Shein and Temu step up their advertising in France in the face of the tariffs imposed by Trump But we're not sure that's enough

As the days go by, Trump's legislative decisions are increasingly felt, in the United States, France, and even China. Ruthless legislative decisions that spare no one, not even the Chinese fast fashion giants that once seemed unstoppable. Indeed, while Shein and Temu, two Chinese fast fashion e-commerce platforms, could until now rely on the de minimis rule—a trade exemption allowing parcels under $800 to enter the country duty-free—to sell low-quality clothing for just a few euros, they are now forced to change strategy. To do so, the platforms have decided to turn their backs on the United States and strengthen their digital advertising in Europe, specifically in France and the United Kingdom, according to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

In anticipation of the May 2 de minimis ban, both companies have indeed decided to increase their advertising spending in these two countries, with a 35% increase in spending for Shein and 40% for Temu. But will that be enough to offset the loss of such an important client as America? Kimber Maderazzo, marketing professor at Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School, told BoF that Shein and Temu “will likely not be able to acquire as many customers as they used to” in the United States. According to her, the better strategy would be to focus on retaining their already-loyal American customers, who are willing to face customs fees and pay whatever it takes to continue getting Shein and Temu products. A strategy that contradicts the one just launched in France and the UK, which so far is bearing little fruit. While the boosted advertising efforts of the two platforms have indeed increased their app downloads, with a 25% rise for Shein and nearly double the figures for Temu in less than a month, the number of daily active users has only marginally increased month-over-month. Daily active users of Shein in the UK rose by 5%, and those of Temu by 10%. Meanwhile, Shein's average daily ad spending on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest dropped by an average of 19% during the same period.