The Chinese site that rewired online shopping

Pinduoduo has successfully capitalised on one of China’s biggest economic challenges: sluggish consumer spending and falling prices for food and other items. — Pinduoduo

When Pinduoduo, the Chinese discount shopping app, debuted nearly a decade ago, tech giants Alibaba and JD.com dominated China’s ecommerce business.

Pinduoduo felt more like a gimmick than a future rival. It was a combination of a game arcade, a shopping mall and a social network. Its main selling point was lower prices for shoppers who recruited other buyers to make group purchases. Customers could pass the time by playing video games or earn money by logging in daily to browse the app.