Giants in a clinch

“Mafia-like” methods: Why Temu is now suing Shein

Things have been simmering behind the scenes between Temu and Shein for months.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Ascannio, SergeyBitos – stock.adobe.com)

The two Chinese shopping giants Temu and Shein have been at loggerheads for some time now. A peace agreement reached last October apparently only lasted a short time: Temu has now filed a new lawsuit against its fast-fashion competitor. The accusations are serious. There is talk of "mafia-like" methods, among other things.

Shein and Temu like to appear colorful and cheerful on the outside, but behind the scenes a bitter dispute has been raging between the up-and-coming Chinese companies for months, which has now been taken to a new level: Low-cost online retailer Temu is suing its competitor Shein over copyright concerns and "mafia-style intimidation of suppliers".