Cologne, April 18, 2025
The adopted supply chain law, in its weakened form, is not sufficient to ensure genuine transparency or fair competition. A Cologne-based startup is now focusing on structural change – with a platform for European production.
Supply chain under control – and still on the margins: Local brands in the shadow of the system
While international platforms invest billions in advertising budgets, logistics systems, and customer data, locally produced brands are often left with only direct sales through their own online stores – with limited visibility. Producers who rely on fair materials, wages, and short supply chains can hardly compete in the digital space. Not because their products are inferior – but because they lack reach. The prevailing platform dominance forces them to present their offerings among low-priced imported products of unknown origin.
“It’s not quality that’s the problem – it’s a market in which fair production conditions remain invisible and consumers have little opportunity to compare,” says founder Michelle Kujawa.
“Buy from EU” trend – demand for digital sovereignty displaces economic reality
While many are currently focusing on the growing pressure from the US – for example, through possible new Trump tariffs – another development is increasingly losing focus:
The flood of cheap imports from the Far East, which is flooding the European market with more and more products at rock-bottom prices.
Platforms like Temu, Shein, and others are increasingly pushing local suppliers out of visibility. The decline of businesses continues – and with it, Europe is losing production capacity, know-how, and economic sovereignty.
"We talk about digital sovereignty—but without an economic foundation, this is just lip service," says co-founder Hendrik Iserlohe. The current "Buy from EU" movement needs to be thought through further.
Supply Chain Act – symbolic effect instead of system change?
The EU Supply Chain Act is intended to enshrine responsibility in global supply chains. However, in its currently adopted, significantly weakened version, it only applies to companies with more than 1,000 employees – and leaves many smaller players out.
Especially on online platforms with decentralized retail structures, it's questionable whether actual production conditions will change. The market picture remains the same – and it affects precisely those who have long been producing fairly and transparently. Many consumers, however, are looking for an alternative to Amazon.
"Corporate social responsibility has been enshrined in law for years – but implementation is still lacking. Large fast-fashion corporations continue to flourish. What is missing are robust control structures in the production countries. Yet these very structures have long existed in the member states of the European Union," says founder Michelle Kujawa.
Infrastructure instead of idealism – what makes Youro different
The Cologne-based startup has therefore chosen a different approach: Youro is the first curated marketplace exclusively for products "Made in the EU." In addition to transparency regarding the origin of materials and production locations, it is primarily about one thing: visibility – where consumer decisions are made.
"Many of our partner brands can't afford social ads, SEO agencies, or fulfillment centers. What they lack isn't quality, but a system that supports them," says co-founder Hendrik Iserlohe.
Shared visibility for regional production
In the long term, Youro aims to create an infrastructure that makes local production economically competitive: through collaborative advertising formats, shipping solutions, and scalable purchasing communities.
Over 50 brands with more than 600 products are already represented on the platform. The connection is commission-based and requires minimal technical effort – many online shops can be integrated in just a few minutes.
"We want to offset the structural disadvantages that local producers face in online retail – and enable consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. Fundamentally, the capitalist system provides for consumer participation. But this lever only works if there is true market transparency," says Kujawa.
About Youro
Youro GmbH was founded in Cologne in 2024. The startup operates the first curated marketplace for products "Made in EU." Founder Michelle Kujawa and co-founder Hendrik Iserlohe pursue the goal of combining economic sovereignty, fair production, and European visibility online – thus setting a new standard in e-commerce.
Press contact
Contact person: Michelle Kujawa
Email address: presse@youro.shop
To the website: www.youro.shop
To the press kit: https://youro.shop/pages/presse