Aventura Group becomes a strategic shareholder in Shekou, the fast-fashion challenger bridging supply-chain advantage, brand equity and sustainability

Aventura Group takes a stake in Shekou International Ltd (“Shekou“), a fast-growing direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand based in Hong Kong and New Zealand.   

In 2021, three trends have accelerated in China’s cross-border e-commerce market. Chinese companies are increasingly seeking to move up the value chain, both by building their own brands, as well as by going global, selling directly to western consumers. “Social commerce”, i.e sales generated via social media, has emerged as the fastest growing sales channel. Meanwhile, sustainability has come to the fore in the fast-fashion industry, especially for players with international ambitions.

Shekou offers a sustainable alternative in the cross-border “ultra-fast” fashion industry. With design in New Zealand and production in China, Shekou sells directly to consumers globally through its own website. Target customers are 12-26 year olds, who are not only social media savvy and hungry for original designs at reasonable price points, but also care about quality, transparency and sustainability.

Based on the involvement of its vibrant community, Shekou turns initial design concepts into final products within 7 days. The company’s top selling products in the female category is a swimwear collection, produced with materials made from recycled plastic bottles. The first collection for young men, launched in 2021, is an all-vintage line. All products are shipped in biodegradable wrappings.

Founded in mid-2019, the Company has witness rapid growth since Covid restrictions came into force in the beginning of 2020. With limited resources, Shekou has managed to build a large social media presence with 1.8 million engaged followers, especially on TikTok (1.3 million) and Instagram (530k). To date, Shekou’s products have been shipped to some 128,000 customers worldwide.

“This partnership is in line with our strategy of taking ownership stakes in promising D2C companies that leverage China to scale their businesses. It is quite remarkable what the founding team has accomplished in such a short time frame. With additional capital, Shekou has the potential to carve-out out a pole position in a new segment of the fast-fashion industry, bringing the gap between supply-chain advantage, brand equity and sustainability,” comments Gustav Åström, CEO of Aventura Group.

“We are very pleased to bring Aventura Group onboard as a strategic shareholder and operative partner. Aventura’s operational platform will be extremely valuable in the next phase of our journey to redefine the cross-border fast-fashion industry,” concludes Brianna Ellin, CEO and co-founder of Shekou.