Temu, Shein, Wish and Co. in control: what you need to know about online stores in China

Temu (pronounced “Ti-Mu”), Aliexpress and Wish are classic e-commerce platforms. It allows companies to sell their products directly to customers online. Almost all providers on these websites come from China.

Alibaba, which also owns Aliexpress, also acts as an intermediary. But the online store is a B2B (business to business) trading platform. Alibaba targets companies that want to order 1000 units of a product.

Shein (pronounced “She in”) is an online fashion and beauty retailer. Shein also produces its own products.

Temu, Aliexpress and Wish are similar in terms of product variety. They offer a wide variety of small items such as electronics, musical instruments and pet items.

Alibaba also offers many smaller products but focuses more on industrial products. You can also order metal pipes, solar panels or sinks here.

Shein offers a huge range of clothing that is celebrated by influencers on social media platforms. Shein recently went one step further: The online store merged with American fashion chain Forever 21 in August. This gives Shein access to 560 stores worldwide.

“As a potential user, I would look at app reviews and compare them, and look at reviews on online forums,” says Alexandra Scherrer, 31, CEO of Swiss e-commerce consultancy Carpathia. It is questionable how reliable the reviews on the apps are. At Temu, every product is rated at least 4.5 out of 5 stars. Recommendations in external online forums are more realistic. Caparthia was also not 100 percent convinced of the quality when ordering for testing purposes.

Wish has already felt the consequences of a lack of quality. In 2017, the company had 100 million app users, five years later that number is still 13 million.

Fundamentally, one thing is clear: for such little money, the quality is unlikely to be outstanding.

Temu outshines everyone when it comes to shipping options. It’s always free and delivered within five to 14 days.

At Shein, shipping is free on orders of 19 francs and above, otherwise it costs 5.90 francs. The goods arrive within seven to nine days.

Aliexpress’s costs are low – usually under 5 francs and basically free for orders over 20 francs.

Wishes are covered. “Costs vary depending on order size, weight, and destination,” the website says.

Delivery conditions for most stores depend on the provider.

Temu also leaves everyone behind when it comes to return conditions. It’s always free and you have 90 days to do it.

Shein receives 6 francs per spin. You also only have 30 days to return the items.

Refunds for Wish and Aliexpress depend on the provider. Alibaba allows returns within 14 days. But you need to pay the costs yourself. This, combined with low product prices, prevents many customers from returning goods. Instead, unsuitable products are thrown into the trash.

This completely depends on the customer’s needs. But what is clear is that Temu stands out above all else when it comes to shipping and return policies. Wish and Aliexpress are not much different. Alibaba is especially suitable for small companies. Customers who want to purchase a large number of products are in the best hands here. If you prefer to order clothes, Shein is the right choice.

Dealers’ prices do not differ much; prices are generally very low. Aliexpress currently has the highest sales in Switzerland. With sales of 390 million francs in 2022, Aliexpress ranks 8th in the ranking of Switzerland’s largest online stores.