Shein and Temu, Chinese e-commerce giants, dominate the “fast fashion” sector in Europe thanks to extremely low prices and online-only sales. These platforms, classified as VLOPs (Very Large Online Platforms) with over 45 million active users in the EU, are accused of engaging in unfair competition against Italian and European fashion brands.
In Italy, for example, production fell by 6.6% in 2025, and European governments and antitrust authorities (in Italy, Germany, France, and Sweden) have launched investigations and fines, though the economic impact remains limited for now.
Is there a way for companies to defend themselves?
In an interview with Affari&Finanza, Laura Bussoli stated that “first of all, companies need to build strong IP portfolios, that is, intellectual property portfolios. They should continue registering trademarks, designs, and models both at the EU level and in the countries where this phenomenon originates — namely China and Hong Kong. It’s also important to consider using reliable authentication technologies, such as anti-counterfeiting labels or QR codes, which should be an integral part of the so-called digital passport — a document meant to accompany textile products to guarantee their certified authenticity.”
Are these measures enough?
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