The Wall Street Journal - As inflation and recession concerns squeeze American consumers, many are t

As inflation and recession concerns squeeze American consumers, many are turning to a new mobile app with Chinese roots.⁠⁠Online shopping site Temu has soared in popularity in the U.S. since its launch in September. The rapid growth of the site, which sells ultra-low-priced goods mostly made in China, has made Shanghai-based Pinduoduo the latest Chinese firm to find success in a country increasingly wary of Beijing as a technology rival.⁠⁠In less than four months, Temu has racked up 10.8 million installations in the U.S., according to analytics firm Sensor Tower, making it the country’s most downloaded mobile app in any category between Nov. 1 and Dec. 14.⁠⁠Shoppers on Temu helped its November sales volume roughly quadruple from October, peaking over the Black Friday shopping period, when daily sales reached $7 million over a seven-day period, according to research firm YipitData.⁠⁠Though still small, Temu’s fast rise recalls that of Shein, another China-founded retailer that quickly emerged to become a juggernaut. Temu also follows ByteDance’s short-video app TikTok, whose viral success and Chinese roots have made it a top target in Washington. Temu pledges on its website to protect intellectual property rights, offset carbon emissions and encrypt consumer data. Shein and TikTok have come under scrutiny for some of those issues.⁠⁠Most Temu bestsellers cost less than $10 and are unbranded, though one hit product, a pair of Lenovo wireless earbuds, lists for $8.47—40% less than on Amazon.com. After applying coupons, consumers can get a pair for $3. Lenovo Audio’s product page indicates it has sold more than 100,000 pairs on Temu.⁠⁠Read more at the link in our bio. ⁠⁠Photo: Lam Yik/Bloomberg News
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