The Chinese-based and Cayman Island-registered company PDD Holdings, which also owns Pinduoduo, a well-known Chinese e-commerce site, is the owner and operator of Temu. In September 2022, the Temu platform first became operational in the United States.
In Canada, Temu debuted in February 2023.
The business broadcast a Super Bowl commercial in the same month. It made its debut in Australia and New Zealand in March 2023. Temu was introduced in France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK the following month.
Temu enables Chinese sellers to sell and
distribute products directly to buyers without the need for warehouses in the country of purchase. Both a mobile app and an internet browser can be used to make online purchases on it. The app was the most widely downloaded app in the US as of late 2022. Some users who successfully recruit new members through affiliate codes, social media, and gamification receive free products from it. Additionally, it makes advantage of Facebook and Instagram internet advertising.
For TechCrunch, Sarah Perez writes,
“These adverts appear to be boosting its installs. However, if you read through the app’s ratings, you’ll see concerns that are similar to Wish’s, such as false listings, delayed or damaged delivery, wrong orders, and a lack of customer service. It is beginning to gain a reputation for undelivered products, enigmatic charges, wrong orders, and sluggish customer service, according to Andrew Chow’s Time article.