So thing is, the Chinese have so much money that they’re just spending money on getting you to buy things. You can get things order things and get them delivered to your country for probably what they cost to make, maybe even less. Idea is to stifle western storefronts and marketplaces so everyone orders from Temu, Shein, etc.
Like if I want to send something in my country, from one package locker to another, it’s 3-5€. By courier from my door to recipient’s door, it’s more like 10-20€. There’s a bunch of shit on these Chinese apps/websites that costs less than 1€ and shipping is included.
hendrik@palaver.p3x.de 5 days ago
Because people like cheap stuff. Need a phone case? Harry Potter merchandise knockoffs, socks, a brush for your arts project? TEMU has that for $0.61, delivered to your door.
And as far as I know it's sponsored by the Chinese government. They chip in with forced labor camps. And they also invested massively in advertising and making it a thing.
I wouldn't buy from them. As far as I know the app is also spying on the users etc. But yeah, enough people seem to buy stuff there. I suppose it's cheap and convenient and people don't care.
NONE_dc@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Isn’t Alibaba the same shit?
hendrik@palaver.p3x.de 5 days ago
I think Alibaba and Aliexpress are less tightly connected with the Chinese government. They also ship stuff from China, but they aren't specialized in the cheapest of the cheapest. Plus as far as I know they're more a marketplace platform. They handle the money and connect you with an individual seller in China. The platforms are a bit less convenient to use. I think it's a bit like eBay vs Amazon, if you want to compare it to western companies.
NONE_dc@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Huh, now I kinda get it. Thanks.
heavydust@sh.itjust.works 5 days ago
Yes.