Heavy online marketing spending by Temu and Shein is making it more costly for other retailers and brands to reach shoppers on Black Friday, marketing and industry experts say, with both platforms bidding heavily on search keywords used by competitors.

This competition has sharply driven up the prices they are willing to pay for prime advertising space. Both Temu and Shein have adopted aggressive marketing strategies, targeting their rivals’ keywords to outrank them in search results. This tactic increases their visibility and diverts potential customers from competitors.

The e-commerce giants saw sales jump in the first half of November, while shoppers spent slightly less at major US retailers.

Heavy online marketing spending by Temu and Shein is making it more costly for other retailers and brands to reach shoppers on Black Friday, marketing and industry experts say, with both platforms bidding heavily on search keywords used by competitors.