UK consumers are sending a mixed but increasingly pointed message to policymakers: they enjoy the bargains offered by ultra-cheap cross-border marketplaces, but many also want rules tightened to protect domestic retailers and prevent low-value imports from flooding the market. That is the headline from new research published by the Retail Technology Show (RTS), as platforms such as Temu and Shein continue to expand across Europe while attracting growing scrutiny over the long-term sustainability of their business models.
RTS said price-led marketplaces remain popular. In the past year, 45% of UK shoppers bought from Temu or Shein, underlining how quickly ultra-low pricing has become embedded in mainstream shopping habits. Temu recorded 115.7 million unique European users per month in the first half of 2025, while Shein reported that its UK sales rose by roughly a third to more than £2 billion—leapfrogging Boohoo and narrowing the gap with Asos.
Yet the report also suggests growth may be moving into a more mature phase. RTS points to market saturation, tightening regulation and persistent questions around environmental and commercial durability as factors that could slow the pace of expansion.
Against that backdrop, RTS surveyed 1,000 UK shoppers and found majority support for revisiting the UK de minimis rule, which exempts imported parcels valued under £135 from import duties. Overall, 54% of respondents said the government should change the threshold to limit the flow of ultra-cheap ecommerce products into the UK. Support was strongest among younger shoppers: 68% of Gen Z backed reform.
The data highlights Gen Z’s role as both the most active users of Chinese marketplaces and the demographic most supportive of policy change. RTS said 82% of UK Gen Z consumers shop on Chinese platforms, and 41% buy from Shein at least monthly—more than twice the rate of older generations (16%). The finding suggests that the desire for a fairer competitive environment does not necessarily sit in opposition to bargain-hunting behaviour.
“There’s no denying that the lure of ultra-low-priced goods will appeal to squeezed consumers as downward pressure on household budgets continues to suppress spending. But while consumers want access to competitively priced goods, they also want to support home-grown retail brands,” commented Matt Bradley, Founder and Event Director of RTS.
“Consumers are increasingly calling for the playing field to be levelled up to ensure the ongoing health of the retail sector and the High Street in the long-term.”
The UK debate is unfolding alongside international moves to tighten low-value import regimes. In the US, tariff changes and the removal of de minimis exemptions for low-value parcels were followed by a sharp slowdown in marketplace engagement. RTS cited figures showing that between March and May 2025, Temu’s US daily active users fell 52%, while Shein’s dropped 25%.
Many in the UK retail sector expected a similar shift domestically, and it was widely anticipated the UK would scrap or reform the exemption in last year’s Autumn Budget. Instead, the UK de minimis rule will remain in place until March 2029, despite lobbying from retailers including Primark, Currys and Next, as well as the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
RTS 2026 will put that policy tension on stage. Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of the BRC, is set to speak at the event in a session examining whether the UK government is enabling—or obstructing—retail innovation, growth and investment. She will join Kate Hardcastle MBE for a fireside chat on 22 April discussing policy, market trends and the health of the sector. Retail Economics CEO Richard Lim will also speak on 23 April on how retailers can manage economic pressure and disruption while responding to shifting customer expectations.
