With 16.3 million monthly users, Temu is more popular in Germany than anywhere else in the European Union. The better-known Shein attracts more attention in France, Spain and Italy, but generates the biggest sales in Europe in Germany.
This is according to several recently published reports. Temu and Shein, online shopping platforms with Chinese roots, are significantly influencing e-commerce in Europe. They are quickly gaining market share at the expense of local online players who are unhappy with how these platforms work. For example, they are accused of non-compliance with product safety, consumer protection, customs, tax and environmental regulations.
Very large online platforms
Temu and Shein are under scrutiny from trade and consumer organizations as well as government agencies. With a specific action plan, the German government, for example, is trying to create a level playing field between European online sellers and Asian platforms, something that Ecommerce Europe also supports. The European Union has called on very large online platforms, as defined by the Digital Services Act, to ensure transparency in their operations.
That in Europe
Both Temu and Shein have now released transparency reports showing their popularity in Europe and various EU member states. Starting with Temu: from April to October, the platform reached 97.3 million Europeans, with the majority located in Germany (16.3 million users). France (12.0 million) and Italy (10.0 million) follow at a distance. Temu is particularly popular among young shoppers in Germany.
Shein in Europe
Shein also shared user data for EU member states. First, it’s notable that Shein has tens of millions more monthly users than Temu: an average of 126.4 million, based on the earlier measurement period (April to July).
Shein attracts tens of millions more Europeans than Temu.
France leads with 23.9 million monthly Shein users, followed by Spain (22.8 million) and Italy (22.6 million). Germany comes much later, in fourth place, with 17.8 million users. A recent annual sales report revealed that Germany is Shein’s most important European market in terms of sales, accounting for 6.6 percent of total sales, which amounts to roughly €2 billion. As a result, Germany outperforms not only France, Italy and Spain, but also the UK, which is no longer part of the EU.
