PDD - Earnings Call - Q3 2025
November 18, 2025
Transcript
Operator (participant)
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by and welcome to the PDD Holdings Third Quarter 2025 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in listen-only mode. There will be a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. At which time, if you wish to ask a question, you will need to press the star key followed by the number one on your telephone keypad. Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your host today. Please go ahead.
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Thank you, operator, and hello everyone, and thank you for joining us today. PDD Holdings' earnings release was distributed earlier and is available on our website at investor.pddholdings.com and through the new Globe Newswire services. Before we begin, I'd like to refer you to our safe harbor statement in the earnings press release, which applies to this call, as we will make certain forward-looking statements. Also, this call includes discussions of certain non-GAAP financial measures. Please refer to our earnings release, which contains a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures. Joining us today on the call are Mr. Chen Lei, our Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Zhao Jiazhen, our Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive Officer; our VP of Finance, Ms. Liu Jun, is unfortunately on medical leave. Delivering the prepared remarks on Jun's behalf today will be Ms.
Xinyi Lin from our Investor Relations team, who has spoken on our earlier earnings calls. Lei and Jiazhen will make some general remarks on our performance for the past quarter and our strategic focus, and Xinyi will then walk us through our financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025. During the Q&A session, Lei and Jiazhen will answer questions in Chinese and will help translate. Please kindly note that the English translation is for reference only, and in case of any discrepancy, statements in the original language should prevail. Now, it's my pleasure to introduce our Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Chen Lei. Lei, please go ahead.
Chen Lei (Chairman and Co-CEO)
Hello everyone, and thank you for joining our Q3 2025 earnings conference call. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the company's founding. Just before this earnings release, we celebrated our 10th birthday. When we started in 2015, we pioneered the team purchase model, which offered the value proposition of more savings and more fun at scale, and created a new e-commerce defined by three characters, namely benefit all, people first, and more open. Since then, we have gradually grown from a startup into a key player in the e-commerce industry, and along our journey, created greater value for our users, our merchants, as well as the industry and the society. This quarter, we reported RMB 108 billion in revenue, with growth remaining under pressure. As always, we prioritize long-term value over short-term results.
Looking back over the past decade, we have upheld our core value of Ben, adhered firmly to our own duties and principles, and maintained focus on our core business of e-commerce. Through our journey, we strive to create value for our users and to address the needs of the widest range of consumers. We have also made every effort in giving back to the industry ecosystem, driving the industry to become more benefit all, more people first, and more open. Since day one, our mission has been to serve the broadest range of consumers by offering affordable prices and quality services. Ten years ago, we introduced the team purchase model to address the challenges faced by the farmers and growers, as well as industrial-bound merchants.
This e-commerce model has helped a large base of farmers and everyday workers increase their income while offering urban and rural consumers access to quality foods and daily necessities at affordable prices. Today, ten years later, our focus remains on the day-to-day of people from all walks of life. We continue to provide consumers with quality goods at affordable prices and help merchants, many of which are SMEs, expand their market reach. Ultimately, we help producers and consumers live a better life. As a new e-commerce platform born in the mobile internet era, we moved beyond the traditional online shopping model that placed products at the center. Instead, we put people first. We built our model around a consumer focus. We try to understand the human touch behind every click, and we honor the consumer trust behind every order.
We strive to bring more savings and more fun to every purchasing experience. With this goal in mind, we will continuously drive product innovation, technology iteration, service upgrades, and improvements in product selection and the efficiency of supply chain. In doing so, we aim to satisfy the diverse and rapidly growing needs of everyday consumers. Throughout our journey, we have faced fierce and persistent industry competition, yet we have remained steadfast in our focus on the company's intrinsic value in the long run. We promote the high-quality growth of the platform ecosystem, and we advocate for a more open industry environment. Since last year, we have further elevated our ecosystem development and rolled out substantial merchant support initiatives such as the 10 billion fee reduction program and 100 billion support program.
