Are fast-fashion shopping apps hurting local economy?

[tabas]

I believe that it does. I've seen an ad from temu before and that promising discount first purchase of a mechanical keyboard is what made me interested. But after downloading the app, it was too hectic as there's a lot of information that needed to be filled so I just quit it and it made me uncomfortable.

I've bought the mechanical keyboard for a few bucks, it's worth it. They don't request anything more than any other eCommerce website.

With my experience, they did and that's why I didn't go for it. Yeah, it's worth the money because I've seen some posted their orders after receiving and filling in the forms successfully.

In my opinion it is improving the local economy.  Because through these apps, the products of a country are spreading worldwide. 

At the same time, it's hurting the local producers or manufacturers because there's a huge competition and there's a better demand from these apps. But can we blame the people looking for something imported and probably have better products? The importing fees could have some additional taxes and shipping that helps the economy.

When a product becomes known in the whole world, then its economic demand definitely increases. And if you buy through the app, the price will be a little higher. Except for wholesalers.

And that makes these apps richer and that's a lesser demand for the local producers/manufacturers because they're having lesser computer. But this is how tough these days for them and needs to understand what competition is.

[fullhdpixel]

They also pay taxes, as well as the platform they are using.

So yes, they don't hurt the local economy. What's hurting the economy all over the world is our own government, especially because of inflation, which can be manipulated by people who has the power to do so. For what reason, well because of money of course, they wanted to collect money from their citizens in a "legal" way that normal citizens won't see.

I know that in a grocery receipt, their is a VAT word written and how much it cost us. Maybe the same thing works in these fashion shopping apps? I'm not sure, because I never tried buying on them yet. It's not only about the tax I guess but they can still hurt the local economy in a way that small stores locally (offline) will hardly get a customer.

We often told that we should support local products but mostly those who are being sold in the online shopping sites/apps are from overseas. Governments role is supposed to regulate and make the economy of a country better but it's sad that they are also the reason sometimes for its collapse. Sigh!

[someone703]

The key, is to ditch the "cheap at all costs" mentality and do your research. Remember, that bargain phone case might be a steal, but if it arrives smelling like a chemical spill and shatters the first time you drop it, it wasn't really a bargain, was it?

Sure, buying online might not directly impact your local economy, but there's a flip side. That money you saved on the phone case might be spent on supporting a local bakery or grabbing a pint at your favorite pub. It's all about conscious spending and finding the balance that works for you and your community.

[|MINER|]

In my opinion it is improving the local economy.  Because through these apps, the products of a country are spreading worldwide.  When a product becomes known in the whole world, then its economic demand definitely increases. And if you buy through the app, the price will be a little higher. Except for wholesalers.  It also has its downsides.  People are becoming more and more dependent on online. There are many shops who are not connected to online and this is a cause of great loss.

[South Park]

In my opinion it is improving the local economy.  Because through these apps, the products of a country are spreading worldwide.  When a product becomes known in the whole world, then its economic demand definitely increases. And if you buy through the app, the price will be a little higher. Except for wholesalers.  It also has its downsides.  People are becoming more and more dependent on online. There are many shops who are not connected to online and this is a cause of great loss.

Very often most local companies cannot compete with the economies of scale that Chinese companies can employ, as they produce so many products that the cost per unit is very low even when taking into account importing duties and shipping, so there is little doubt that apps which sell those products can outcompete most local brands when it comes to the price and people will prefer to buy them even if the quality of those products is not as good as what they can get locally.

[Pokapoka124]

I had the experience of purchasing from the Ali Express online store, but I was not delighted with the quality of the goods they provided. Usually, it looks completely different from what is shown in the photo. But I noticed one significant thing: the Chinese act very quickly, and as soon as there is a demand for one or another branded product, they instantly create a fake, which, of course, does not match the original but is in great demand due to its low cost.

Did you return the product to the store? I read there is usually a 14 day window to return the items to the store and they will ship another one for you. The sad part of buying stuff online is that you can’t tell the quality of a product by looking at photos. Like you said, there are a lot of fakes on AliExpress. To be safe, I often go through the reviews of the seller before buying. But these days, reviews can be done by the seller to make their shop look good. It’s better to buy directly from the original brand especially if you’re buying designer clothes and shoes.