Jill Ernst loves showing off her Temu hauls.
"It's a fairly nice sweater. (It) has a hood to it,” she said showing off a $20 sweater she bought on the Chinese retailer’s app.
Ernst also found a laundry basket that doubles as an organizer for $15. She said her next planned purchase is a new pet gate for her dog.
"The pet gate is $4,” she said, scrolling through the app.
Low prices but mixed quality
Temu and SHEIN were the two most downloaded shopping apps of 2024 with hundreds of millions of downloads. The retailers are somewhat controversial, however, due to potential labor abuses and environmental harm.
But when it comes to price, nothing compares.
Given the ultra-low prices, Ernst said the quality of items she has purchased on Temu has been hit or miss. She said a bargain neck pillow, purchased for $12, turned out to be no bargain at all.
"I actually had to buy this one after I bought this one because this one just doesn't work,” she explained, comparing two pillows.
Temu vs Shein: What's the difference?
Temu's competitor SHEIN is better known for fashion.
Smart shopping expert Trae Bodge said the quality of products sold on SHEIN is better than expected. She likes it for one-off clothing items, like party attire.
“A sequin blouse, for example, or a little faux fur jacket,” Bodge said, “you can get these things very inexpensively.”
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But Bodge warns shoppers, “This is very fast fashion.”
Sometimes, she said, you get what you pay for.
“Just remember, you know, the quality is not going to be the very best," Bodge said.
Bodge said she’s less impressed by the clothing on Temu.
“However, they do have lots of little household items, like little kitchen gadgets and things like that I've had some good luck with,” she said.
Where the two shoppers disagree is on ease of returns. Bodge said she’s experienced no issues returning items to either company. But returns are Ernst’s biggest gripe.
"Returns are annoying,” she said.
Unlike Amazon, where you can typically take returns to Kohl’s, Staples, Whole Foods, or the UPS Store, SHEIN and Temu usually require additional steps such as printing a return label and paying shipping costs.
"I got to get some new luggage,” Ernst said. “Would I go through Temu? Probably not."
Amazon gets in on the action
Amazon responded to the rise of Temu and SHEIN by launching Amazon Haul, a new storefront with items for $20 or less.
Amazon Haul is a mobile experience “that provides customers in the U.S. a place to discover even more affordable fashion, home, lifestyle, electronics, and other products with ultra-low prices and typical delivery times of one to two weeks,” according to Amazon’s website.
While these apps offer real bargains, Bodge cautions against overspending on things you don’t really need.
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“They're shooting you offers. You can spin a wheel to save a little bit more,” Bodge said. “Be very mindful when you're shopping to kind of ignore all the bells and whistles that are going on. Of course, take advantage of any offers that make sense for what you might need or things on your list.”
Since most retailers have free shipping thresholds, you might be tempted to spend more for free shipping.
Instead, Bodge suggests you hold off on making that purchase and wait until you’re ready to buy again.
That way you don't waste your money.
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