Uniqlo sues Shein over ‘Mary Poppins bag’

TOKYO: Uniqlo Co. has sued rival retailer Shein over a small shoulder bag the Japanese retailer said was an inferior and unlawful copy of its hit product touted as the “Mary Poppins bag.”

The lawsuit demanded Shein stop selling its product that Uniqlo said looks too much like its Round Mini Shoulder Bag.

The Uniqlo bag is praised on TikTok and other social media as roomy but also light and compact. The Mary Poppins nickname refers to the 1964 musical starring Julie Andrews in which a nanny pulls just about anything from her magical carpet bag, including a hat stand.

Shein, founded in China but now based in Singapore, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit was filed in Tokyo District Court on December 28 by Tokyo-based Fast Retailing Co., which operates Uniqlo stores.

Uniqlo said Thursday it is demanding damages of about 160 million yen ($1.1 million) in its lawsuit targeting the three companies that operate Shein, Roadget Business Pte., Fashion Choice Pte. and Shein Japan Co.

Uniqlo said Shein’s product was a copyright violation of inferior quality that undermined customer confidence in the Uniqlo brand.

Uniqlo’s bag comes with inner pockets and is billed as durable and water-resistant. In Japan, it costs 1,500 yen and in the United States it is $19.90, coming in various colors, including light blue and violet.

Uniqlo, which has nearly 2,500 stores in 26 global markets, is behind affordable casual clothing like HeatTech thermal underwear.

Shein reaches customers mainly through its app. The company says it uses digital technology to respond nimbly to customer tastes and avoid waste.