Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop are facing renewed scrutiny over product safety after a Reuters investigation found more than 20 skin-lightening products previously identified as containing prohibited levels of mercury still being offered through major online marketplaces.

Published on September 16, the investigation found that products appearing on banned-product lists were still available to consumers through Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop in the United States, as well as through Amazon’s third-party marketplaces in France, India, the United Arab Emirates and Belgium.

Reuters noted an important limitation: it could not independently confirm that every product currently listed still contained mercury. However, regulators and public-health authorities had previously tested or identified several products as containing prohibited levels of the toxic metal.

The findings raise a broader question for global e-commerce: how effectively can large marketplaces prevent unsafe products from reappearing when they are sold by third-party merchants operating across multiple jurisdictions?

Mercury skin-lightening products remain available online

The Reuters investigation identified more than 20 products available online that had appeared on banned-product or warning lists because of mercury concerns. Some were still being offered despite years of international restrictions.

Mercury is sometimes added to skin-lightening products because it suppresses melanin production, but exposure can cause serious health effects. The US Food and Drug Administration warns that repeated use of mercury-containing skin products can lead to kidney damage, neurological problems and other potentially permanent health consequences.

The FDA also states that mercury is not permitted in cosmetics except under very limited circumstances that do not apply to these products.

Reuters found products across several countries

The problem is not confined to one marketplace or one jurisdiction. Reuters found suspect products available through marketplace listings accessible in:

• The United States
• France
• Belgium
• India
• The United Arab Emirates

That geographic spread matters for cross-border commerce. Products sold by third-party merchants can move quickly between markets, while seller identities, product names, and listings can change.

This makes enforcement more difficult because a product removed from one platform or seller account may later reappear under another name or through another merchant. Reuters reported that some listings also failed to disclose mercury in their ingredient information.

The core issue is marketplace seller oversight

The investigation highlights one of the most persistent challenges facing global marketplaces. Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop do not manufacture most of the products sold by third-party sellers.

Instead, they provide the platform, payments infrastructure, traffic and, in some cases, fulfillment. That model creates enormous product selection and international reach.

It also creates a regulatory challenge. Platforms must monitor millions of listings and large numbers of independent merchants while attempting to identify products that may be unsafe, illegal or mislabelled.

The scale of the marketplace model makes manual review impossible, meaning platforms rely heavily on automated systems, seller verification, regulatory databases and consumer reports. The Reuters findings suggest that these systems do not always prevent prohibited products from reappearing.

Amazon, Temu and TikTok say prohibited products are not allowed

The platforms involved maintain policies banning illegal or dangerous products. Reuters reported that the companies said they prohibit products that violate applicable safety rules and take action when they identify problematic listings.

Marketplace policies alone, however, do not guarantee that unsafe products will never appear. The more important question for regulators is whether platforms have effective systems to identify risks, verify sellers and prevent previously removed products from being relisted. That distinction is becoming increasingly important in Europe.

EU rules are placing greater responsibility on marketplaces

The European Union has significantly increased obligations for online marketplaces through the Digital Services Act and the General Product Safety Regulation.

Under the Digital Services Act, marketplaces must make reasonable efforts to verify traders, improve product traceability and reduce the circulation of illegal products. The European Commission says marketplaces must also check that products offered through their services are safe and compliant.

If a marketplace becomes aware that an illegal product has been sold, it must also inform affected customers, identify the seller and provide information about possible remedies. These rules increasingly shift regulatory focus away from individual sellers and toward the systems marketplaces operate.

Temu is already under EU scrutiny over illegal products

Temu is already facing regulatory scrutiny in Europe over product safety. In July 2025, the European Commission preliminarily found that Temu had breached its obligations under the Digital Services Act by failing to properly assess the risk of illegal products being sold on its marketplace.

The Commission's own mystery-shopping exercise found a high risk that consumers would encounter non-compliant products, including toys and small electronics. That investigation makes the Reuters findings especially relevant.

The issue is no longer simply whether an individual unsafe product appears online. Regulators are increasingly examining whether marketplace systems are structurally capable of preventing illegal goods from repeatedly reaching consumers.

EU enforcement is becoming more aggressive

The European Commission has already demonstrated that failures around illegal products can result in significant penalties. In July 2026, the Commission fined AliExpress €550 million for breaches of the Digital Services Act related to the dissemination of illegal, unsafe and counterfeit products.