Through these initiatives, we made investments in our merchants and the wider market, creating room for innovation and growth for both established brands and SMEs. We hope to play our part in accelerating supply chain upgrade and in addressing the long-standing challenge faced by our merchants who had quality but lacked brand recognition. As we look ahead, the e-commerce industry is witnessing even more intense competition, and we will continue to uphold the principles that have guided us for the past 10 years, staying true to our mission of creating value for our consumers and focused on investing in the high-quality development of our platform and the wider industry. Today, the scale of our business is far greater than it was 10 years ago, and with greater scale comes greater social responsibility.
Therefore, as we think about our growth in this new era, we must do so in a way that prioritizes the interests of the wider public and the long-term outlook of the entire ecosystem. Going forward, more strategic initiatives similar to the 100 billion support program will be rolled out to support both supply side and demand side. We will also strengthen our efforts in giving back to the industry and the broader society. Three years ago, we launched our global business, which has now grown to serve many markets. Today, with the rapid evolvement of trade barriers and other global events, we are seeing significant shifts in the platform's regulatory environment, including in trade policies, tax rules, data security, and the product compliance regulation across different countries and regions. This means we will inevitably face greater challenges and more uncertainties.
As a young global company, we are working hard to learn, to keep up, and to adapt to these trends. However, there remain significant uncertainties exposing the company to risks that are unpredictable and difficult to quantify, which may impact our financial performance both in the short term and over the long term. In the midst of fierce industry competition, a complex global environment, and our continuous ecosystem investments, our quarterly profitability will fluctuate and is inherently unpredictable. Therefore, simple linear projection might not be a good way to project future performance. As we have emphasized in the past, short-term stock price fluctuation has never been our focus. Rather, our focus remains on building long-lasting intrinsic value by doing the right thing and creating value for consumers.
It is with our firm commitment to high-quality development we embark on the next decade towards our vision of Costco plus Disney. With that, we will turn the call over to Zhao Jiazhen for further remarks.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
大家好，我是张耀正。感谢大家参加第三季度业绩的发布会。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Good day, everyone. This is Zhao Jiazhen. Thank you again for joining our Q3 2025 earnings release.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
今年上季度，自从拼多多创业十周年，如陈磊所说，十年来我们始终坚持为用户创造价值，为社会创造了更多的增量贡献。在十周年的节点上，我们将继续加大对供需两侧的回馈力度，推动产业极致升级，为广大普通人创造更多的实惠和乐趣。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
The third quarter this year marks the company's 10th anniversary. As Lei mentioned, over the past 10 years, we have remained committed to creating value for our users and growing alongside our merchants. We have strived to drive the industry to become more open and have delivered incremental value to the society. At this 10-year juncture, we will continue to step up our efforts to give back to the supply side and the demand side as part of our efforts to drive industry upgrades and deliver more savings and more fun to the general public.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
在本季度，我们的营收增速继续承压，经营利润顶露的低个位数增长。在当下，电商行业围绕新业态的竞争持续加剧，我们将继续投入真金白银，反哺平台生态。类似百亿减免、千亿扶持的重磅会商举措将长期持续，这都将影响营收和利润的可持续表现。本季度的利润不能作为接下来的业绩指引，不排除未来几个季度的业绩表现将出现反复波动。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
In this quarter, our revenue growth continued to be under pressure, and operating profit grew in low single digits. Currently, we see intensified competition within the e-commerce sector that is centered around new business models. We will continue to invest back into our platform ecosystem and our investments into the merchant support initiatives similar to the 10 billion fee reduction program and the 100 billion support program will continue in the long run. These investments will affect the sustained performance of revenue and net profit, and accordingly, our financial results of this quarter should not be considered as guidance for future performance. We cannot rule out the possibility that the financial performance in the next few quarters will continue to fluctuate.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
