When Manchester-based Lucy Clark first logged on to the viral retail app Temu in 2023, she felt like she was in a virtual casino. A spinning roulette wheel touted enticing cash coupon rewards; countdown timers – dangerously close to running out – promised free delivery; and lightning bolts advertising flash discount deals streaked across her screen. "I'd heard about Temu on TikTok, with people showing off their hauls and sharing promotional codes. Everyone I know has at least been on Temu once and had a look. I wasn't searching for anything in particular.”
Barraged with a bewildering assortment of dirt-cheap home gadgets, electronic devices and novelty items, Clark decided to buy some squeaky dog toys for Rickson, her mother's French Bulldog. They cost a negligible fraction of the price she'd pay at retail stores like Pets at Home or even online at Amazon.
She was indifferent to Temu's two-week delivery window – slow by Amazon's standards, but realistic according to her experience with Shein, where Clark has shopped for several years. "I could pay extra to get it expedited, but I'm never that desperate for the stuff I'm ordering."
Temu's chaotically diverse emporium of stuff is just that – it rarely comprises necessities, but the scrapyard assortment has something for everyone. If you've imagined it – and perhaps even if you haven't – Temu has it: from beard-trimming bibs to mini toilet golf, tiny printers, avocado slicers or swanky hoodies for your car's gear stick.
Clark knows quality isn't guaranteed, but she writes that off as just a part of the shopping experience. "You're either going to get something really good and an absolute bargain. Or you get something that's underwhelming, but won't actually return it, because it's less than £10 so it's not worth your time."
Temu's approach to pricing and how it promotes products, say experts, is deliberate – pushing the exact consumer psychology buttons necessary to prolong shopping. And "gamification" – the practice of implementing gaming-related elements into the ecommerce experience – is increasingly prevalent. Customers are encouraged to keep shopping with the introduction of bonuses and coupons that replicate the rewards you might accumulate in a video game.
Now, brands worldwide are attempting to cash in on this phenomenon, incorporating spin to win features, quizzes and sophisticated referral systems on their sites. Even iconic brands such as Starbucks and Sephora have added gamified elements to their online reward programmes; Lacoste has a crocodile hunt game in which shoppers unlock prizes in its store.
Few brands, however, do all these things simultaneously and as overtly as Temu. The billion-dollar Chinese shopping platform is designed to get consumers' brains firing’, and encourage the frenzied shopping for which they're now famous. What is Temu's secret – and does its impulse-driven formula set the stage for the future of shopping?
"Temu is as addictive as sugar. The experience and cheap prices give consumers a little dopamine hit and keeps them coming back for more." Regular promotions increase engagement, and the chaotic interface of the website creates the illusion for consumers that they can "dive in" and sift through listings to discover a great deal – especially finding them if they move quickly. Temu's marketing strategy means you are literally having to browse to get your rewards."
Temu utilises the "perceived urgency aspect" by using timers and countdowns to convince customers that deals are running out. He likens it to the strategy behind slot machines, where the sounds associated with button pushing heighten arousal levels.
Temu has even carved a space separate from brands such as Shein, even though the two are often compared, as ultra-fast fashion brands are known for aggressively low prices. While both are often in the headlines for competitive rivalries, Temu takes gamification one step further.
"Temu often employs a combination of social proof, scarcity and frequently uses animated elements to capture consumers' attention, more so than Shein and Wish. If something catches your eye, there's a multitude of ways Temu keeps you engaged with the product. A shopper may see a product's review and number of five-star ratings, how many people purchased it in the past 24 hours and the number of customers who currently have the product in their carts. All this, provides evidence of the product's supposed quality and popularity, psychologically tapping in to our desire to conform or join in.