Italy fines Shein €1 million for misleading environmental communications.

Rome, August 5 (EFE).- The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has fined Infinite Styles Services, the company that operates Shein product sales websites in Europe, one million euros for using misleading information regarding the brand's environmental commitments.

"Through its website https://it.shein.com and other informational or promotional websites, the company disseminated environmental statements in various sections that were sometimes vague, generic, or overly emphatic, and sometimes omitted and misleading," the Italian antitrust agency writes.

Environmental claims "related to the 'circular market' or the recyclability of products turned out to be false or at least misleading," they explain.

Just as "the claims used by Shein to present, describe and promote the "evoluSHEIN by Design" clothing line emphasize the use of 'eco-friendly' fibers without clearly indicating the substantial environmental benefits of the products throughout their life cycle and without specifying that this product line is still marginal compared to the total Shein brand products."

"In assessing the unfairness of Shein's conduct, the Antitrust Commission emphasized the heightened duty of care it owes by operating in a highly polluting sector and using highly polluting methods, such as the so-called 'disposable' clothing industry (fast and super-fast fashion)," they added.

Italian consumer associations such as Altroconsumo explained that "this sanction demonstrates that our complaints were well-founded. Shein not only uses shady patterns to encourage impulse buying, but also lies about its environmental impact." EFE

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