Greek consumers are leading among Europeans in shopping on Chinese retail platforms, such as Shein and Temu. Four out of five (80%) said in a recent European Central Bank consumer survey that they have used such platforms, ranking first among 11 member-states surveyed. On average in the eurozone the total was just over 50%.
The strong preference of Greek consumers for cheap – as a rule – Chinese consumer products perhaps also explains the overcrowding that has recently occurred at the Athens airport, where those imports are now cleared and customs duties are charged at €3 per product.
Until recently, parcels up to €150 – which usually encompass those platforms – passed duty-free. Now, the European Commission is taking measures against a phenomenon with many dimensions: from unfair competition in European products to potential risks for European consumers, but also for the environment, from unsafe products that do not meet European standards.
But how to explain the rapid increase in imports of these products in recent years in Europe as a whole, and in the countries of the European South, such as Greece, in particular? Besides the low prices, minimal competition from other platforms – which do not have as strong a presence in southern European countries as in the north – also plays a role.
