Temu files new lawsuit against Shein, accusing rival of 'mafia-like intimidation'

Chinese sales platform Temu has filed a new lawsuit against rival Shein, according to details released by the United States District Court on Wednesday. The new lawsuit comes after both parties decided in October to drop their previous series of lawsuits against each other. However, the hatchet does not seem to have been buried yet.

“We have sued Shein because their actions have escalated recently. They have illegally detained traders, forcibly asked for their phones, stolen accounts and passwords, stolen our trade secrets, and at the same time forced traders to leave our platform,” a Temu spokesperson said to Bloomberg.

The feud between the two e-commerce platforms is not something that happened today or yesterday. Shein, which has been selling fast-fashion since 2008, sued Temu almost a year ago for intellectual property infringement. Temu, which started in 2022, then accused Shein in July this year of “threatening and coercing entrepreneurs into exclusivity agreements.”

Temu and Shein both sell budget-friendly, Made-in-China fashion and home goods. They ship the goods all over the world via the website and app, including in the UK, US, the Netherlands, Spain, France and Italy.

This article was written by Susan Zijp.