What is Temu? What we know about the retailer that spent an estimated $21 million on Super Bowl ads

Some watched the Super Bowl for the game. Some watched for Taylor Swift. Others watched for the Super Bowl ads.

Regardless of why people were watching Sunday night, many took notice of the multiple Temu ads during and after the Super Bowl.

So, what exactly is Temu? And how did it rise through the ranks so quickly?

Temu is a Chinese-owned e-commerce business that sells discounted products and freebies. When you visit the desktop or app, you are even offered to spin a wheel that gives you a chance to win 100% off any product.

Its tagline is "Shop Like a Billionaire." In this fashion, it offers extreme deals on everything from clothes to appliances. The Super Bowl ad featured a jingle with this tagline, displaying deals from wigs for $4.99 and tops for $8.99. Super Bowl ads sold for $7 million this year, according to CBS. Temu had three in-game video spots.

The app officially launched in the United States in September 2022. By the end of 2023, the app was the most downloaded in the Apple app store, surpassing apps like TikTok and Instagram, according to Apple.

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Temu is owned by PDD Holdings, who also owns Pinduoduo, a popular online retailer in China.

However, Temu has a circle of controversy surrounding it, with people calling into question unethical production practices, the potential of stolen credit cards and personal information, and the legitimacy of products sold.

The app has been compared to Shein and Alibaba. Shein is a growing fast-fashion online retailer that has been accused of child labor and sweatshops, but the company has refuted these allegations. Shein gained popularity through TikTok, the same way Temu is rapidly growing, with influencers doing hauls and promoting the app. The hashtag #temu has hundreds of millions of posts on TikTok.

Temu and Shein are also in ongoing legal battles, with Temu accusing Shein of violating antitrust laws and Shein suing some Temu sellers for copyright infringement.