Temu is not exactly new news, I know.
Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo launched the marketplace in the US back in 2022, and it has since taken the retail world by storm. [user
As a retail reporter, I’ve written about Temu and its impact on US companies, but I never got around to actually trying it myself.
That changed on the Sunday after Thanksgiving when I wanted to find a specific Christmas gift inspired by “KPop Demon Hunters.”
In the Google search results, Temu had a better-looking option than what I saw in the official Netflix store, so I decided to give the site a try, assuming it would be as straightforward as buying from Amazon or Walmart.
It was not.
When I clicked on the listing, a prompt suggested I could have the item for free if I used the app.
Doubtful, yet curious, I downloaded the app. Then it wanted my phone number — OK, fine.
Then it asked me to spin a wheel to get a deal. (The fine print says everyone gets the best deal, regardless of the apparent spin.)
Then another bonus unlocked, and another.
Soon, the app prompted me to fill a cart with additional items, assuring me that they would be sharply discounted.
Faced with an endless scroll of apparel and kitchen listings, I tried to build an order of stuff I would actually use.
But every time I got nearly ready to check out, the app offered yet another deal that required the addition of still more items.
The experience was somewhere between gambling and gaming, and I found myself losing touch with any sense of price rationality.
Exhausted, I closed the app for the night without buying anything at all.
On Monday morning, I checked the app and saw the myriad offers from the day before had expired. I had to drop the kids off at school and get to work, so I emptied my cart of everything except the original KPop shirt that got me into this situation, declined several more Cyber Monday bonus offers, and bought the one product.
I’ve since received two text messages a day with various offers of rewards, credits, reimbursements, and other phrases that sound like money, but involve a lot of steps to redeem.
As I was writing this article, I decided to test one of the bonus offers, a $800 coupon bundle that I could “earn” for the trouble of making a single purchase. I picked a $12 sweater and unlocked a stack of coupons for 20% off various transaction sizes, all of which expire in two days.
Meanwhile, my original order from Monday is still being prepared for shipping, and I have yet to see anything else that I actually want or need on the app. A lot of it honestly reminds me of a Sky Mall brochure.
I asked Temu about this highly gamified app experience, and a spokesperson said many users have shared appreciation for the features’ added engagement.
“The interactive elements of our app are intended to enhance the shopping experience and allow customers to unlock additional discounts,” the spokesperson said.
I believe I could eventually find something interesting at a great price and wait for it to arrive, but I’m not sure the time and effort required to shop on Temu’s chaotic app are worth the potential savings.
I’ll be sticking with my familiar e-commerce options for the foreseeable future — at least until I’m much older.
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