514The blue sea and sandy beaches under the California sunshine are a classic combination for Americans to enjoy summer, and with the rise of beach culture, a series of beach-related industries have flourished, giving birth to many leading brands.
However, in the fiercely competitive American swimwear market, the Chinese brand Cupshe has managed to break through with its precise market positioning and unique brand charm.
From Nanjing to North America, from being jokingly called a "general store" to becoming No.1 in North America, repeatedly ranking in the top 10 of Amazon's BS list, with annual sales expected to exceed $250 million, it is no exaggeration to say that Cupshe has reached the forefront of the swimwear export track.
Image source: Cupshe official site
Looking at Cupshe's development journey, the company took many detours at the beginning. When it was founded in 2015, it focused on all categories as a fast fashion brand. However, there were too many categories and the brand positioning was vague,it can be said to be "jack of all trades, master of none", so it did not make much of a splash in the early days.
It wasn't until 2016, when brand founder Zhao Liming had a shopping experience in a swimwear store, that the brand made a breakthrough. Zhao Liming found that an ordinary style could cost one or two hundred dollars, which is like directly grabbing money but still only giving you a swimsuit...
So, he decided to use e-commerce platforms to bring high-quality, affordable swimwear overseas.
Image source: Cupshe official site
To expand its sales network, Cupshe adopted a "standalone site + Amazon" parallel model, building diversified sales channels and implementing refined, differentiated operational strategies for different channels.
According to TuKe, Cupshe's senior marketing director once revealed to the media that the brand's main revenue source is its DTC standalone site, accounting for as much as 70%, while Amazon contributes 30% of its revenue.
On the Amazon platform, Cupshe's product designs are simple yet stylish, with retro, floral, and solid color styles all available. Although new arrivals are slow, the prices are attractive, drawing many consumers.
Image source: Amazon
On its standalone site, Cupshe attracts consumers with faster new arrivals, more style choices, and more fashionable designs. At the same time, it offers various discount combinations such as "20% off for 4+ items, 50% off for 2+ items", providing more shopping benefits for consumers.
Image source: Cupshe official site
Like most DTC brands entering overseas markets, Cupshe also adopts social media marketing in addition to e-commerce marketing.
Fast fashion swimwear, with its unique charm, naturally has strong social communication power, and Europeans and Americans love to share beautiful swimwear photos, which undoubtedly provides strong support for Cupshe's development on social media.
Currently, Cupshe is active on multiple social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
On TikTok, the various swimwear try-on effects displayed by Cupshe have attracted a large audience. As of October 2024, its follower count has reached about 528,600, and the number of likes has exceeded 3 million.
Image source: TikTok
Cupshe's achievements on TikTok mainly depend on its continuous focus on the "plus-size swimwear" track, actively promoting brand values of "inclusivity, confidence, and female-friendliness", which has gained wide recognition from consumers. The brand hashtag #cupshe has reached 200 million views, and the number of related videos is 17,200.
Image source: TikTok
On Facebook and Instagram, Cupshe uses a combination of images and text to share outfit ideas and beautiful beach photos, inviting fashion bloggers for unique styling to highlight product design features, attract user attention, and drive purchases.
Image source: Instagram
In addition, on social media platforms, Cupshe not only focuses on marketing but also collaborates with overseas influencers, leveraging their popularity to gain more exposure for the brand and achieve a dual leap in business conversion.
For example, TikTok influencer Ashley McDonald's Cupshe promotional video received 2.1 million views, attracting a large number of potential users' purchase interest.
Image source: TikTok
Looking back at Cupshe's rise, it started with a "general store" model, and through continuously improving its sensitivity to market trends, clarifying brand positioning, adhering to brand values, and keeping up with social media trends, it has successfully secured a place in the overseas swimwear market.
In summary, for brands, it is crucial to clarify their positioning and development direction. On the basis of ensuring high product quality, using multi-channel media strategies as a "combination punch" can quickly capture consumers' attention and achieve success in overseas markets.
