Three Giants, Three Paths to Global Dominance
In 2025, TikTok Shop, Temu, and SHEIN dominate headlines—but they pursue vastly different strategies when engaging with Chinese manufacturers and cross-border sellers.
The 2025 China Cross-Border E-Commerce + Industrial Belt Map Data Report provides rare insight into how each platform supports (or controls) its supplier base across China’s industrial belts.
Platform Comparison: Business Model & Seller Relationship
Feature | TikTok Shop | Temu | SHEIN |
Seller Model | Open marketplace (3P) | Full control (1P) | Hybrid (1P + limited 3P) |
Commission/Fee | 2–8% + payment fee | None (but sets price) | Negotiated margin (typically 30–50%) |
Inventory Risk | Seller bears | Temu bears | SHEIN bears |
Product Control | Moderate (content-driven) | High (centralized pricing) | Very high (design-led) |
Key Product Categories | Beauty, home, novelty | Electronics, home, apparel | Fashion, accessories, footwear |
Top Supporting Regions | Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian | Nationwide (esp. Jiangsu, Henan) | Guangdong, Zhejiang |
Source: 2025 Industry Report + Seller Surveys
How Each Platform Engages Industrial Belts
1. TikTok Shop: The “Creator-First” Approach
Partners with local governments to host “TikTok Live Training Camps” in Yiwu, Shenzhen, and Chengdu
Encourages sellers to produce short-form video content showcasing product use cases
Rewards high-engagement listings with organic traffic boosts
Focuses on impulse-buy categories under $30
2. Temu: The “Full Stack Efficiency” Model
Works directly with factory clusters to bypass middlemen
Uses AI to forecast demand and aggregate orders across regions
Offers zero upfront fees, but exerts strict control over pricing and packaging
Prioritizes cost-per-unit optimization over brand building
3. SHEIN: The “Fast Fashion Ecosystem”
Maintains a closed-loop supply chain centered in Guangzhou
Onboards factories into its “Small Order, Fast Turn” system (MOQ as low as 50–100 units)
Provides real-time sales data to suppliers for rapid restocking
Increasingly expanding into home goods and electronics using the same model
Which Platform Is Right for Your Product?
Choose TikTok Shop if your product is visually engaging, solves a problem, and benefits from storytelling (e.g., hair extensions, cleaning gel).
Choose Temu if you offer standardized, price-sensitive items with strong cost control (e.g., phone stands, kitchen gadgets).
Choose SHEIN only if you’re in fashion or adjacent lifestyle categories and can meet tight production cycles.
The Bigger Trend: Platform-Led Industrial Upgrading
All three platforms are actively reshaping China’s manufacturing landscape:
TikTok drives digital marketing literacy among factory owners
Temu pushes lean production and logistics integration
SHEIN fosters agile design and small-batch flexibility
As the report notes:
“Platforms are no longer just sales channels—they are industrial policy actors.”
Conclusion
Understanding the differences between TikTok, Temu, and SHEIN is essential for any brand or analyst navigating China’s export ecosystem. While all three leverage China’s industrial belts, their strategies, incentives, and expectations vary dramatically.
Success in 2025 depends not just on what you sell—but which platform you choose to sell through.
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