According to a recent survey done by the International Post Corporation (IPC), Temu has reached the same cross-border ecommerce market share as Amazon. The company has had a meteoric rise and has experienced significant growth in recent years.
The IPC survey is also full of other cross-border ecommerce insights for brands to be aware of, such as what product categories are most popular, what the most common delivery costs are, how people prefer to shop internationally, and more.
Temu Matches Amazon’s Cross-Border Ecommerce Market Share
Results from a recent IPC survey that surveyed more than 30,000 frequent cross-border online shoppers found that Temu has matched Amazon’s cross-border ecommerce market share as of 2025.
Both Temu and Amazon have 24% of the market, with the next most popular e-retailers being Shein at 9%, AliExpress at 8%, and eBay at 5%. This landscape looks very different from only a few years ago.
In 2018, Amazon was still on top at 24%, but the next highest was eBay at 17%, Wish at 13%, and AliExpress at 12%.
Incredible Growth of Temu Last Years
While it hasn’t dethroned Amazon just yet, Temu has experienced monumental growth in only a few short years. In fact, Temu had a market share of less than 1% back in 2022, before exploding to 9% in 2023 and 22% in 2024.
This growth is due to a variety of factors. First of all, the extremely low prices that Temu offers on products are likely the biggest driver of the platform’s success. Prices on Temu are often far lower than anywhere else, which is often enough to convince people to buy.
It can offer these low prices because the platform cuts out the middleman, and connects Western shoppers directly with manufacturers from China.
Next, Temu has also spent plenty of money advertising to Western consumers, including running ads during the Super Bowl. They also made great use of influencer marketing, enlisting the help of a variety of creators to recommend products or advertise the platform.
The company has also gamified the experience with free products, coupons, and wheel spins that blend entertainment with shopping.
Also, the timing has worked well for Temu. As inflation rises and things are getting more expensive in many places around the world, it’s no surprise to see people flocking to a place that offers incredibly low prices.
Other Key Insights
While Temu matching Amazon after only a few years is likely the most surprising insight covered in this report, it’s far from the only piece of data presented that ecommerce brands should be aware of. Here are a few additional stats and figures that it’s important to know.
Product categories
The survey highlighted which products people most often purchase cross-border. The clear top choice was clothing and footwear, which 43% of respondents say they have purchased cross-border. The other popular categories include:
- Consumer electronics and accessories (19%)
- Accessories like jewelry, watches, and bags (18%)
- Personal care and beauty products (17%)
- Home and garden products (16%)
- Sport, leisure, and hobby-related products (15%)
Shipping and delivery
It also showed just how prevalent free international shipping has become. While once a rarity, 73% of respondents said they benefited from free international shipping. Of this 73%:
- 38% said they got free shipping because the retailer simply offers it
- 18% got it due to purchasing a high-value item that qualifies for free shipping
- 12% got it due to a free shipping promotion
- 5% got it due to a loyalty program
In addition to many international deliveries being cheap or even free, delivery speed is also improving. 53% of cross-border orders took between two and seven days, and only 9% of orders took more than 15 days to arrive. On the other side of things, 5% arrived either the same day or the next day.
In terms of delivery preferences, the survey found that 90% of people say that it’s very or rather important for companies to provide clear information about delivery charges before they place an order. People also desire low customs duties, reliable customer reviews, a simple returns process, and free delivery if you spend a certain amount.
Preferred shopping device
The survey also outlined the most popular ways for people to shop. The smartphone is the top choice by a mile, as 53% of people voted it as their preferred shipping device. Next up is a laptop at 23%, followed by desktops at 17%, and tablets at 7%.
These insights are crucial for ecommerce brands across the globe as they give an inside look at what people buy online, how they shop, how quickly other companies are delivering internationally, and so much more.
As far as the headline, I think it’s only a matter of time until Temu surpasses Amazon in terms of market share. It’s clear that people value the extremely low prices they have access to on Temu, and unless Amazon can somehow match prices or come up with an alternative way to provide value, it’s likely going to be tough to keep up.
