With Chinese retailer Shein mired in controversy over French objections to its newly minted store in Paris and the alleged lack of child safeguarding on its website; now seems like a good time to ask: Are Irish consumers too trigger-happy when it comes to buying from cheap online platforms? And if so, how can we mitigate the worst effects of this trade; in terms of the environment, product safety standards and the damage to the local economy?

These questions were explored on Today with Philip Boucher-Hayes on RTÉ Radio 1, where sustainability journalist Jo Linehan and Jean McCabe, CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland, talked about the scale of low-cost imports arriving into Europe and Ireland, and what this means for consumers, retailers and communities.

The numbers are jaw-dropping. Ireland's EU Commissioner Michael McGrath recently highlighted that 4.6 billion low-value parcels entered the EU from China last year — about 12 million every day. These products are cheap, easy to access and heavily promoted on social media. For many households, especially in a cost-of-living squeeze, the appeal is clear.

But retail spokeswoman Jean McCabe argues that there are unseen costs for Irish towns and local economies:

"The bricks and mortar retail: this is communities, town centres, cities all around the place. It supports tourism and it adds so much more to society than just retail. And e-commerce doesn't add a whole lot to society in that sense."

She noted that online "distance sellers" can operate in Ireland without the same regulatory and safety obligations as Irish businesses. That creates, she says, an uneven playing field — and it raises the stakes of any policy response;

"We have moved away from the state of globalization and we're moving into an era of protectionism across the globe. And certainly, that is the case in recent months, more so than ever. But there is a fine line to tread. Nobody really benefits from protectionism. Globalism is what helps lift all boats."

The instinct to "just ban" or restrict might feel satisfying, she suggested — but real solutions require balance.

The Sunday Times climate editor Jo Linehan highlighted another layer of the issue: consumer safety and supply-chain ethics. Some products, she noted, arrive in Europe without meaningful oversight:

"There have been issues with cosmetics. You have ingredients like Lilial, which is listed as a chemical. And this is where the difference comes in. In the EU, that is listed as a very high concern ingredient, and it has been banned since 2022. It's been linked to fertility issues and fetal development."

Transparency in how products are made, by whom, and under what conditions is extremely limited on many bargain platforms. And even when consumers want to make better choices, Linehan acknowledges the reality:

"It's a lot of work to look for things that are maybe a little bit more eco-friendly or made in Ireland. And honestly, consumers are exhausted. So, I think making things really easy for them to make the right choice is so, so important."

France has introduced traffic-light style eco-labels and is rolling out digital product passports (QR codes displaying sourcing and environmental data). Jean McCabe warns that while transparency tools sound positive, they come with their own costs for businesses already under pressure:

"It's almost a bit of a vicious cycle because that DPP regulation that was just mentioned is going to add another cost layer of time and effort onto operators, onto retailers, onto businesses. So, while in context it sounds great, it is going to have a cost implication."

And ultimately, she said, education and labelling will have limited power if the cheapest, quickest choice remains friction-free:

"Until we make it inconvenient to buy from China, I don't think the effect of the likes of the EcoScore and that regulation from the EU is going to have its positive impact that we had hoped."

You can hear more of this discussion in the full interview by clicking the image above.