在过去十年，我们从一家初创公司成长为公众平台，受益于中国经济的快速发展，也始终没有忘记承担平台企业的社会责任，一直积极回馈农业和产业。今年以来，我们的电商行业首次推出千亿级别的会商助农行动，并通过多多好特产、薪资供给、电商吸金等举措，持续推动平台生态的高质量发展。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Over the past decade, we grew from a startup into a public platform. We benefited from China's rapid economic development, and at the same time, we have not lost sight of the social responsibilities that are inherent to a platform company and proactively gave back to the agriculture and other industries. This year, we rolled out the first RMB 100 billion support program in the e-commerce industry to support merchants and farmers. Through initiatives such as Duoduo Premium Produce, new quality supply, and logistics support to remote regions, we continue to drive the high-quality development of the platform ecosystem.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
作为起家于农产品的新电商，用户和商家在拼多多交易的第一单就是农产品。一路走来，我们在农业的各个领域，包括供应链、仓储物流、新农人、农业科研等，都进行了长期的投入，大幅提升了农产品上行的规模和效率，极大提升了产品的标准化，为广大农户增产增收，也借此成为中国最大的农产品上行平台。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
As a new e-commerce platform with roots in agriculture, the first product bought and sold on Pinduoduo was agriculture produce. Along the way, we have made long-term investments across different parts of the agriculture industry, from supply chain and warehousing logistics to supporting new generations of farmers and agriculture research and development. These efforts have significantly increased the scale and efficiency of agriculture product distribution, greatly promoted product standardization, and helped farmers increase output and income. In this process, we have become the largest platform for agriculture products in China.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
今年以来，我们依托千亿扶持战略，推出了多多好特产专项行动，继续加码对农业领域的投入。根据平台发布的2025农产品上行半年报，我们对农业的投入收效显著。今年上半年，农产品销量同比增加47%，农货商家数量同样保持高速增长，尤其是00后农货商家的数量同比增长超30%。农产品上行的空间依然后劲十足。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
In the third quarter, our Duoduo Premium Produce team visited dozens of agriculture specialty regions, including Hubei, Jingzhou, Henan, Shangqiu, Shandong, Liyang, and Yunnan, Pu'er. This year, on the back of the 100 billion support program, we launched the Duoduo Premium Produce initiative to step up our investments into agriculture. Based on the 2025 Agriculture Product Half-Year Report that we just issued, our investments in agriculture have yielded significant results. In the first half of this year, agriculture sales grew by 47% year over year, and we saw a similarly rapid increase in the number of agriculture merchants, with a particularly notable increase of over 30% year over year in the generation of merchants born in the 2000s. This demonstrates that the online distribution of agriculture products continues to hold immense promise.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
在上季度，我们的多多好特产专项行动先后走进了湖北、荆州、河南、山丘、山东、莱阳、云南、普洱、四川、安岳等地数十个农特产区，为各地商家推出定制方案，推动各大产区从规模化向品质化发展。9月，各地农产区迎来丰收季，我们投入10亿补贴资金、20亿流量资源包，联合平台30万农货商家上线多多丰收馆，助力各地农货及时出村进城，促进各地农户丰产增收。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
In the third quarter, our Duoduo Premium Produce team visited dozens of agriculture specialty regions, including Hubei, Jingzhou, Henan, Shangqiu, Shandong, Liyang, Yunnan, An Yue, Sichuan, and Pudu, to develop tailored solutions for the merchants and help them make the transition from a model that prioritizes scale to one that prioritizes quality. During the harvest season, starting in September, we allocated RMB 1 billion subsidy and RMB 2 billion traffic support, and in collaboration with the 300,000 agriculture merchants on our platform, we rolled out the Duoduo Harvest Season program to facilitate the timely distribution of produce from rural areas to urban markets, helping farmers increase income.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
在拼多多的起步阶段，我们通过拼等模式创造性地解决了产业链的存量问题，并带动各地产业迅速完成了规模化。很多产业链的电商商家从一两百家增长至数千家，商品也存在同质化竞争。截至目前，产业链已经进入了转型的关键节点。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
In the early days of our company, our team purchase model brought about a solution to the legacy challenges within the industrial belt and enabled the industries to quickly scale across regions. The number of e-commerce merchants in many of these regions grew from just 102 to several thousand. However, this growth has also led to commoditized competition, and today these industrial belts have reached a critical juncture that calls for transformation.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
