PatPat wants to be “the Shein of childrenswear” and is working on new ways to market to Millennial parents, aunts, and uncles.

PatPat wants to be “the Shein of childrenswear” and is working on new ways to market to Millennial parents, aunts, and uncles. YPulse found that Chinese fast fashion brand Shein is a top retail brand among young consumers and Gen Z’s favorite place to shop, and Chinese DTC brands are beginning to globally expand quickly. One of those brands is childrenswear brand PatPat, which is worth $1 billion and was co-founded in 2014 by three entrepreneurs with no prior experience in the apparel industry, but believed there was a huge middle class consumer group in the U.S. children’s fashion sector that was “untapped.” The brand is currently being dubbed “the Shein of children’s apparel” due to its similarities, especially when it comes to content marketing, mass-targeted product pricing, and having plenty of SKUs and fast design uptake, thanks to the country’s flexible supply chain. But instead of offering low priced products like Shein, PatPat values quality in childrenswear—and they’re trying to keep customers engaged in different ways: On the PatPat app, there’s a “Pat Life” feature that allows users to share content by offering rewards in the form of points. It also provides style inspo and the chance to become key opinion consumers. The company just announced its Influencer Program, where they send Millennial parents $40-200 worth of clothes every month, and is also trying to gain momentum on TikTok. According to one marketing expert: “The target market of children and baby products could be wider than that of parents. Young aunts and uncles on TikTok could be a big opportunity to get PatPat’s brand out into new circles.” (Jing Daily)