IN a strategic move to counter the growing influence of fast-fashion behemoths Shein and Temu in South Africa’s retail landscape, online fashion retailer Zando unveiled its international e-commerce arm, Zando Global, on Thursday.
The burgeoning popularity of Shein and Temu, fuelled by the allure of their budget-friendly apparel like $10 tops and $5 biker shorts, has exerted pressure on local brick-and-mortar and online fashion retailers. Zando’s response comes in the form of Zando Global, aimed at providing South African consumers with a reliable alternative for accessing international products.
Addressing consumer concerns about product quality, delivery reliability, and returns processes associated with international orders, Zando emphasised its commitment to ensuring a seamless shopping experience. ‘With the rise of Shein and Temu, South African consumers have often found themselves hesitant to order internationally due to concerns… Zando Global steps in as the local hero,’ the retailer stated.
Zando Global pledges to simplify the shopping process for South African shoppers by facilitating easy product reception, collection, and returns through local operations. Moreover, the retailer vows to conduct rigorous quality checks on every product before dispatching it to customers.
Furthermore, Zando Global will leverage local physical collection points for a diverse range of 200,000 products spanning fashion, homeware, gadgets, wigs, and more. To facilitate logistics, Zando has partnered with Buffalo International Logistics, the same logistics partner used by Temu and Shein.
Zando, founded in 2012 and a subsidiary of Africa-focused e-commerce giant Jumia Group, aims to make international shopping more accessible to South African consumers. Free shipping for Zando Global orders will commence at 550 rand ($28.76).
This initiative coincides with the impending entry of US e-commerce titan Amazon into the South African market later this year. The developments come amid a surge in online shopping in South Africa catalysed by the pandemic, prompting retailers to ramp up investments in e-commerce infrastructure.