Reasons to Read

On August 6, 2025, Maxwell Kahn, President of Coresight Research, presented at SACSC Congress 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. The annual event, hosted by the South African Council of Shopping Centres, brought together senior leaders across retail, real estate and consumer goods to explore the forces transforming the global retail landscape.

During his presentation, Kahn shared insights on the rise of ultra-fast fashion platforms—and how companies like Shein and Temu are disrupting traditional retail through agile supply chains, digital-native marketing and real-time consumer engagement. We explored how these fast-scaling models are reshaping the industry and what they mean for the future of retail in both global and African markets.

We sought to answer three key questions to help businesses understand and navigate this disruption:

• What lessons can be learned from the success of Shein and Temu?
• How are these companies redefining supply chain speed, personalization and scalability?
• What are the implications for retailers and brands operating in today’s rapidly evolving market?

This presentation also touches on AI (artificial intelligence), data-driven operations, platform economics, demand forecasting, localized fulfillment and strategies for innovation and growth in a competitive retail environment.

Relevant research:

• What Can Retailers Learn from Shein and Temu?: Premium Subscriber Call, February 2025
• Retail 2025: 10 AI Trends—An Inflection Point in the GenAI Revolution
• US and China E-Commerce—Retail 2025 Sector Outlook: Online Sales To Maintain Strong Growth Momentum
• More research on e-commerce and the supply chain
• Visit the Coresight Research Retail Technology Hub to explore reports, data and competitive landscapes on technology.