One in four New Zealand adults surveyed have recently shopped at online retailer Temu, new research from Christian aid and development agency Tearfund New Zealand shows.
That's equivalent to more than one million New Zealanders.
The study also found a further 14% of New Zealanders are estimated to have recently purchased from Shein.
Temu and Shein are Chinese-owned ultra-fast fashion retailers. Shein focusses on clothing while Temu sells a wide catalogue of items that also includes kitchenware, household goods, car accessories, electronics and more.
They primarily sell items through their apps, particularly Temu which gamifies the shopping experience by flooding its app with tokens you can collect and pop-up wheels you can spin for a discount.
The Temu app. Image: Getty.
Both are infamous for their extremely low prices.
Claire Gray is leading fashion industry research for Tearfund and says: “Given the significant amount of work it takes to make a t-shirt, and the multiple people involved, these retailers’ prices are a giant red flag that workers are being exploited.
“When garments are this cheap, someone is paying the price,” Gray says.
Tearfund’s research shows one in two New Zealand adults agree they already have more, or much more, clothing than they need.
Re: News asked two frequent Temu shoppers about what they’ve bought off Temu and why they shop there.
Hunting for the cheapest price to cope with the cost of living
Kaiya Sothern, 19, has ordered from Temu 47 times since last July.
She bought a retractable phone charger for her car for $12.23 after watching a New Zealand influencer do a Temu haul video on TikTok. She says it was well worth buying and similar products from local retailers would have cost her $40-50.
A charger and bathroom scales Kaiya bought on Temu. Images: Supplied.
Kaiya also got bathroom scales on Temu for $10.85 and says it weighs perfectly and has a great battery but the app that it’s meant to connect to doesn’t work.
Since similar scales would have cost her $35-100, she wasn’t too disappointed, she says.
Other products she’s ordered include: a cable knit sweater ($18.89), a slim card wallet ($4.66), a floral lanyard ($2.08) and a custom cushion with her deceased family cat on it ($25.98).
A custom pillow and a wallet Kaiya bought on Temu. Image: Supplied.
Kaiya says she used to swear she wouldn’t fall for Temu because it sounded too good to be true but started placing orders once she realised she could get things that were actually useful for a fraction of the in-store price.
“I work in retail, and have seen the mark-up that can be put on products, which motivates me to look for the cheapest option so that I’m not ‘ripped off’.
“I think Temu provides cheap alternatives for when you aren’t too fussed on quality and can’t afford the cost of living in New Zealand.”
Kaiya finds the Temu app easier to navigate compared to other retail apps for physical stores and says she doesn’t order off Temu for the fun of it but rather builds orders up over time with things she needs.
“I know that ultra-fast fashion increases waste and greenhouse gases, which are both rising issues at the moment.
“I still shop from Temu because I am of the belief that one person – me – stopping shopping from Temu is not going to make any difference in whether it continues to operate.”
Using Temu for wedding gifts and prank items
Ella Foreman, 25, has spent $284 across nine Temu orders in the past year-and-a-half.
She’s bought items for her upcoming wedding off Temu, like table numbers, stationery for invites and bridesmaids gifts, as well as phone cases, drawer handles and art pieces.
Doorhandles Ella bought on Temu that she installed in her home. Images: Supplied.
Ella says she saw the same silicone containers she bought off Temu for $4.00 being sold at her local market for $20.
“We had a Christmas party last year where the secret Santa gift was [a] $20 haul from Temu. I got chicken socks, a toilet that squirts you when you open it and cookie cutters with swear words on them,” Ella says.
“Overall, I am happy with most of the purchases. I make sure to read reviews before purchasing so they’re generally okay.”
Items Ella has bought on Temu. Images: Supplied.
She does regret buying one dress in particular off Temu which was a $25 knock-off version of Australian designer brand Alemais. The dress ended up having a different pattern and fabric than what she imagined.
Ella says she was initially hesitant to use Temu because of media allegations of child labour but the retailer infiltrated her Google searches so she became curious.
“I don’t love Temu as a whole, but the prices are so cheap that it seems silly to not use them,” she says.
“I’m not 100% aware of the environmental impacts, and would probably stop using Temu if I did know the full picture. The amount of plastic packaging used makes me feel guilty too.”
Temu scored zero on a new ethical fashion report
Christian charity organisation Baptist World Aid released its 2024 Ethical Fashion Report today, which compiles research data from 2013 to 2023.
The report scores fashion companies out of 100 based on their policies and practices around wages, workers’ rights, using sustainable material and reducing environmental impacts.
Temu scored zero and Shein scored 20.
For context, large fashion companies like Nike scored 51, Zara scored 66, and Lululemon and Kmart both scored 58.
Temu responds
In a statement, a Temu spokesperson said: “As a point of clarification, Temu operates an online marketplace connecting consumers with third-party merchants. Apparel is just one of the dozens of product categories offered on our platform and not the main focus.”
The spokesperson went on to say that Temu is committed to upholding ethical, humane, and lawful business practices, as outlined in its Third-Party Code of Conduct.
“Our business partners and third-party merchants must comply with strict standards around labour, safety, and environmental protection. We reserve the right to end relationships with those who do not meet these requirements.
“We remain focused on building a safe, fair, and trustworthy platform for consumers and merchants.”
The spokesperson said Temu’s goal was to make quality products accessible to everyone, not to promote overconsumption.
They said: “Low prices don't mean buying more than you need — they do mean more people can afford what's essential to them. We believe everyone, not just the privileged few, should have access to quality products at affordable prices.
“By cutting out inefficiencies and middlemen, we lower costs without compromising on quality. This approach has helped many consumers find products they need at prices they can afford.”
The spokesperson said as a young company, Temu is in the early stages of its sustainability journey.
As part of this Temu has partnered with Trees for the Future to fund the planting of 14,737,560 trees across sub-Saharan Africa since July 2023.
It says shoppers can donate a tree for around $0.57 NZD by ticking the 'Plant with Temu' box at checkout.
Temu’s website also says its new packaging for express shipping is certified as being industrially compostable by international standards.
Researcher says ‘think twice’
Tearfund’s Claire Gray says: “My advice would be, if you can afford to, stop. If you can’t afford to, think twice about whether you really need the item before adding to cart.
“By limiting the number of new clothing items we’re buying we send a strong signal to brands that we no longer want to participate in a system where another person is paying the price of our cheap t-shirt.”
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