Shein says it has thousands of sales partners across Europe, including more than six hundred in Germany. Through new technology and logistics collaborations, the Chinese platform aims to increase its appeal to local retailers. Germany is a key focus in Shein’s European growth strategy.
Shein is very popular in Germany, which is its second-largest market after the United States. The platform gained several million additional visitors in the country in the second half of last year, despite recurring criticism regarding product safety. It now reaches 22.2 million users per month.
Shein’s marketplace in Europe
Shein began gradually opening its platform to sales partners in Europe in the autumn of 2023. It is now active in eleven countries. According to Retail-News.de, the company has recently developed new interfaces and optimized workflows to attract small and medium-sized enterprises as partners.
Software integrations could help attract SMEs
Integrations with software providers such as SimpleSell are also intended to support that goal. Lampenwelt, Leogra Trading and Floordirekt are among the more than six hundred German retailers that have already joined Shein.
A major competitor
Amazon is a major competitor for Shein in the German market. The American company has a dominant position in ecommerce in Germany, where it is estimated to account for 60 percent of all online sales. Hundreds of thousands of sellers are active on Amazon.de, more than half of whom are reportedly based in China.
Amazon.de has more Chinese than German sellers
Like Shein, Chinese platforms such as AliExpress and Temu are also targeting German consumers and potential sales partners with growing ambition.
Logistics hub in Poland
Shein has recently developed a large logistics center in Poland. This main operational hub on the continent is intended to enable faster and more efficient delivery to Shein customers in Europe. Sales partners can also make use of the warehouse.
