, have long-established presence in the market, collectively referred to by Korean media as 'Altesh' (Ali, Temu, Shein).

As early as 2021, SHEIN began testing its Dazy brand in South Korea, appointing Korean actress Kim Yoo-jung as its global ambassador, which garnered significant attention. In 2024, SHEIN officially launched its Korean website and opened a pop-up store in Seoul. The semi-managed model for the Korean site was previewed last year, and its formal launch represents a key step for SHEIN in integrating local supply chains and boosting market competitiveness and user experience.

Ebrun will continue to monitor this development. For more related information, scan the QR code to follow the author on WeChat.