Many apps that enjoy initial success fade away over time as incumbent leaders ramp up competitive pressures. Owner PDD is known in China for making inroads into markets less covered by major players including Alibaba, such as lower-income rural areas.
Getting its name from “Team up”, Temu wants to replicate PDD’s social commerce model in North America. If it sustains its initial momentum, the app could join just a handful of Chinese-owned internet services to have succeeded in the US, including Alibaba’s Aliexpress and ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok. Super Bowl spots like Temu’s “Shop Like a Billionaire” typically cost millions to produce and air, but many brands have considered them essential exposure over the years. Sunday’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs was“Through the largest stage possible, we want to share with our consumers that they can shop with a sense of freedom because of the price we offer,” PDD said in a statement.