The Commission concluded that AliExpress had failed to adequately assess and mitigate the risks created by illegal products on its platform. That enforcement action established an important precedent. Large marketplaces are expected to show they have systematic safeguards in place, rather than simply removing individual products after problems are reported.

For Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop, the Reuters investigation therefore arrives at a time when European regulators are already demanding stronger marketplace accountability.

Product relisting remains a major challenge

One of the biggest technical problems is preventing products from returning after they have been removed.

A seller can potentially:

• Change the product title
• Alter the images
• Use a different seller account
• Modify the product description
• Move the listing to another marketplace
• Slightly change packaging or branding

This makes enforcement a continuous process rather than a one-time removal. Platforms increasingly use machine learning and product-matching systems to identify duplicate or suspicious listings.

But cross-border marketplaces also have to deal with inconsistent product information, different languages and sellers operating from multiple countries. The Reuters investigation suggests that prohibited products can still bypass these controls.

Unsafe products create a cross-border enforcement problem

Traditional product-safety regulation is largely national. E-commerce is not. A product can be manufactured in one country, sold by a merchant in another and delivered to a consumer somewhere else entirely.

That creates gaps between different regulatory systems. The FDA, for example, can issue warnings and take enforcement action in the United States. European authorities can impose separate restrictions.

But sellers can still attempt to reach consumers through marketplaces operating globally. Reuters reported that regulators and public-health organizations have increasingly called for stronger international cooperation to address the problem. For cross-border e-commerce, this is becoming one of the most difficult compliance challenges.

Why mercury-containing cosmetics are especially concerning

The health risks associated with mercury make these products particularly serious. The FDA says mercury exposure can affect the nervous system and kidneys and may cause symptoms including tremors, memory problems and changes in vision or hearing.

Exposure can also affect other people living in the same household because mercury may contaminate towels, clothing and other surfaces. The FDA specifically warns that children and pregnant individuals can be particularly vulnerable.

This makes the issue substantially more serious than conventional marketplace problems such as inaccurate product descriptions or counterfeit branding. Unsafe cosmetics can create direct public-health consequences.

Marketplace compliance is becoming a competitive issue

The investigation also highlights how product safety could increasingly affect competition between marketplaces. Consumers typically choose platforms based on factors such as:

• Price
• Selection
• Delivery speed
• Convenience
• Returns

Regulators are increasingly adding another requirement: trust. A marketplace that cannot effectively verify its sellers or products may face greater enforcement costs, reputational damage and stricter regulatory oversight. Large platforms therefore have a commercial incentive to improve product-safety controls beyond simply satisfying regulators.

Third-party marketplaces face growing responsibility

The broader direction of regulation is clear. Governments increasingly expect marketplaces to take responsibility for the ecosystem they operate. That does not mean platforms are automatically responsible for every illegal product offered by an independent merchant.

But regulators increasingly expect them to demonstrate effective seller verification, product monitoring and rapid removal systems. The European Commission's current approach under the DSA illustrates this shift particularly clearly. Large marketplaces must assess systemic risks and show that their mitigation measures are effective.

Cross-border e-commerce makes enforcement harder

The rapid international growth of platforms such as Temu, TikTok Shop and Amazon Marketplace makes the challenge even larger. A seller can potentially reach customers across dozens of markets without maintaining physical retail operations in those countries.

This greatly expands opportunities for SMEs and manufacturers. But it also allows problematic products to spread quickly across borders. Regulators are therefore attempting to make marketplaces part of the enforcement infrastructure.

Instead of monitoring every overseas seller individually, authorities increasingly require platforms to verify who is selling and what is being offered.

The Reuters investigation exposes a persistent marketplace weakness

The presence of previously flagged mercury products on some of the world's largest e-commerce platforms shows how difficult product-safety enforcement remains. Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop all have systems intended to prevent prohibited products from being sold. Yet unsafe or previously identified products can still reappear.

For marketplaces, the challenge is no longer simply removing listings when regulators identify them. The next stage is preventing those products from returning under new sellers, names or packaging. As regulators strengthen rules around seller verification and product traceability, this issue is likely to become increasingly important for cross-border e-commerce.

The Reuters investigation ultimately highlights a central tension in the marketplace model. The same open infrastructure that allows millions of third-party sellers to reach global consumers also makes it difficult to guarantee that every product offered is safe and compliant. For regulators, platforms and consumers, solving that problem is becoming one of the defining challenges of global marketplace commerce.

