Temu Controversy Explained | The Mary Sue [Video]

The controversial e-retailer Temu has been attracting attention after it reportedly dropped an astounding $21 million on Super Bowl ads this year.

Temu is the latest shopping craze to gain a hold among U.S. consumers. The Chinese e-retailer offers nearly every product one could possibly want at extraordinarily low prices. It has received comparisons to Shein, Amazon, and Wish and incorporates aspects of all three e-commerce companies. According to Temu, it keeps its prices low by utilizing a Next-Gen Manufacturing (NGM) model, allowing buyers and sellers to connect directly and surpass typical commerce costs. This allegedly allows Temu to offer prices that consumers will be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

The products sold by Temu are pretty varied, ranging from clothing to home decor to technology to jewelry. However, what all these products share in common is that they’re all usually under $30. Sometimes, the products even fall under $1, with things like jewelry falling into Temu’s special …