Can I sell on Temu?
Yes, you can sell on Temu, but there are some caveats. As of the writing of this article, there's no straightforward way for non-Chinese sellers to sell on Temu. As reported by AP News, Temu announced in early 2024 that they were planning on opening their seller marketplace to US and European sellers, but this marketplace does not appear to be live yet, nor was a date disclosed for when this marketplace might open. For now, the two ways to potentially become a Temu seller are to become a registered Pinduoduo seller and leverage that connection to get a Temu seller account, or to contact Temu directly. Pinduoduo is a Chinese e-commerce company that allows cross-border sellers to register and sell items on the platform, and it's a subsidiary of PDD Holdings alongside Temu. You must have a registered business to sell on Temu. Some sources also state that your business must also be registered in China or Hong Kong for Temu to accept you as a seller. Individuals cannot sell items on Temu like they can on Amazon, nor can they resell goods on Temu like they can on eBay or Mercari.
Ways to Get a Temu Seller Account
Become a seller on Pinduoduo. Pinduoduo, Temu's parent company, accepts cross-border foreign merchants to sign up for their platform. If you sign up for Pinduoduo and have success selling on that platform, you can potentially leverage that connection to get a Temu seller account. There are a number of requirements that you must adhere to if you want to sell on Pinduoduo: You must have a registered business outside of China (which includes Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan). You must also provide the following documents: your business license, identity documents for the business's legal representative and owner/manager, proof of having a customs bonded warehouse, Chinese customs record information, registered trademark documents, and proof that you're authorized to sell the brands you're selling. Fee and sales commission information is not concrete, but some sources state that opening a Pinduoduo store with a foreign legal entity will incur a $1,000 fee, and your sales commission will be 0.6%. Beyond the legal requirements to open a Pinduoduo store, you will also need to build up trust in the Chinese market before you start seeing sales. Here are some ways you can build your reputation: Create an official branded WeChat account and make WeChat Moments and Groups to connect with your community. Post branded content on Douyin, which is very similar to TikTok. Get your brand out there on Baidu (the dominant Chinese search engine that also provides other internet services) using SEO optimization.
Contact Temu directly. If you don't want to use Pinduoduo or you aren't familiar with the platform, you can try contacting Temu directly at [email protected]. However, Reddit users who have attempted to go this route have reported that they never got a response after emailing Temu. When emailing Temu, explain why you want to sell on their platform and request an invitation code to make a seller account. You should also include if you have a registered business, and where that business is located.
Concerns and Controversies
Before selling with Pinduoduo or Temu, be aware of alleged controversies. Both Pinduoduo and Temu have had a number of controversies and concerns raised over security, work culture, forced labor, and environmental concerns. In 2023, Google removed the Pinduoduo app from the Google Play Store because it said that the app contained malware, despite Pinduoduo rejecting these claims. According to an investigation by CNN, cybersecurity experts and company insiders stated that the app was allegedly spying on users to boost sales. According to the New York Times, Pinduoduo was under scrutiny in 2021 after a string of employee deaths that were allegedly caused by the company's competitive overwork culture. In 2023, AP News reported that a Congressional report found there was a high risk of forced labor in Temu's supply chains. According to Time, experts are worried that Temu's low prices will have a negative impact on the US economy, wages, and domestic manufacturing. According to Greenpeace, environmentalists are concerned about Temu's environmental impact due to the carbon emissions from their deliveries and the incredible amount of waste produced due to overconsumption and fast fashion.
Comments
0 comment