Quick Take — Amazon reduces sales commissions in Europe in price war with Shein and Temu

As of 15 December, Amazon reduces the referral fees charged on clothes and accessories from 7% to 5% for items up to 15 euros ($17.41) or 15 pounds ($19.79) and from 15% to 10% for items between 15 and 20 euros or pounds…

Shein, which sells tops for €3 and jeans for only €8.20, has taken market share from European fast fashion retailers and challenged Amazon with its marketplace selling everything from duvet covers to hoovers

Amazon is the dominant e-commerce platform in Germany, France and other European countries, in a market where turnover is expected to grow by 7% to EUR 900 billion this year, according to forecasts by the industry association Ecommerce Europe.

Reuters

Quick Take — Black Friday, Greenpeace investigation: ‘Toxic substances on a third of Shein’s clothes’

This latest ‘Shame on you Shein!’ report looked at some of the best-selling garments sold by the Chinese fast fashion giant and found that one third of the garments tested 32% (18 out of 56) not only contained 11 substances considered toxic, but their quantity exceeded the limits set by the European Chemicals Regulation (REACH). Including children’s clothes. Garments that are considered ‘illegal’ under EU law.

Quick Take — France: the government has initiated proceedings to block the website of e-commerce giant Shein

following the scandal surrounding the sale of child pornographic dolls. Despite the popularity of Shein – a site visited by more than 4.4 million people a day in France – the government is waging an unprecedented legal battle to force it to shut down, even if it means circumventing European legislation. “On instructions from the Prime Minister,” reads the press release, Sébastien Lecornu’s government intends to suspend ‘Shein for as long as it takes for the platform to prove to the authorities that all its content finally complies with our laws and regulations ‘ .

Below: gendarmes in front of the BHV warehouse, in Paris, where Shein has just opened a 1,500 square metre sales space, and some reflections on theunreliability and illegality practised, in some cases, without control, by Chinese sites (there is also Temu), which is the French government’s main topic on this issue.

The fact that it has not succeeded so far means that at least the problem – which is very relevant – has finally been raised.

Update: The attempt to block Shein seems to have been dropped for now. Instead, the French government is targeting a €2 tax on every article imported from non-EU countries as a measure against Chinese ‘fast fashion’ platforms. Will it succeed? And should Italy do so too?

In Italy, in fact, there is discussion of a €2 tax on small parcels from outside the EU, proposed for the 2026 economic manoeuvre.
The measure would affect parcels weighing up to two kilograms from non-EU countries – mainly China – and would aim to raise new budgetary revenue while countering unfair competition from digital giants such as Shein and Temu, which thrive in Italy thanks to online platforms where they sell products at bargain prices.

Drafted on 6 November, updated on 13 November 2025

Quick Take — Shein: Price rise up to 377% and IPO stalls in London

Shein is exploring ways to restructure its US business in case the Trump administration sticks to punitive tariffs on Chinese imports, which has jeopardised its plans for a London stock market listing.

The fast fashion company’s US business – which accounts for about a third of its $38 billion in annual revenue – will be put to the test when a tax exemption known as the “de minimis”…

…The US is replacing the ‘de minimis’ exemption – which applied to shipments valued at less than $800 – with a 120% tariff or a flat rate of $200, depending on how the goods are delivered. The changes will apply to shipments from China and Hong Kong…

About Shein read here