Why Temu and Shein Are Reshaping Europe’s E-commerce Faster Than Anyone Expected? From Zero to €3.3B

Shein and Temu together sell around 3.3 billion euros worth of products in Germany, according to the German Retail Federation (HDE). One in five German consumers plans to make purchases from the Chinese platforms in the run-up to Christmas. “That is somewhat of a paradox”, says HDE director Stefan Genth.

German online shoppers seem largely unfazed by the proven lack of safety in many of the products sold on these platforms, Genth explains. He refers to a recent investigation by four European consumer organizations, which found last week that 70 percent of the tested products did not comply with EU safety standards, with a quarter even classified as dangerous. Consumers, however, appear barely discouraged.

Shein and Temu in Germany

This year, German consumers are expected to spend around 8 billion euros at online shops outside the European Union. Of that total, Shein and Temu account for 3.3 billion euros, according to HDE’s forecast. “It is an estimate, but we are fairly confident that we now have the correct order of magnitude”, said HDE president Alexander von Preen. “The trend is strongly upward.”


 ‘The trend is strongly upward’


The actual impact of Chinese platforms is even greater than the 3.3 billion euros, partly because AliExpress, which is also expanding in Europe, is not included in this figure. HDE, by the way, does not classify Amazon as a retailer from a third country outside the European Union. According to retail institute EHI, the American company’s sales volume in Germany reached more than 52 billion euros last year.

Measures against Chinese platforms

Like several other interest groups, HDE advocates the abolition of customs exemptions for goods imported from outside the European Union with a value of up to 150 euros. This change is scheduled for 2028. The federation also calls for better enforcement of existing rules to ensure a level playing field.

 

HDE forecasts a 4 percent increase in German ecommerce this year. The market is expected to reach a total value of 92.4 billion euros in sales, with Shein and Temu accounting for between three and four percent of that total.

According to the latest data from the German Retail Federation (HDE), Chinese e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu are expected to reach €3.3 billion in sales in Germany this year — accounting for 3%–4% of the country’s total e-commerce volume. Even more striking, one in five German consumers plans to place orders on these two platforms during the upcoming Christmas season.

Despite recent investigations by European consumer organizations showing that around 70% of tested products failed to meet EU safety standards, with 25% classified as dangerous, consumer enthusiasm remains largely unaffected.

As HDE President Alexander von Preen put it: “The trend is strongly upward.”

 

The “Acceleration Era” of E-commerce

Germany’s market reflects a broader shift: European consumers are increasingly embracing Chinese e-commerce platforms. For Chinese sellers, this represents a valuable new window of opportunity:


	

	
Shein and Temu are expanding rapidly across Europe;
	
	

	
Platforms are tightening requirements for supply chain efficiency, shipping speed, and inventory synchronization;
	
	

	
The ability to keep pace with platform expectations has become a key differentiator for sellers.
	


Yet, opportunity comes with challenges:


Managing multiple platforms, orders, and inventories has become a major pain point for small and mid-sized sellers.


That’s why having an integrated, high-efficiency operations system is more important than ever.



4Seller: Smarter, Faster Operations for Shein and Temu



4Seller is a one-stop operations management platform designed for local sellers in Europe and the U.S., helping you effortlessly manage Shein, Temu, and other cross-border stores — all from one place.

Whether you’re just starting your cross-border journey or already running multiple stores, 4Seller serves as your solid operations backbone.

① One-click Integration for Shein and Temu Stores

With 4Seller, you can:


	

	
Quickly connect multiple Shein and Temu stores in just a few minutes;
	
	

	
Automatically sync product listings, inventory, and order data;
	
	

	
Manage all accounts in one dashboard — view sales performance, shipping progress, and inventory levels at a glance.
	


No more switching between different platform dashboards — 4Seller brings everything together seamlessly.

Helping article: How to Sync Listings from Shopify 、Amazon、TikTok、eBay、Etsy、WooCommerce、Shein  store to TikTok , Amazon, Temu or Shopify Store? 

