It’s not easy to make time stretch. Stella Donros, 39, juggles work, studies, and family life. But the diagnosis of her youngest daughter’s autism has put even more pressure on the full-time working mother of three. Every minute and every penny saved is worth its weight in gold. That’s why she is grateful for Temu’s convenient deliveries and affordable prices.
It’s no news that young families face challenges. Time is rarely enough, and neither is the wallet. Anything that can save time and money is welcome. Until recently, the daily puzzle for the Donros family in Helsingborg was no harder than for any other family. Stella had managed to juggle her job as a natural science teacher at a folk high school, a thirteen-year marriage, studies to become a special education teacher, and raising the couple’s three daughters – Selma, 8, Hannah, 7, and Ines, 3. To succeed, Stella has to be selective about how she spends her most valuable resource: time, especially since her youngest daughter’s newly diagnosed autism.
“It was like getting a new action plan for life. Suddenly, everything was about finding ways to stimulate Ines in the right way, while making sure Selma and Hannah didn’t feel neglected,” says Stella.
When Stella’s sister introduced her to Temu last year, she describes herself as a big skeptic. But to her and her family’s surprise, she was proven wrong. Suddenly, Stella could afford the educational toys the habilitation doctor had recommended for Ines. A whole new world had opened up for her daughter’s development.
“We’ve noticed a huge difference since we started buying educational toys from Temu. It’s very colorful, and there are lots of animals. For example, the Cinnamon Roll plush toy, and Ines imitates us when we point at colors and shapes. Because of her autism, her speech development hasn’t progressed like other children of her age. But we hope that it will come with more time and practice,” says Stella.
Since resources are limited, especially since Ines received her diagnosis, it is more important than ever to distinguish between what the family truly needs and what they just want. That’s why Stella avoids impulse purchases. She’s always planned the family’s purchases carefully, but now she does it on a whole different level, with even more consideration. The products must last a long time and be adapted to Ines’ needs.
“Her toys exclusively come from Temu. But I don’t just buy anything. I want to know what I’m clicking home and always do research on every product,” explains Stella. “For Ines, the toys have to be educational and stimulating. Now she lines things up and builds, tries to talk more, and learns to identify textures when she presses blocks against her cheek.”
Stella is among millions of consumers across Europe who have turned to Temu for its broad selection of budget-friendly daily essentials. Built on a more streamlined and flexible supply chain, Temu is able to cut out layers of intermediaries and their associated costs and therefore pass savings to consumers, offering practical relief for households feeling the squeeze of rising prices.
“Low price does not always equal poor quality. I believe some get it wrong here. It’s often the exact same products available elsewhere, but without the middlemen. It’s maybe not what you want to hear but it’s often the truth,” said Bengt Wessborg, a Stockholm-based e-commerce expert.
Starting out in the US in 2022, the direct-from-factory online platform entered Sweden in May 2023 and has become increasingly popular among local consumers. Recently, Temu has opened its platform to Swedish sellers, providing small businesses with a low-cost route to millions of customers and contributing to job creation and local economy.
According to Kantar’s survey, more than 3 in 4 Nordic consumers say Temu is driving price transparency and competition in the region, with over one-third of respondents calling the impact significant.
The impact adds up. A recent Ipsos survey found that Temu shoppers across six countries—including the UK, Germany, and France—saved an average of 24%, with four in five calling the platform a good value. A study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) estimates UK households could save nearly £3,000 annually on Temu.
Of the 6000 SEK that Stella has spent on Temu, she has saved more than double that amount just on Ines’ aids. By comparing prices on other websites, stores, reading reviews, and doing extensive image searches, Stella has only paid a fraction of what they would have cost elsewhere. Now, she can instead use the thousands of kronor to travel with her family.
“The quality is really superb and has impressed both family and friends,” says Stella.
