[Opinion] Temu, Shein, AliExpress, and now Joybuy: are we finally waking up in Europe?

Anyone looking at the retail sector in Europe today sees, above all, price pressure, fierce competition, and increasingly discerning consumers. The emergence of players like Shein, AliExpress, and Temu has only intensified that pressure. Now Joybuy, JD.com’s European platform, is also entering the scene.

Europe is still operating under yesterday’s model

For many retailers, this feels like the next wave in an already difficult market. But anyone who views the phenomenon merely as cheap e-commerce entering Europe is missing the bigger picture. What is happening here is not classic competition between retailers. It is a clash between two different systems of economics and technology. Retail is at the center of a much larger shift.