ByteDance Seniors Play Sailing? Is the replication of SHEIN's sea route successful?

In the global fast fashion sector, SHEIN can truly be called a legend.

According to data from app tracking companies App Annie and Sensor Tower, in May 2021, SHEIN successfully replaced Amazon to become the most downloaded shopping app on iOS and Android platforms in the United States.

It is also known as "China's most mysterious unicorn company," and even ByteDance once tried to challenge SHEIN with its Dmonstudio project but failed.

For a time, SHEIN was in the limelight,countless overseas brands wanted to replicate SHEIN's path.

However, in this competition of fast-moving consumer goods, simple imitation does not guarantee success. The supply chain barriers that SHEIN has built over more than ten years cannot be established overnight through mere imitation.

To replicate SHEIN's success, one must, likeCommense, the women's DTC brand under Xinchao Infinite,find their own differentiated path.

PART 1

Founded by former ByteDance employees and backed by ByteDance investment,

is this another kind of challenge from ByteDance?

Looking at Commense's founding background, it has a strong advantage in the fast fashion sector.

The company team members are outstanding talents from the internet, apparel supply chain, and cross-border e-commerce fields, including senior professionals from leading internet companies such as ByteDance.

This has laid a solid foundation for Commense's success in the overseas fast fashion sector. The background of Zhou Jingjin, the legal representative of Xinchao Infinite, adds even more trust and expectation. After all, he was not only an early employee of ByteDance but also served as CTO of cross-border e-commerce company Starlink.

Moreover, shortly after Xinchao Infinite established Commense, he persuaded ByteDance and Sequoia Capital to secure $100 million in Series A financing.

However, Commense did not rely solely on its financial advantage, but ratherstood out in the fast fashion sector through precise market positioning, unique product design, and differentiated brand strategies.

PART 2

How exactly did Commense achieve this?

Commense knows well that to gain a foothold in the fiercely competitive European and American fast fashion sector, it cannot take the same path as Tuke, which has already become a giant in the West.

Therefore, it focuses onproviding fashionable clothing for young professional women with a certain purchasing power. Its product line covers tops, bottoms, dresses, and outerwear, and is divided into four categories by scenario: work fashion, casual atmosphere, weekend gatherings, and nighttime outings.

In terms of product and marketing strategy, Commense choosesto use TikTok's massive traffic pool to drive traffic to its independent site. Customers are often attracted by the exquisite videos Commense posts on TikTok, and then browse its independent site and become fans.

In addition, Commense's website design is also distinctive, minimalist yet aesthetically pleasing,emphasizing high quality and design sense of the products, rather than relying on discounts and promotions to attract consumers.

This strategy not only highlights the brand's personality and attitude, but alsoprecisely targets the needs of its target audience, focusing on product segmentation and scenario-based creation, successfully attracting the attention of its target consumer group.

In terms of content marketing, besides building a social media matrix on platforms like TikTok, Commense also acquires precise customers through multiple channels such as direct traffic, paid search, social traffic, and organic search.

According to Similarweb data,Commense's overseas independent site has an average monthly visit volume of over 700,000, and in just three years since its founding, it has accumulated a considerable number of loyal users.

PART 3

Learning from predecessors' experience, being oneself

Although Commense's path to success bears traces of Tuke, it is not a complete copy, but rather learns from its predecessor's experience while being itself.

Precise positioning, innovative product design, and differentiated marketing strategies are all paths it has developed on its own.

Combined with a strong background and financial support, Commense has found its place in the fiercely competitive European and American fast fashion market, achieved sustainable development, and provided valuable experience and inspiration for other brands seeking to Tuke.

Looking at its development process, learning from predecessors' experience and being oneself may be the most fitting interpretation.

At a time when countless capital is pouring into the sector to chase the dividends of the era, sometimes settling down and following one's own development pace is actually more beneficial for a brand's growth.