Temu: The online browsing upstart which is turn into the most downloaded application in the US


Hong Kong
CNN
 — 

A new on line buying platform linked to a person of China’s best retailers has speedily turn out to be the most downloaded app in the United States, surpassing Amazon and Walmart. Now it’s searching to capitalize from an overall look on America’s most important phase.

Temu, a Boston-dependent online retailer that shares the similar owner as Chinese social commerce large Pinduoduo, produced its Super Bowl debut on Sunday.

Temu, which runs an online superstore for practically almost everything — from home products to clothing to electronics — unveiled a commercial throughout the video game that inspired shoppers to “shop like a billionaire.”

The pitch? You never have to be a person.

“Through the largest stage doable, we want to share with our consumers that they can shop with a sense of freedom because of the price we supply,” a Temu spokesperson advised CNN in a statement.

The 30-next location displays the company’s proposition to users: Sense like you’re splurging by getting lots of stuff cheaply. A woman’s swimsuit on Temu expenses just $6.50, whilst a pair of wi-fi earphones is priced at $8.50. An eyebrow trimmer costs 90 cents.

These amazingly reduced charges — by Western requirements, at least — have drawn comparisons to Shein, the Chinese quickly vogue upstart that also features a extensive selection of low-cost garments and residence products, and has produced major inroads into markets such as the United States.

Shein is thought of just one of Temu’s rivals, alongside with US-primarily based low cost retailer Want and Alibaba’s AliExpress, in accordance to Coresight Analysis.

Temu, pronounced “tee-moo,” was introduced final calendar year by PDD, its US-outlined father or mother firm formerly acknowledged as Pinduoduo. The firm formally changed its name just this month.

PDD’s subsidiary Pinduoduo is just one of China’s most well-known e-commerce platforms with roughly 900 million users. It created its identify with a group-buying enterprise design, making it possible for people today to preserve income by enlisting friends to buy the identical product in bulk.

On its website, Temu claims it makes use of its guardian company’s “vast and deep network … developed more than the many years to offer you a broad array of affordable quality items.”

Considering the fact that its rollout in September, the software has been downloaded 24 million periods, racking up a lot more than 11 million month to month active buyers, in accordance to Sensor Tower.

In the fourth quarter of very last yr, US app installations for Temu exceeded those people for Amazon

(AMZN)
, Walmart

(WMT)
and Focus on

(TGT)
, according to Abe Yousef, a senior insights analyst at the analytics company Sensor Tower.

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“Temu soared to the top of each US app keep charts in November, where by the application however holds the best position now,” he told CNN, referring to iOS and Android cellular application shops.

Yousef mentioned the firm had been significantly thriving at buying new consumers by providing really minimal costs and in-application flash promotions, such as 89% off selected goods.

The business is now eyeing new territory. This thirty day period, Temu stated on Twitter that it ideas to broaden to Canada.

Michael Felice, an affiliate associate at administration consulting agency Kearney, said Temu stood out merely by providing merchandise without large markups.

“Temu may be exposing a white house in the industry wherein models have been creating at extreme reduced price tag, and alongside the worth chain there’s been so much bloated expense passed on for margin,” he informed CNN.

“That said, American individuals may well not even be all set to acknowledge some of these rate factors … There is often the dilemma, ‘is it way too low-priced to be good?’”

Deborah Weinswig, CEO of Coresight Analysis, has cautioned that it may possibly be way too early to notify irrespective of whether Temu will be capable to retain these really reduced price ranges, absolutely free shipping and other benefits.

“Temu aims to carry on to experiment in internet marketing and offerings, which is achievable thanks to its resource-loaded parent business,” she wrote in a report.

Its launch, she explained, “comes at an opportune minute, as individuals lookup for price amid nonetheless-elevated inflation and a degree of economic uncertainty.”