IKEA, Argos and… Temu?
In recent months, the website has become one of the best places to stock up on cheap furniture.
And one man proved just that after revealing his epic buy – a foldable double sofa bed from Temu.
He took to TikTok to share a video showing the sofa as a sofa, and pulled out to make a comfy double bed, as he and a pal reclined on it.
Once they’d finished using as a bed, he converted it back to a sofa, and pulled up a pew.
“If you think this is expensive, you’re wrong,” he said in the clip.
“Temu is all about offering the prices you like and the product you want.
“This foldable sofa is the one I picked from so many great products and I’m really satisfied with it in every way.”
He also admitted that since the sofa arrived, he “basically hasn’t left it at all”.
The sofa is also much cheaper than equivalents from other stores, and comes in at just £236 ($305).
And the comments section was immediately filled with impressed people admitting they were desperate to get one for themselves.
“I NEED THIS,” one wrote.
“Wow, nice sofa bed!” another added.
“This looks really good!” a third commented.
“Ha ha I wouldn’t leave the sofa for days,” someone else said.
While others were more taken with the gorgeous orange colour of the furniture.
“Love the colour!” one wrote.
“Makes me miss my old orange couch.”
Why is Temu so cheap?
TEMU exploded onto the scene in late 2022, with people all over social media raving about the low prices.
The company is a Chinese-owned digital marketplace – essentially an online shopping app where people are connected to the retailer directly while the app takes care of the shipping element.
The frenzy over the app is not completely unfounded either as it offers a wide variety of products, including fashion, make-up, electronics and furniture.
According to a report from the US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Temu takes advantage of a trade loophole that allows the company to ship duty-free goods directly to the US.
The loophole is called the de minimis exception and it means they can ship goods valued up to $800 (£643) to the US without it being inspected or taxed by US customs.
Temu connects customers directly to manufacturers and only manages how the items are sent to customers.
It means Chinese vendors can essentially sell their products directly to customers and ship it without building a network of warehouses across the globe.
By doing this, they cut down on huge costs and ensure the product itself isn’t marked up extra.
While many of the products seen on the Temu app are from brands with extensive, original collections, many more are dupes of designer brands.
“This looks really good,” another added.
“I love the colour!”
“I like it!” a third commented.
There were some people who were unconvinced by the bargain, as one pointed out that purchases from Temu sometimes turn up looking different from the description online.
“I hope it will look like this when you buy it because Temu is funny sometimes!” one wrote.
Those who have experienced the “funny” side of Temu themselves include a woman who bought some “curtains” from the site, and was left stunned when a picture of curtains across a window arrived.