② Smart Fulfillment Rules for Faster Shipping

Each platform has its own logistics and fulfillment policies.

4Seller’s Smart Fulfillment Engine helps you:


	

	
Automatically match the best logistics channel based on Temu or Shein’s shipping rules;
	
	

	
Customize fulfillment logic by order value, destination country, or warehouse inventory;
	
	

	
Batch-print shipping labels, sync tracking numbers, and monitor delivery status in real time;
	
	

	
Reduce manual operations and minimize errors — boosting overall efficiency.
	


This allows you to focus on product selection and marketing while the system handles fulfillment intelligently.

Helping article: How to Set the Logistics Rules?

③ Real-time Inventory Synchronization to Prevent Overselling

Inventory delays are one of the biggest risks in multi-platform selling.

4Seller’s inventory management system ensures that:


	

	
Inventory updates in real time across all connected platforms;
	
	

	
When an item sells on Temu, the stock count on Shein automatically adjusts;
	
	

	
Low-stock alerts notify you before running out of inventory;
	
	

	
Supports multi-location warehouses, overseas warehouses, and virtual stock management.
	


It’s a complete solution to prevent overselling and stockouts, keeping your operations accurate and reliable.

Helping article: How to Enable Inventory Sync (Inventory Linkage)?

④ Data-driven Insights for Smarter Decisions

4Seller provides powerful analytics and reports to help you understand your business at a glance:


	

	
View trends in sales, best-selling products, and regional performance;
	
	

	
Export reports to Excel or share them with your team;
	
	

	
Use data to optimize product launches, restocking strategies, and ad spending.
	


Your data becomes more than records — it becomes the foundation for smarter decisions.

 

Introducing Ship by SKU Groups: A Game-Changer for High-Volume Fulfillment

 

To help sellers handle high order volumes more efficiently, 4Seller offers Ship by SKU Groups, a feature designed to shift warehouse operations from an order-driven workflow to a product-driven workflow.

Instead of picking items order by order, warehouse staff pick items by SKU, massively reducing walking time and manual matching.

Helping article: How to Quickly Process Orders through Shipping by SKU Groups?

With Ship by SKU Groups, you can:


	

	
Print packing slips, pick lists, and labels by SKU group
	
	

	
Pick all items of the same SKU at once
	
	

	
Attach pre-printed labels directly to products
	
	

	
Eliminate manual order-to-item matching
	






Three Key Benefits of Ship by SKU Groups

1. Significantly Reduce Picking Time

Traditional order-based picking causes constant back-and-forth movement.

Ship by SKU Groups lets staff:


	

	
Pick all units of a SKU from one shelf
	
	

	
Move efficiently through warehouse zones
	
	

	
Potentially double picking efficiency during peak seasons
	




2. Print Labels Without Manual Matching

Old process:

Match each item to its order → time-consuming, high error rate

New process with 4Seller:

Print labels by SKU → pick in bulk → attach the label → done

This not only reduces complexity but massively accelerates fulfillment.



3. Minimize Errors and Boost Accuracy

By removing manual order-matching, error rates can drop below 1%.

For multi-SKU and multi-platform sellers, this directly improves:


	

	
Customer satisfaction
	
	

	
Review quality
	
	

	
Repeat purchase rates
	
	

	
Brand reputation
	




In the End: Efficiency Is the New Competitive Edge

The rapid rise of Shein and Temu signals that we’ve entered a new phase of global e-commerce — one where efficiency is king.

Beyond price competition, sustainable growth now depends on supply chain responsiveness, inventory coordination, and fulfillment speed.

And that’s exactly where 4Seller delivers its value.



Start your 4Seller journey today — simplify multi-platform operations and grow smarter.

Manage your Shein and Temu stores effortlessly — all in one place.

Register for 4Seller

 

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Written by Joline Chan — E-commerce growth strategist & SaaS content creator.

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