Germany Probes Temu for Potential Pricing Influence

Germany's cartel office is investigating Temu, a Chinese e-commerce platform, over concerns it may be influencing merchants' pricing. The inquiry targets Whaleco Technology Limited, which runs Temu in Germany. The investigation addresses potential competition restrictions and the impact on pricing across sales channels.

Germany's cartel office has launched an investigation into the Chinese e-commerce platform Temu, probing whether it is exerting undue influence on merchants' pricing strategies.

According to office president Andreas Mundt, there are concerns that Temu's practices might lead to significant competitive restrictions and subsequently drive up prices on other sales channels.

The investigation focuses on Dublin-based Whaleco Technology Limited, which operates Temu in Germany, a platform that has attracted 19.3 million active users in the country and more than 100 million users across Europe each month.

(With inputs from agencies.)