If you’re active on social media, you may have come across ads for temptingly cheap items from an app called Temu.
Here’s everything you need to know about Temu, including what it is, who owns the app and what kind of products Temu sells.
What is Temu?
Temu (pronounced tee-moo) is an online marketplace operated by Shanghai-based company PDD Holdings Inc. The retailer uses its network of suppliers, logistic vendors and fulfilment partners to offer wholesale prices direct to customers.
This includes discounts on clothing, beauty products, homeware, toys, tech and much more.
Temu itself is actually the sister company of another massive retailer – Pinduoduo. But, where Pinduoduo offers discounts to Chinese customers with a focus on the agricultural market, Temu was designed to take on the US and European markets.
Temu is known for its extremely low prices and many of its products are sourced from China. This has caused shoppers to draw comparisons between Temu and other affordable marketplaces like Wish and Shein.
However, unlike the latter two retailers, which have been around since 2008 and 2010 respectively, Temu is still relatively new. The app launched just under a year ago in September 2022, quickly becoming one of the most downloaded apps on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. As of writing this guide, Temu holds the number one spot in the Top Free Apps list on the App Store.
So, how has it gotten to be a household name?
Temu’s fast rise could be accredited to its system that rewards users who convince friends, family and followers to sign up for the app. Temu offers credits to users for every person they convince to register for its app. These credits can then be used to purchase products on the app, allowing users to essentially receive free gifts in exchange for advertising Temu.
That said, Temu has received mixed reviews since its launch.
The app has garnered a number of complaints on TrustPilot and the Better Business Bureau for its long shipping waits and poor customer service, along with missing items and issues with returns.
Meanwhile, sister company Pinduoduo has been accused of selling counterfeit and illegal goods and fostering poor working conditions which were brought to light following the deaths of two Pinduoduo employees in 2021 (via Time).
