Alibaba Blindsided by Upstart PinDuoDuo

Pinduoduo Inc., a five-year-old e-commerce app based in China that turns shopping into a game, has surpassed Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba in terms of users. Pinduduo ended 2020 with 788.4 million users compared to Alibaba’s 779 million.

This news shows how quickly e-commerce supremacy can be upended and is a lesson for large incumbent players including Amazon. Challengers with something different to offer—in this case the opportunity for shoppers to congregate, browse and be entertained virtually—can take market share.