Temu vs. Amazon: 
Price, trust, and competition

Temu has a close match for 77% of Amazon-listed products, with one in 10 being identical on both platforms. Some categories see an even higher overlap — 94% of Fashion & beauty (Clothing, shoes & jewelry and Beauty & personal care) products have a near-identical Temu counterpart, while Food & beverages (Grocery & gourmet) has the lowest match rate.

Temu’s high product match rate positions it as a direct alternative to Amazon, offering nearly identical options often at lower prices. The big question is: will consumers prioritize a well-known and trusted brand, or a relatively new platform that offers greater savings?

Shoppers can save an average of 40% by opting for Temu’s close matches instead of Amazon-listed products, translating to about $13.37 in savings per product. However, for identical products, the price gap is minimal (1%) — suggesting that Temu’s biggest advantage lies in alternative, not identical, options.

While Temu undercuts Amazon across most categories, there’s one surprising exception: Automotive products cost 12% less on Amazon than on Temu.

This research uncovered brand imitation concerns on Temu, with many products closely resembling well-known brands — but with tweaked packaging, blurred logos, or branding removed entirely. These attempts to mimic their name-brand counterparts raise questions about authenticity and quality.

For budget-conscious shoppers, the temptation is clear, but the trade-off might not be worth it. And for brands and retailers, this is a major concern — one that could shape future ecommerce regulations.

Temu’s pricing strategy isn’t just about lower base prices — it’s about bigger and more frequent discounts. While Amazon offers discounts on around 47% of its products, 65% of Temu’s listings are marked down. In addition to the stats above, some items see discounts as high as 98% on Temu, compared to Amazon’s highest discount being 67%.

Temu’s approach makes it seem like there are constant savings, making shoppers feel like they’re always getting a deal — even when some of those discounts are permanent, serving as a never-ending “sale” tactic.

Americans worry over tariffs. The survey also found that 42% are opposed to new tariffs on Chinese goods (34% are in favor, 24% undecided) and 56% of Americans are worried that the tariffs will drive up prices on Chinese goods.

Twenty-nine percent of Americans say that if prices go up on Chinese marketplaces like Temu, they would immediately stop buying or buy less. More than 20% said they would still shop there unless the increase is noticeable (20% or more).

When it comes to shopper confidence, Amazon dominates. The average Amazon product has 50,000 reviews, while Temu listings hover around just 1,500.

But more concerning is that our research uncovered potential review manipulation on Temu, with disappearing reviews and poorly rated products being removed and reuploaded under new listings. This raises questions about the reliability of customer feedback on the platform.

One possible explanation is that Temu could be prioritizing seller revenue and growth over transparency, potentially allowing sellers to erase poor reputations and inflate ratings, which may mislead consumers into buying seemingly high-rated products.

Alternatively, weak review monitoring might be enabling manipulation, giving sellers an unfair edge. Unlike Amazon’s stricter enforcement, Temu’s approach appears more opaque, raising possible concerns about accountability and consumer protection.

Greg Zakowicz

Sr. Ecommerce Expert at Omnisend