Shein lays off 17 workers here even as it plans to expand

Chinese fast-fashion online retailer Shein laid off 17 employees at its Singapore headquarters on Sept 25 even as it said it would continue to grow its operations in the Republic.

- Rosalind Ang

The layoffs come as Shein prepares for an initial public offering in London, shifting from its previous plans to list in New York.

"As Shein continues to grow its operations in Singapore with a newly expanded office to accommodate its increasing workforce, the company has also restructured the Singapore arm of its IT research and development team, relocating some positions to other markets as part of its ongoing strategy for continued global expansion, localisation and to drive efficiency," said Shein in response to queries from The Straits Times.

The workers affected were notified on Sept 25, the retailer said, though it did not comment on whether they were offered a retrenchment package and what its staff strength here is now.