Opinion
Is this shoe the future of hiking? - No
by Siri Schubert
Trying Temu’s ultra-fast fashion on for size: bargain or waste of money?
5.10.2023
Pictures: Stephanie Vinzens
The new low-cost marketplace Temu is giving Shein and Aliexpress a run for their money. I decided to put this supplier’s clothes to the test. Here’s why I’ll be steering well clear of them in future.
Temu, the cheap store that’s been occupying the top spot in both the Swiss Apple App Store and Google Play Store for weeks. «Team up, price down» is the company’s catchy slogan. It’s obvious that this refers to the quantity rather than quality of what’s on offer.
The online marketplace acts as an intermediary between customers and various sellers, mostly Chinese. As a result, there’s a wide array of items. You’ll find just about everything from sofa covers to doughnut stands and headphones. In fact, Temu was launched for the Western market and headquartered in Boston, USA. Nevertheless, it’s still a subsidiary of the Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo.
Cheaper than Shein and Aliexpress
According to the Bloomberg Second Measure analytics tool, US shoppers spent 20% more at Temu than Shein in May of this year. But can Temu keep up when it comes to fashion? Clothes and accessories, after all, form a significant proportion of the range – so I checked it out.
The pungent smell is repulsive
For review purposes, I ordered a handbag (8 francs), sunglasses (3.10 francs), two dresses (8.50 and 9.90 francs) and two tops (4.50 and 8.50 francs). Let me start by saying that as there are lots of sellers on Temu, both the price and quality of products vary.
Two flops and one positive surprise
I think the cropped green knitted jumper is really pretty. It’s surprisingly soft, and you wouldn’t know it was less than nine francs. It could just as easily be from one of the established fast fashion brands the likes of Zara, Weekday or JJXX. In terms of finish, I’d give an OK for all the garments.
I’d still rather give it a wide berth
I’d say that Temu’s merchandise falls within the same quality range as that of comparable ultra-fast fashion stores such as Aliexpress, Shein, Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing, and it’s equally unpredictable. Personally, at this point in my life, I wouldn’t choose to order from Temu or similar low-cost suppliers. Aside from quality, there are, of course, ethical concerns. Clothing can’t be that cheap unless someone or something is paying the price.
Secondhand is the better cheap alternative
Obviously, I understand the desire to be fashionable and have a varied wardrobe, even on a budget. But in this case, there are better options than filling your wardrobe with disposable fashion. If you can’t or don’t want to spend a lot of money, I’d recommend buying secondhand rather than from companies like Temu.
For instance, the last time I was in a charity shop, I spied beautiful trousers and blazers made of 100% virgin wool for just ten francs. Unbeatable value for money. Besides, there’s always something serendipitous about coming across a garment that fits you perfectly in a charity shop, flea market or secondhand designer store. I bet you’ll enjoy buying and wearing a find like this more than a dubious cheap buy from Temu.
Has endless love for shoulder pads, Stratocasters and sashimi, but a limited tolerance for bad impressions of her Eastern Swiss dialect.
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