"Doubtful, yet curious, I downloaded the app. Then it wanted my phone number - OK, fine. Then it asked me to spin a wheel to get a deal. (The fine print says everyone gets the best deal, regardless of the apparent spin.) Then another bonus unlocked, and another. Soon, the app prompted me to fill a cart with additional items, assuring me that they would be sharply discounted."
"Faced with an endless scroll of apparel and kitchen listings, I tried to build an order of stuff I would actually use. But every time I got nearly ready to check out, the app offered yet another deal that required the addition of still more items. The experience was somewhere between gambling and gaming, and I found myself losing touch with any sense of price rationality. Exhausted, I closed the app for the night without buying anything at all."
Temu launched in the US in 2022 via Pinduoduo and rapidly grew in prominence. A user seeking a KPop Demon Hunters–inspired gift found an appealing listing on Temu but encountered a complex purchase flow. The app prompted a download, requested a phone number, and offered gamified spins and successive bonuses with fine-print guarantees. Repeated prompts encouraged adding discounted items and unlocked additional time-limited offers. The interface created a blend of gaming and gambling elements that eroded price rationality, induced decision fatigue, and led to abandoned purchases.
Read at Business Insider
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