The post Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop Face Scrutiny After Banned Mercury Cosmetics Found on Marketplaces appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Czech beauty retailer Notino generated €1.76 billion in revenue during its latest financial year, reinforcing its position as one of Europe’s most successful cross-border e-commerce businesses.

The Brno-based company closed fiscal year 2025, covering May 2025 to April 2026, with revenue growth of 11.5% year on year. Notino now serves more than 40 million customers across 27 European markets, supported by a combination of localized online stores, mobile commerce, physical retail and beauty-service partnerships.

Although growth slowed during the Black Friday and Christmas shopping period, the company reported a significant acceleration in early 2026. Revenue growth reached 27% during the opening months of the calendar year, suggesting that the retailer entered its new financial period with renewed momentum.

The results demonstrate how a retailer originating in Central Europe can build a large cross-border business by combining regional localization with centralized technology, logistics and brand management.

Poland remains Notino’s largest European market

Poland generated more than 15% of Notino’s total revenue, making it the company’s largest national market.

The Czech Republic, where Notino is headquartered, accounted for approximately 12%, while Italy contributed 9%. Romania represented a further 7% of annual revenue.

The geographical distribution of its sales highlights the genuinely cross-border nature of Notino’s business. Rather than depending heavily on its domestic market, the retailer has built substantial operations across Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Europe.

Croatia and Lithuania were the company’s fastest-growing markets during the financial year, with revenue in both countries rising by more than 25%.

These results also illustrate the opportunity available in smaller European markets. While Germany, France, Italy and Spain are often considered the primary destinations for international e-commerce expansion, markets in Central and Eastern Europe can offer strong growth where competition, customer acquisition costs and online retail penetration differ from those in the continent’s largest economies.

Revenue has more than doubled in four years

Notino’s latest performance forms part of a much longer period of rapid expansion.

The company generated approximately €737 million in revenue in 2021. Four years later, annual revenue had increased by more than €1 billion to reach €1.76 billion.

In 2022, the company reported turnover of more than €1.03 billion, representing year-on-year growth of 32%. At that stage, Notino said customers were purchasing the equivalent of 3.5 products every second.

Fiscal year 2024 revenue subsequently reached approximately €1.58 billion, up 18% year on year. The latest €1.76 billion result therefore represents continued double-digit expansion, although at a more moderate annual rate than in some previous periods.

Notino nevertheless said it continued to grow faster than the wider European e-commerce market while maintaining a sufficiently strong financial position to keep investing in its infrastructure and customer experience.

Four in ten Notino orders now come through its app

Mobile commerce has become a central element of Notino’s customer-retention and sales strategy.

Approximately four out of every ten orders are now placed through the Notino mobile app. The company has invested in simplifying the purchasing process, improving digital services, increasing personalization and introducing a loyalty program designed to encourage repeat purchases.

The proportion of app-based orders is particularly significant for the beauty sector, where frequent purchases, product discovery, personalized recommendations and loyalty incentives can encourage customers to return regularly.

An app can also provide retailers with a more direct relationship with customers than conventional web traffic. It reduces dependence on search engines, marketplaces and paid advertising channels while creating additional opportunities for personalized offers, product reminders and loyalty rewards.

Notino’s loyalty program was initially introduced in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The retailer plans to refine the program using customer feedback before expanding it gradually into additional European markets.

This controlled approach reflects one of the central challenges of cross-border e-commerce: a program that performs well in one market may need to be adapted to different customer expectations, pricing environments and purchasing habits elsewhere.

Physical stores become an important growth channel

Despite its origins as an online retailer, Notino is increasingly developing an omnichannel model.

The company currently operates 27 physical stores across eight European countries. Revenue generated through those stores increased by almost 30% year on year, substantially faster than the company’s overall annual growth rate.

Notino opened its first physical store in Croatia during the latest financial year and plans to open its first Slovenian store in Ljubljana in autumn 2026.

The expansion demonstrates that physical retail can complement rather than replace an e-commerce-led strategy.

Beauty products can be difficult to evaluate entirely online. Fragrance, makeup and skincare customers may want to test products, receive advice or compare different options in person before purchasing. Stores can therefore support product discovery and build trust, while the online platform provides a broader range, convenient delivery and repeat-order functionality.

