Online fashion sale peaks as Shein and Temu increase popularity

Almost half of Belgians have ordered fashion items online, nearly equalling the record heights set during the Covid-19 pandemic. The increasing popularity of Chinese webshops like Shein and Temu is no stranger to this.

Female, highly educated and young

Fashion is by far the most popular category online, with 44.7 % of Belgians buying clothes (including shoes and accessories) online. Tickets for cultural or other events (26.7 %) and hotel or room rentals (24.9 %) are second and third at a huge distance, Belgian newspaper De Standaard quotes from a a new report by the Federal Public Service Economy.

In 2021, when fashion shops were forced to close during lockdowns, equally many people ordered clothes online. The new increase is due to the growing popularity of cheap Chinese websites like Shein and Temu. However, European retailers say this does involve unfair competition as the Chinese parcels escape inspection, while often not meeting European standards. The European Commission has opened an investigation to this end.

Online shopping is most popular with the highly educated and younger people, the report also shows. Remarkably, while women order online more often than men, the male/female ratio is reversed with the over 55s.