PDD is coming for the margin you stopped earning

A shopper opens your Shopee listing, takes a screenshot and looks for the product on Pinduoduo. A similar item appears for less. Your first image says “premium quality”.

You now have a problem that another campaign banner will struggle to solve.

For years, knowing where to source a product, importing it and making it available locally gave a seller a useful advantage. Pinduoduo is making parts of that job easier for the customer to do themselves.

If your business still charges for access the customer already has, your margin is getting harder to defend.

That is the uncomfortable part of PDD’s push into Singapore and Malaysia.

The expansion has been gradual. Momentum Works traces consolidated shipping access to both markets back to 2024, followed by more aggressive advertising and lower free-shipping thresholds. The recent attention follows improvements to an existing route into these markets. Momentum Works, May 2026

Malaysia shows how practical the approach is. TNG eWallet’s Pinduoduo promotion advertises zero payment fees and avoidance of a 3% card surcharge. It even provides an official app-download route. Familiar payment options remove another reason to hesitate over an overseas purchase. TNG Digital

The customer sees a cheap product, delivery included and a payment method they recognise. Asking them to pay more because your company is local is a weak response.

Local businesses carry real costs. Rent, salaries, stock and returns all need paying for. Customers still need to understand what they receive in exchange.

A warehouse has value when it gets a replacement to someone before their weekend event. A warranty earns its place when a faulty appliance gets repaired without a shipping dispute. Product knowledge matters when a seller prevents someone from ordering the wrong model.

Those are services worth charging for. “We have overheads” is an explanation for your price, not a reason to choose you.

There is a limit to the comparison. Two listings using the same photograph can sell different specifications or different-quality goods. Promotional prices may also hide differences in quantity, delivery, tax and after-sales support. An advertised bargain does not establish a like-for-like saving.

Brands should investigate those differences before declaring themselves either doomed or superior.

Start with ten products that matter to your business. Compare exact models where possible, then record the delivered price, expected arrival date, pack size and return terms. For products without an exact match, label the comparison as an alternative rather than the same item.

Next, separate the products where you offer something a shopper will pay for from those that depend mainly on the buyer not checking elsewhere.

That second group deserves a commercial decision. Renegotiate sourcing, change the specification, build a useful offer around the item or reduce your commitment to it. Putting a logo on a generic product and buying more ads will not fix weak economics.

For the products worth defending, make the local value visible before checkout. Replace “fast delivery” with an achievable delivery window. State who handles a warranty claim and where the item goes. Show the contents of the box, the compatible models and the conditions that affect returns.

Then make sure operations delivers what the listing promises. A local phone number that nobody answers adds little value.

Some brands will need a deeper change. Exclusive specifications, replacement parts, installation, useful product advice and dependable replenishment are harder to compare on price alone. Each requires work beyond uploading a supplier’s catalogue.

PDD also has weaknesses. Singapore reporting describes shoppers accepting longer waits in exchange for lower prices. That leaves room for sellers who reliably serve purchases where time matters. It does not mean every buyer will pay any premium for speed. NTU’s summary of August 2026 reporting

At Atsell, we manage marketplace stores, so we have a stake in this argument. Better listings and store execution are part of the response. They work best when the product and service give us something specific to sell.

Send Atsell your store link and one product customers keep comparing on price. Include what your price buys them that the cheaper alternative does not.