Physical locations can also serve as local brand-building tools in markets where a retailer is less established. They give customers a visible point of contact while strengthening the credibility of the broader online operation.

Notino is building a broader beauty ecosystem

The retailer’s strategy now extends beyond selling physical products.

Through the Notino Partner platform, customers can book appointments with participating beauty salons. The service connects more than 8,000 salons with customers in five European countries and processed approximately 1.5 million bookings during the latest financial year.

Notino plans to introduce the service in Croatia and Austria during 2026.

The platform gives the company an opportunity to become involved in a wider portion of the customer journey. Instead of interacting with consumers only when they purchase cosmetics, Notino can also participate when they book hair, skincare or other beauty services.

This model can potentially create a reinforcing ecosystem. Customers discover products through the website or app, visit stores to test them and use the same brand to access related professional services.

For cross-border retailers, this broader ecosystem approach can provide an advantage over competitors focused exclusively on product transactions.

New leadership structure supports European expansion

Notino has also reorganized its senior leadership as the company prepares for its next stage of growth.

After more than six years leading the business, Zbyněk Kocián transferred management responsibility to three co-CEOs: Bartosz Kliś, Lukáš Havlásek and Jakub Šedý.

Responsibilities have been divided across three main areas of the business. The company believes that the structure will accelerate decision-making and allow it to manage an increasingly complex European operation more effectively.

Šedý oversees areas including finance, legal affairs, human resources, facilities, logistics and strategy. He said Notino had maintained healthy profitability, increased absolute EBITDA, improved working-capital efficiency and reduced net debt, although the latest figures remained subject to final audit at the time of his statement.

According to Šedý, Notino recorded growth of more than 20% in every month from February 2026 onwards.

The operational changes are intended to create a more agile organization capable of continuing to invest in technology, logistics, customer experience and talent while preserving financial discipline.

Logistics and localization remain central to the model

Notino’s growth provides a useful example of the infrastructure required to scale a cross-border retail business across Europe.

Operating in 27 markets requires more than translating a website. Retailers must manage different languages, currencies, payment preferences, delivery expectations, product regulations, promotional calendars and customer-service requirements.

Notino says it operates in 27 countries and works across 22 languages. Its workforce numbers more than 2,800 employees, according to the company’s careers information.

The company combines these local market capabilities with centralized investment in areas such as technology, inventory, logistics and digital customer experience.

This balance is important. Excessive centralization can produce a customer experience that feels disconnected from individual markets, while excessive decentralization can duplicate costs and create operational complexity.

Notino’s scale suggests that it has been able to build a common European retail platform while maintaining sufficient local adaptation to compete in very different national markets.

What Notino’s results mean for European e-commerce

Notino’s €1.76 billion revenue result offers several lessons for retailers pursuing international growth.

First, successful cross-border expansion need not begin in Europe’s largest markets. Notino grew from the Czech Republic and made Poland its largest revenue source, while some of its fastest growth is now coming from Croatia and Lithuania.

Second, localization must extend beyond language. Mobile behavior, loyalty schemes, delivery options, physical retail and beauty-service partnerships all need to reflect how customers shop in each country.

Third, omnichannel retail can strengthen an online-first business. Notino’s store revenue grew by almost 30%, indicating that physical locations are becoming a meaningful contributor rather than a secondary brand exercise.

Finally, direct customer relationships are becoming increasingly valuable. With 40% of orders coming through its app, Notino is reducing its dependence on external discovery and acquisition channels while creating more opportunities for repeat purchases and personalized engagement.

Notino prepares for its next European growth phase

Notino enters fiscal year 2026 with a larger customer base, a new leadership structure and further physical and digital expansion planned across Europe.

The company’s annual growth rate of 11.5% is lower than the exceptional increases recorded in some earlier years. However, the acceleration to 27% growth during the first months of 2026 indicates that momentum may be strengthening again.

Its progress also shows that European e-commerce growth is increasingly being driven by retailers capable of combining digital scale with local market execution.

Notino is no longer simply a Czech online perfume retailer selling internationally. It has developed into a multi-market European beauty platform incorporating e-commerce, mobile shopping, stores, loyalty services and salon bookings.

The next challenge will be maintaining that local relevance and operational efficiency as the business grows larger and competition in European beauty retail intensifies.

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