A year and a half and two Super Bowls later, online marketplace Temu has gone “from completely unknown to a household name,” according to research from YouGov.

YouGov is an international online research data and analytics technology group. It polled 700 adults in the United States ranging from ages 18 to 65 on March 27 and 28.

How well-known is Temu?

YouGov data shows that 88% of Americans it polled have heard of Temu. Moreover, 95% of women who responded said they had heard of Temu. That compares with just 80% of men who had heard of it.

More than half the respondents (52%) said they heard of Temu because of ads for the online marketplace. Of those who had heard of it, 77% said they had seen a Temu ad in the prior three months.

Despite the brand awareness, YouGov data showed that more than half of those polled (56%) have never made a purchase from Temu. Among those who have purchased from Temu, nearly a quarter (24%) said they would buy from the online marketplace again. That compares with 15% who said they are unlikely to buy from its site again.

Those results varied by age, too. Those age 18 to 29 were most likely to buy from Temu again (34%). Those 30 to 44 were the most unlikely to purchase from the online marketplace’s site again (22%). Those age 45 to 64 were the most likely to have never made a purchase from Temu.

Temu spends on brand awareness

For Super Bowl LVIII in 2024, Temu bought three advertising spots during the game and two after it. Each 30-second commercial ran advertisers an estimated $6.5 million to $7 million. Individual rates vary, however, depending on when an ad airs during the game and if an individual advertiser purchases multiple commercial spots. A Temu spokesperson declined to comment on how much the retailer spent.

During the 2023 Super Bowl, Temu ran two 30-second spots.

“Through the largest stage possible, we want to share with our consumers that they can shop with a sense of freedom because of the price we offer,” PDD said in a statement at the time.

PDD Holdings owns Temu, which launched in 2022 and isn’t yet reflected in Digital Commerce 360 rankings of the largest online retailers. PDD also owns Pinduoduo, which operates an app-only marketplace for Chinese consumers. Because it doesn’t operate an ecommerce website, Pinduoduo is not included in Digital Commerce 360’s Asia Database.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect Temu’s ownership. PDD Holdings owns Temu, as well as its sister company Pinduoduo.

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