Chinese Ecommerce in the US

A New Wave of Disruptors Is Remaking Online Retail

Report by Sky Canaves  | May 19, 2023
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Table of Contents
Report Snapshot
Chinese ecommerce has become a force to contend with in the US.
Shein has taken a commanding lead in the US fast-fashion sector.
Temu will need to work hard to sustain its unprecedented growth trajectory.
TikTok won’t hurry to bring Chinese sellers to the US.
New Chinese players have several advantages that their predecessors lacked.
But Chinese firms also face rising scrutiny from US lawmakers and regulators.
How can US brands and retailers prepare for the new landscape of Chinese-influenced ecommerce?
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
The rise of shopping apps selling ultralow-cost goods from China is drawing more value-driven US consumers. But are their strategies sustainable over the long term?
Topics
Cross-Border Ecommerce
United States
Table of Contents
Report Snapshot
Chinese ecommerce has become a force to contend with in the US.
Shein has taken a commanding lead in the US fast-fashion sector.
Temu will need to work hard to sustain its unprecedented growth trajectory.
TikTok won’t hurry to bring Chinese sellers to the US.
New Chinese players have several advantages that their predecessors lacked.
But Chinese firms also face rising scrutiny from US lawmakers and regulators.
How can US brands and retailers prepare for the new landscape of Chinese-influenced ecommerce?
Sources
Media Gallery

Report Snapshot

Shopping apps and marketplaces that specialize in ultralow-cost goods from China are gaining a foothold among US consumers—with broader implications for the future of ecommerce.

Key Question: Does the latest crop of Chinese ecommerce players have staying power in the US market, or is it a flash in the pan?

US Unique Visitors to AliExpress, Shein, Temu, and Wish, April 2022-March 2023 (millions)
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KEY STAT: Ecommerce newcomer Temu drew 70.7 million unique visitors to its website and app five months after its US launch, per March 2023 data from Comscore Media Metrix Multi-Platform. That was nearly double the traffic of fast-fashion market leader Shein.

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Table of Contents

  1. Report Snapshot
  2. Chinese ecommerce has become a force to contend with in the US.
  3. Shein has taken a commanding lead in the US fast-fashion sector.
  4. Temu will need to work hard to sustain its unprecedented growth trajectory.
  1. TikTok won’t hurry to bring Chinese sellers to the US.
  2. New Chinese players have several advantages that their predecessors lacked.
  3. But Chinese firms also face rising scrutiny from US lawmakers and regulators.
  4. How can US brands and retailers prepare for the new landscape of Chinese-influenced ecommerce?
  1. Sources
  2. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

US Unique Visitors to AliExpress, Shein, Temu, and Wish, April 2022-March 2023 (millions)Top 10 US Mobile Apps, Ranked by Downloads, Q1 2023 (rank change vs. Q4 2022)
US Fast-Fashion vs. Shein Quarterly Sales Growth, Q2 2020-Q2 2023 (% change)Temu Monthly US Gross Merchandise Value, Sep 2022-Jan 2023 (millions )
US TikTok Social Buyers, 2020-2026 (millions, % change, and % of US TikTok users)

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authors

Sky Canaves

Contributors

Ethan Cramer-Flood
Senior Forecasting Writer
Suzy Davidkhanian
Principal Analyst, Retail & Ecommerce
Vivian Dong
Associate Forecasting Analyst
Natalie McGranahan
Senior Researcher and Taxonomy Manager
Amy Rotondo
Director, US Research

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