Temu and TikTok Shop: What They Mean for Australian Sellers

Temu has become one of the fastest-growing places Australians shop, and it is resetting what shoppers expect to pay for everyday goods. Local sellers now face a choice: compete on Temu's terms through its local seller program, or set themselves apart on speed, quality, trust and brand. TikTok Shop, despite the hype, still has no Australian storefront, but TikTok remains a strong discovery channel for local brands.

How fast Temu has grown

Roy Morgan's 2025 shopper data shows the scale. Temu had 5 million Australian shoppers in 2025, up 700,000 or 17% year on year, and is estimated to have reached close to $3 billion in Australian sales (Roy Morgan, 2026). Shein grew its shopper base 28%, and Amazon added 500,000 shoppers. Legacy online retailers such as eBay and Kogan, and department stores Myer and David Jones, lost shoppers.

Australia Post's 2026 report reaches a similar conclusion. Citing Deloitte, it notes that almost half of surveyed shoppers "always" or "often" consider global marketplaces when making purchase decisions, and that several major global marketplaces gained close to one million new Australian customers over 12 months (Australia Post, 2026). The report warns that consumers may benefit on price while local choice erodes "as SMBs struggle to compete".

The real impact: price anchoring

The biggest effect on local sellers is not lost orders. It is reset expectations. Roy Morgan's Head of Retail Research put it directly: "Ultra-low price positioning from Temu and Shein is resetting consumers' reference prices," and retailers "stuck in the middle" without price leadership or clear differentiation "face sustained market share loss, margin compression and potential consolidation" (Roy Morgan, 2026).

Value-seeking shows up across the market. Australia Post reports the average online basket has shrunk to $96 even as shoppers buy more often (Australia Post, 2026). Sellers of commodity products feel this most. Sellers of branded, specialised, bulky or quickly needed goods have more room.

Selling on Temu as a local business

Temu now lets Australian businesses sell locally held stock. It opened local selling in 2025, and in July 2025 extended its Local Seller Program to all Australian-registered businesses with locally stocked inventory (Inside Retail, 2025). Temu's seller centre advertises 0% commission fees and no registration fee, and says that by its own internal data 50% of merchants make their first sale within 20 days of listing (Temu, 2026).

Traffic is not the issue. Power Retail reports Temu was the fastest-growing website in Australia in Similarweb's 2025 Digital 100 report, with a 72% increase in unique visitors (Power Retail, 2025). The challenge is price. Temu shoppers compare local offers with very low imported prices, so it works best for clearance stock, high-volume basics and products where local delivery speed is a real advantage.

TikTok Shop: still not live in Australia

TikTok Shop has been predicted for Australia for years, but it has not launched. In March 2026, TikTok's ANZ general manager for global business solutions said, "While I am not aware of any plans to launch TikTok Shop in Australia, it's already an opportunity for Australian businesses to reach new audiences internationally," noting that almost 20 Australian brands use TikTok Shop to sell overseas (Marketing-Interactive, 2026). A mid-2026 review found no confirmed launch date and no public commitment (Z Media, 2026).

That does not make TikTok irrelevant. Australia Post found 60% of Australian shoppers use social media for product discovery, and one in two have bought something after seeing it on social (Australia Post, 2026). For now, TikTok's role locally is to send shoppers to your storefront or marketplace listings. Brands that build content habits now will be ready if a local shop launches.

How local sellers can respond

1. Don't fight on price where you can't win. Move commodity lines to channels where speed, warranty or bundling matter.
2. Lead with local advantages. Fast domestic delivery, easy returns, Australian standards and real customer service are things shoppers can see.
3. Be present where trust is high. Retailer marketplaces such as BIG W, Bunnings and Myer put your products next to trusted brands. See our landscape comparison.
4. Use Temu selectively. Test clearance or high-volume lines through the local seller program, and track margin after freight and returns.
5. Build social discovery. Short-form video drives demand that converts on your other channels.

Key figures

• Temu: 5 million Australian shoppers in 2025, up 17%; estimated sales close to $3 billion (Roy Morgan, 2026).
• Amazon, Temu and Shein together generated close to $12 billion in Australian retail sales in 2025 (Roy Morgan, 2026).
• Temu recorded a 72% year-on-year increase in Australian unique visitors in Similarweb's 2025 ranking (Power Retail, 2025).
• 60% of Australian shoppers use social media for product discovery (Australia Post, 2026).

How eComChannels helps

• Order management connects Temu alongside Amazon, eBay, BIG W, Bunnings, Kmart and your own storefront. Stock syncs across every channel, so you can test Temu with part of your range without risking oversells elsewhere.
• AI listing optimisation drafts Temu-ready listings from your master product record, using AI trained on each marketplace's rules, with a person approving every change. Testing a new marketplace becomes a quick listing exercise instead of a project.
• AI social media outreach plans and drafts posts for TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and more. It builds steady social discovery that sends shoppers to your channels while TikTok Shop is unavailable locally.

Book a demo or start a 30-day free trial.

FAQ

Can Australian businesses sell on Temu?

Yes. Temu's Local Seller Program accepts Australian-registered businesses with locally held stock. Its seller centre advertises 0% commission, but check current terms, and model your margin after delivery and returns.

When will TikTok Shop launch in Australia?

There is no confirmed date. In March 2026 TikTok's local leadership said they were not aware of launch plans, and a mid-2026 review found no public commitment.

Is Temu a threat to every Australian retailer?

Its main effect is on price-sensitive, commodity categories. Retailers with distinct brands, specialised products, bulky goods or strong service have more room, especially when they are visible on trusted marketplaces and their own storefront.