Pinduoduo ( PDD 15.59% ) is an uncommon firm. Founded in 2015, the corporate took just a few years to change into the second-largest e-commerce platform in China (by energetic consumers), behind Alibaba ( BABA 6.62% ). But because the tech firm entered the limelight thanks to all its success, the founder stepped down to pursue his different pursuits.
Another uncommon resolution that Pinduoduo took was to make investments closely in the agriculture business. For instance, the corporate plans to allocate 10 billion yuan of its income (ranging from the second quarter of 2021) to improve productiveness and promote sustainability of the agriculture business. But why agriculture? Here are two potential elements that doubtless contributed to that pivot.
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1. Agriculture merchandise are nice for person retention
In China, the e-commerce business could be very aggressive. On high of the three main gamers, specifically Alibaba, Pinduoduo, and JD.com, numerous smaller gamers comparable to Vipshop and new entrants like Douying and Kuaishou are all eyeing a share of the e-commerce market.
As such, customers (and their time) have now change into the limiting issue for e-commerce corporations, which could be very completely different from the early days of Alibaba. In these days, the platform that had probably the most merchandise would win. Today, platforms should provide way more — low costs, entertaining procuring experiences, comfort, and different enticements — to appeal to and retain customers.
Pinduoduo has saved customers returning by providing low costs. But traders have typically not given sufficient credit score to its give attention to agriculture merchandise, which has contributed enormously to its person engagement.
The concept is easy: Fruits and greens are a day by day necessity for nearly all customers — that is much more in order a lot of Pinduoduo’s clients reside in rural areas. On the Pinduoduo platform, customers can discover many contemporary merchandise at low worth factors. And after putting their orders, customers can both watch for them to attain their houses or get the merchandise despatched to a close-by retailer for assortment the next day.
By offering a low-priced, massive produce choice conveniently, Pinduoduo retains customers coming again. They come to Pinduoduo for contemporary meals, to store round, and decide up different objects.
2. Pinduoduo is an early mover in this business
The agriculture business in China is very large, using an estimated 25% of the inhabitants. Yet the web penetration for agriculture gross sales was lower than 7% in 2019, a lot decrease than the 23% penetration of all bodily items.
Agriculture is likely one of the most difficult industries for e-commerce to penetrate. Most farms in China are small, with lower than two hectares, and are scattered geographically, making standardization and economics of scale onerous to obtain.
Still, Pinduoduo has some early success in this business thanks to its expertise working Pinhaohuo, a web based fruit enterprise. In its early days, the tech firm’s enterprise was shopping for fruits in bulk and promoting them immediately to shoppers on-line. Staff had to supply, examine, and buy fruits immediately from farmers; transport the produce to warehouses; and fulfill buyer orders. The unique enterprise did so effectively that the corporate ultimately transitioned to its present market mannequin to allow extra farmers to promote immediately on its platform.
Unlike its rivals, that are primarily targeted on manufactured merchandise, Pinduoduo’s early expertise gave it vital publicity to the agriculture provide chain in China. It will take plenty of time (most likely years) and loads of investments for rivals to catch up. It is even more durable now that Pinduoduo has determined to wager the ship. If Pinduoduo can keep its lead in the agriculture business, it has likelihood of constructing a sustainable enterprise in the long term.
A bumpy journey forward
Pinduoduo’s aggressive pivot into the agriculture business makes plenty of sense, significantly in the context of the Chinese authorities’s priorities. Still, there isn’t a assure that the transfer can be profitable.
First, the competitors can be intense. Incumbents like Alibaba and JD will strive to construct their agriculture e-commerce companies. Besides, the largest meals supply firm, Meituan, has additionally made huge bets on the agriculture sector.
Pinduoduo is investing closely to seize the chance, allocating 10 billion yuan to its agricultural initiative program to develop the farming business in rural areas. It’s nonetheless too early to inform whether or not these investments will ship a optimistic return over the long term.
Ultimately, traders ought to watch how the agriculture enterprise evolves inside Pinduoduo and helps it bolster its moat in this aggressive area.
This article represents the opinion of the author, who might disagree with the “official” suggestion place of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. We’re motley! Questioning an investing thesis – even one in every of our personal – helps us all suppose critically about investing and make selections that assist us change into smarter, happier, and richer.