3 Social Commerce Tips for the PinDuoDuo ??

In the spirit of PinDuoDuo’s literal translation, meaning “join together more", the YASO team has come together to provide three key social commerce tips for beauty and skincare brands looking to succeed on this fast-growing but at the same time mystifying platform.

If you’ve been involved in the social commerce space—especially when it comes to business growth in China—you’ve likely heard of PinDuoDuo. Launched in 2015, this Chinese e-commerce platform revolutionized shopping through a gamified experience, where lower prices and promotions can be unlocked via demand and social sharing. One popular feature, "Price Chop," lets users win free products by sharing affiliate links, showcasing how PDD incentivizes social buying.

Targeting more price-conscious consumers with its engaging platform, PinDuoDuo’s growth has been meteoric. Retail sales were projected to hit $526 billion last year, and PDD’s parent company even briefly surpassed Alibaba in sales.

Here are three tips for beauty and skincare brands to ride the PinDuoDuo wave:

Tip 1: Familiarize Yourself with the Platform

Our top recommendation for brands entering the Chinese market is to truly familiarize yourself with social commerce platforms like PinDuoDuo. If you don't speak Chinese, collaborate with someone who does to explore the site, understand its unique layout, and learn about the incentive structures. Doing so will help you decide whether your product lineup and brand are a good fit. You'll also be able to study case studies of niche beauty and skincare brands from outside China that have found success there.

Tip 2: Choose High-Margin SKUs That Can Support Heavy Promotion

While PinDuoDuo was initially associated with heavily discounted, commodity-style goods, its wide user base now includes more affluent consumers. For beauty and skincare brands, brand equity is critical—but so is selecting products that can sustain discounting while still driving returns. Consider offering entry-level SKUs or products that can withstand promotions without undermining your brand. This gives mass audiences an aspirational entry point into your portfolio, potentially leading to future off-platform purchases of higher-end products. Our suggestion is not to use the platform as a shop window for higher priced products from which discounts will damage your pricing more broadly. Chanel and Swisse Wellness are two notable brands that have taken this approach on the platform, see below:?

Tip 3: Be Strategic About Which Platform Features to Use

PinDuoDuo offers a wide range of gamified features—from “Price Chop” promotions to daily check-ins and live streams, all designed to drive customer action and savings. However, it’s important to decide upfront whether your goal is to build brand awareness or push sales at scale. While live streaming can build hype and awareness, many other features (like price-driven promotions) cater to cost-conscious customers who are primarily focused on savings. If your brand’s primary goal is building equity, PinDuoDuo may not be the right platform, as its user base is generally motivated by discounts over brand loyalty.

For a deeper conversation on how to leverage PinDuoDuo for your brand, reach out to the YASO team.