SHEIN Pops Up in Downtown Seattle Amid a Changing Retail Landscape
SHEIN hosted a weekend-long pop-up event in the downtown Seattle retail space previously leased by Old Navy. I wasn’t particularly surprised to see a news article announcing the event, however, I was surprised to find out that Old Navy had closed its doors last year. I loved wandering through there on lazy weekends when I needed to get outside for a few hours.
Someone caught a video of the Old Navy sign being driven away from the site on Reddit. Many will remember The Gap was right next door, but that also closed in 2023 to make way for the new Ben Bridge flagship store. Is this the end of an era?
After a bit of digging, I found out that wasn’t even the original location of Old Navy. According to The Seattle Times, in 2010, it moved from the now-closed Forever21 space across the street from Pacific Place Shopping Centre.
Speaking of Pacific Place, I parked in the parking garage on Sunday, April 28th to check out the SHEIN pop-up. Coming up to the street level on the escalators was quite depressing. The shopping center was just quiet. A few people were lingering around, but for the most part, it was bare. I remember times when every level of that mall had loads of people on it, shopping, eating, or just hanging out waiting for their movie time to start.
Curtains had gone up at the recently closed Lululemon store. While glancing at Level 2, I reminisced about the FGI Seattle pop-up I helped coordinate in 2018. The good shops that used to be there: Kate Spade, Michael Kors, J. Crew, Victoria’s Secret, Express, Barneys New York, all gone.
Making my way through the glass doors to the sidewalk at 6th and Pine, I expected to see a vibrant line around the block filled with Gen Z kids waiting to get in. Unfortunately, my dreams of rolling my eyes at the kids were dashed. Sure, there was a line to get in, which gave off a sense of exclusivity, but the line didn’t even reach the corner of the street. And the people coming in and out ranged in age.
I stood in line for maybe two minutes before I was allowed in by two security guards and greeted by very friendly associates, one of whom handed me the absolute largest white shopping bag I’d ever seen. How much did they expect me to buy in this store?
Once inside, I could still picture that large Old Navy display that greets you when you first walk in. Instead, clothing racks and displays lined the perimeter, with a few mirrors and digital displays scattered around. People browsed the clothing racks and filled their shopping bags with pieces they liked. The styles of clothing for both men and women varied. I found a green handbag that I considered purchasing and almost bought a jacket, but I resisted the urge to support fast fashion with my hard-earned money.
After about ten minutes, I decided I’d had enough, handed my empty shopping bag back to the associate, and walked across the street to see if I could find some black Louboutin flats for work.
Overall, the shopping experience was fine but less than I expected from a company that earned $2 billion in 2023. The space didn’t seem thought out. Understandably, I got there on the last day of the pop-up about three hours before it closed, but if you’re going to host a pop-up, you better pop up for real. From start to finish, my customer experience needs should have been exceeded. There should have been a DJ, a snack bar, a photo booth, and other areas around the shop to take photos and tag SHEIN on Instagram. They could have turned the entire lower level into an exclusive club for VIP members!
Maybe SHEIN was more focused on the company’s brand activation at Stagecoach over the weekend because this pop-up event lacked effort regarding the customer experience.
Also, the Old Navy site was too big for a simple shopping area. There was too much space given the specific number of clothing displays. As I left, I thought, wouldn’t it have made more sense for SHEIN to host their pop-up in one of the Pacific Place storefronts? Once customers finished shopping, they could grab a bite on the third level, catch a movie at AMC, or even take the sky bridge to Nordstrom and continue to shop. At least for the weekend, that shopping center might have had more life. Maybe it was an option, but logistics prevented it.
Missed opportunities all around.
The Singapore-based company recently leased office space in Bellevue, and “expects to employ more than 50 people in the 10,000-square-foot space by the end of 2024” according to GeekWire. So it looks like SHEIN is setting down some roots in Seattle. Hopefully, if the brand plans to open a permanent retail space in Seattle, put it in Pacific Place and elevate the customer experience.
As I’m wrapping up this article, I’m wondering why I expect much at all from a brand that sells cheaply-made clothes, encourages over-consumption, and contributes to the damage to our planet’s climate. I shouldn’t care. But I love a good pop-up shop so if SHEIN expects people to shop these knock-off styles, the least the brand could do is allow them to have more fun while doing it.
Comment Below
Did you stop by the shop last weekend? If so, share your experience. If you’re feeling nostalgic, where was your favorite place to shop downtown before it closed?
I stood in line for maybe two minutes before I was allowed in by two security guards and greeted by very friendly associates, one of whom handed me the absolute largest white shopping bag I’d ever seen. How much did they expect me to buy in this store?