Update 10:18am CT, May 22: A Temu spokesperson told the Daily Dot the following via email:
“Our app design is inspired by activities commonly found in traditional retail settings, like shopping malls or funfairs. These features not only make the shopping experience more enjoyable but also allow customers to unlock discounts. Many users have given positive feedback, appreciating the added engagement and fun.
Consumers shop with us because they want a wide range of quality products at low prices, all delivered through a convenient and user-friendly platform. We seek to make the user experience as enjoyable and rewarding as possible – including offering our users opportunities to benefit from exclusive deals and discounts.”
Shoppers who get a rush from scoring the best deal on Temu may have fallen for the popular shopping app’s sneaky casino-inspired tactics and cheap prices that keep them spending more.
According to TechCrunch, Chinese shopping app Temu ranked number one in the United States app store in 2024, beating Amazon, Shein, AliExpress, Wish, and TikTok. What’s the secret behind the shopping app’s repeat customer base?
How does Temu make shoppers spend more?
On top of already inexpensive pricing, Temu employs a marketing strategy called “dark patterns” to keep customers scrolling, according to a report by the Guardian.
One of these dark patterns includes “gamification,” including elements like casino slot machines and spin-the-wheel-inspired coupon pop-ups that slash the final bill even further.
The app also tries to make shoppers believe that the inexpensive products are scarce by including messages like “only three left” and “deal ends soon” on item pages, the Guardian notes.
Shoppers may also be prompted with a flash deal on an item they viewed minutes or hours earlier, encouraging them to add a product they were considering to their carts.
“It keeps you in a dopamine loop that makes you lose track of time,” Neelam Tailor, a journalist at the Guardian, says. “It’s the same reason casinos don’t have clocks or windows.”
Have shoppers fallen for Temu’s tactics?
Many TikTokers suspect some of their family members of having a “Temu addiction,” sharing viral videos featuring the outlandish and dirt-cheap items purchased from the app.
Several show the aftermath of top-to-bottom Temu bathroom decor selected by their family members, calling them “Temu victims.”
Another woman says her mother purchased an “electromagnetic force field” to prevent snow from sticking to her car, which the Daily Dot previously reported on.
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