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Clothing, leisure items, school supplies … shopping is often done online these days. Young people in particular like to use Shein and Temu, for example. The stores entice shoppers with very low prices, high discounts and targeted advertising – especially on social media. But caution is advised.

Temu and Shein – what’s behind the online stores?

For a long time, Amazon was the undisputed largest online retailer. However, other platforms have become increasingly present in recent years. They are called Temu, Shein, AliExpress or Wish, are often based in Asian countries and combine extremely low prices with a strikingly aggressive advertising strategy. The two largest and best-known providers are Shein and Temu:

Temu is an online marketplace from China, headquartered in Dublin, where companies sell items in all categories – from clothing and furnishings to electronics. Temu has been active in Germany since 2023. Users can not only shop via the portal, but also play games. The aim is to encourage them to return frequently.
Shein is an online store from Singapore that primarily offers “fast fashion” (i.e. very affordable and often short-lived clothing). The platform has been available in Germany since 2015. The company primarily advertises to a young target group on social networks and also works with influencers.

AliExpress and Wish also have similar offers and strategies – with comparable risks.

Why do these stores appeal so strongly to children and young people?

The platforms work with superlatives: they have extremely large product ranges that are changing rapidly. They offer very low prices and very high discounts – and they advertise louder, more aggressively and more pointedly than all other providers.

Children and young people can hardly avoid the platforms: they are shown personalized ads on social media, but influencers also frequently advertise online marketplaces. In this way, the platforms turn themselves into online trends and become attractive to young shoppers.

What should users know?

The seemingly unbelievable offers come at a price:

Poor quality: Because the bargain platforms primarily sell a lot of goods quickly and at a low price, they are often not of good quality. Both users and mystery shoppers complain that the cheap products are of poor quality and often do not meet their requirements.
No sustainability: The focus on quick sales means that sustainability falls by the wayside: the production and sales channels are opaque, manufacturing conditions, working conditions and product ingredients are often unclear and long flight routes have a negative impact on the environment.
Legal gray areas: Providers often operate in a legal gray area. They circumvent EU tax and customs regulations and have legal disputes with many EU countries due to a lack of consumer protection.
Data protection problems: And finally, stores often don’t take data protection very seriously either – they collect data and analyze it for their advertising strategies. There have also been accusations that data is being sold.

What parents should pay attention

If your child shops on these platforms, it is important that you take a close look together beforehand: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such platforms. Consider together to what extent and for which products it makes sense to use them. And discuss how you can make the purchase as secure as possible: Many platforms require payment in advance – but the risk can be reduced by making sure you use secure payment methods such as buyer protection (e.g. with PayPal or credit cards). Also take a look at your cell phone settings: Only give the app the most necessary authorizations. For example, shopping providers do not need to know your location and push notifications can be deactivated.

Also question advertising on social media together: What is a genuine recommendation and what is paid advertising (sponsorship)? If your child shows interest in a product, don’t just look at the price, but also compare the quality from other suppliers. This will help you avoid disappointment or duplicate purchases.

Even better: look for sustainable, trustworthy and affordable alternatives to marketplaces together. Second-hand suppliers, for example, often also have a large selection of products at reasonable prices – and with far fewer catches.

Tip: Use this topic to talk to your child about values when shopping: Do clothes always have to be new? What is important to me – price, style, quality, environment? How much do I really need? Such conversations help young people to critically question consumption and make good decisions.