Temu app: The Chinese online marketplace that is giving dollar stores a run for their money

Temu app was launched in the US in September 2022. It is a Chinese-owned online marketplace that offers heavily discounted consumer goods, mostly shipped directly from China.

Temu app has been very popular in the US, as it was the most downloaded app in the country for the last few months of 2022 and has remained there for almost every day in 2023. It had over 70 million active users in the US in May 2023 and surpassed Shein in users in the same month. Temu app also accounted for nearly 17% of market share in the US within the discount stores categories as of November 2023. Temu app’s monthly gross merchandise volume hit $1 billion in June 2023.

Temu app is seen as a threat to brick-and-mortar discounters like the dollar stores, as it offers similar or lower prices on household goods and consumer staples. However, Temu app also faces challenges such as quality control, customer support, and legal disputes with rival companies like Shein.

Temu app is also trying to enhance its security and privacy practices by implementing two-factor authentication, offering a bug bounty program, and achieving Mobile Application Security Assessment certification.