Temu Dominates U.S. App Store Rankings in 2024

Temu has emerged as a dominant force in both the iPhone and Android app stores in the U.S. this year, outperforming all other free apps in terms of time spent at the top of the charts, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. This China-based, ultra-affordable e-commerce giant has been steadily breaking into the U.S. market, drawing significant attention and user engagement.

In the iPhone App Store, Temu has held the No. 1 position for an impressive 72 days, including a streak of 13 consecutive days at the top, as reported by Sensor Tower. This consistent performance underscores the app’s widespread appeal and user retention. Meanwhile, on the Android platform, Temu has maintained its leading position even more robustly. It has spent 85 days as the No. 1 free app on Google Play, with 27 of those days being consecutive. This achievement cements Temu’s status as the most popular free app of 2024 so far, based on the extensive analysis conducted by Sensor Tower, which reviewed data from January 1 to June 15, listing the top 200 apps in their respective categories.

Temu, which launched in the U.S. in 2022, operates as an online marketplace offering a wide array of cheap items, including clothes and other goods, reminiscent of Shein, the fast-fashion online marketplace. This model has attracted a substantial number of consumers looking for budget-friendly options. Marco Scacchi, senior qualitative insights analyst at Sensor Tower, highlighted that Temu has not only dominated app store charts but has also “established itself as a major player in the US market.” According to Scacchi, Temu has been the most downloaded app in the U.S. for each quarter since the beginning of 2023. In addition to its download success, Temu ranks second in the U.S. for ad impressions, only behind Amazon.com, further demonstrating its strong market presence. However, Temu’s rapid rise has not been without controversy. The marketplace has come under regulatory scrutiny amid allegations that it potentially allows products made with forced labor to enter the U.S. market. In April, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called on the Department of Homeland Security to investigate both Shein and Temu regarding these serious allegations. Both companies have firmly denied tolerating forced labor in their supply chains.

Adding to its aggressive marketing strategies, Temu reportedly spent tens of millions of dollars on six ads that aired during the February 11 Super Bowl, according to Bloomberg. This substantial investment in advertising came in response to a reported decline in app sales. Sensor Tower’s Marco Scacchi noted that at the end of January, Temu experienced a “noticeable decline” in its rankings on both Android and iPhone charts. However, the app saw a recovery just before the Super Bowl in mid-February, reaching the fourth spot on the iPhone chart on February 10 and 11. Although it remained in the sixth spot for Androids, its ranking began to improve shortly after the Super Bowl ads aired, highlighting the impact of the high-profile advertising campaign.