[helsinkiandrew]

> It's not tech, it's clothing & accessories

In the same way that Amazon is a book company - Shein is a highly tech-driven fashion company - they use big data/AI/custom systems to manage everything from prediction fashion trends, managing the supply chain and customising the user experience.

[DaiPlusPlus]

> they use big data/AI/custom systems to manage everything from prediction fashion trends, managing the supply chain and customising the user experience.

Please elaborate, ideally with citations that provide sufficient technical detail.

Whereas, in my head:

“Big data” means “we tried to use Hadoop once” or “who needs a DBA? Just load everything into a Snowflake account”

“AI” means “we proxy ChatGPT and start all chats with “You are a helpful fast-fashion retailer…””

“Custom systems” is what every company has, and could be anything from giving the CEO a custom-built RGB-lit gaming rig as a desk PC, to a core company workflow using Excel macros, to what AWS is to Amazon; I can’t say I’ve heard of Shein launching SheinWebServices so that narrows it down somewhat.

[helsinkiandrew]

No one has the details because they're secret (apart from some legal cases that open the lid slightly [1]). Just about every regular user of Shein will tell you it's the TikTok of fashion retail - the algorithm ruthlessly pumps them more items that they are likely to buy via the website and ads elsewhere. They've developed a process that can create and modify designs of what's popular (of their own products and from stealing designs that people like elsewhere) and start selling it in a few days for hundreds of products a day [2].

> “Custom systems” is what every company has, and could be anything from giving the CEO a custom-built RGB-lit gaming rig as a desk PC, to a core company workflow using Excel macros, to what AWS is to Amazon; I can’t say I’ve heard of Shein launching SheinWebServices so that narrows it down somewhat.

You seem to be dismissive of the words I've used, but the Shein "systems" have allowed them to out grow most of the competitors in a few years - you simply can't sell that much crap and produce and ship it without utilising the latest tech in everything from sales to warehouse management.

[1] https://kr-asia.com/unveiling-sheins-secret-artificial-intel...

[2] https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22573682/shein-future-of-fast-...

[rchaud]

> they use big data/AI/custom systems to manage everything from prediction fashion trends, managing the supply chain and customising the user experience.

Didn't this just used to be called ERP?