过去这个季度，我们的千亿扶持战略持续加码薪资供给，专项团队先后深入了平湖、雨龙、惠州、临时佛山、铜砖、邵东、香包、陶县、汉福等数十个产业带，借助平台的数字化能力，通过减免加扶持的举措，继续为商家提质增效，促进商品原材料等供应链各个环节，实现累进式的创新，积极破解同质化竞争的产业难题。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
This quarter, we continue to invest in a new quality supply initiative through our 100 billion support program. Our teams visited dozens of industrial belts such as down jackets in Pinghu, snacks in Huizhou, children's wear in Foshan, bags and luggage in Shandong, and Hanfu in Chaoqian. Leveraging our digital capabilities and fee reduction and merchant support programs, we continue to enhance quality and efficiency for our merchants. We aim to address the challenges of commoditized competition faced by many industries by incremental innovation across each part of the supply chain, from raw materials to finished products.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
在9月底，我们发布了薪资供给一周年发展报告。从报告来看，平台产业带商家数量快速增长，95后商家的数量同比增长31%，00后商家的数量同比增长44%，优质产品SQ数量同比增长超五成。产业带的品牌店铺也实现大幅增长，各大产业带正在迈步，正在逐步迈向高质量发展。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
At the end of September, we released the one-year development report on new quality supply. The report shows rapid growth in the number of industrial belt merchants. The number of merchants between the age of 25 and 30 grew by 31% year over year, and those born in the 2000s grew by 44%. The number of high-quality SKUs increased by over 50% year over year, and we have also seen a significant rise in the branded stores from these industrial belts. These figures demonstrate that the key industrial belts are steadily moving towards high-quality development.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
受益于我们在供给侧的持续投入，我们给最广大的普通消费者带来了更多实惠和乐趣。城市的白领下单了云南的鲜花，县城的年轻人买到了新款的潮玩，山里的村民吃上了优质的海鲜，西部的牧民穿上了防晒衣。以西部地区为例，在免除物流中转费之后，宠物用品、户外防晒、潮玩周边、生鲜绿植等商品进展量显著增长，极大地盘活了东西部地区的经济活力。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Supply-side investments have allowed us to bring more savings and more fun to a broad base of ordinary consumers. We see urban white-collar workers ordering fresh flowers from Yunnan, while young people in small towns buy trendy designer toys. We see mountain villagers enjoying high-quality seafood, while herdsmen in western regions wear UV-protective jackets. Taking the western regions as an example, the exemption of transshipment fees has led to a significant surge in order volume for pet supplies, outdoor and sun protection gears, designer toys, and fresh produce and plants, among other product categories. This greatly stimulated economic activities between the regions.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
在那十周年的庆祝点上，我们将继续坚持消费者导向，持续进化组织，以钉钉子的精神，扎扎实实，一个一个地解决用户、商家、产业的实际问题，持续构建多方共赢的平台生态，承担更大的社会责任，继续为广大的普通人创造价值。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Starting afresh from this ten-year mark, we will continue to put consumers first and drive organizational evolution. One by one, we will tackle the practical problems faced by our users, merchants, and the industries through persistent, focused efforts, and continue to build a thriving platform that benefits all, taking on greater social responsibility and creating value for the public.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
接下来，由欣怡为大家介绍我们这个季度的财务表现。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Now, I'll hand it over to Xinyi Lin to provide you with an update on our Q3 financial performance.
Xinyi Lin (Investor Relations)
Thank you, Jiazhen. Hello, everyone. This is Xin Yi from the Investor Relations team. Jun is on medical leave, and I will deliver the prepared remarks on behalf of her. Let me walk you through our financial performance for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025. In terms of income statements, in the third quarter, our total revenues increased 9% year over year to RMB 108.3 billion. This was driven by an increase in revenues from online marketing services and transaction services. Revenues from online marketing services and others were RMB 53.3 billion this quarter, up 8% from the same quarter of 2024. Online marketing services growth moderated further as competition intensified and as we invest in the merchant ecosystem. Revenues from transaction services were RMB 54.9 billion, up 10% from the same quarter last year.
Moving on to costs and expenses, our total costs of revenues increased 18% from RMB 39.7 billion in Q3 2024 to RMB 46.8 billion this quarter, mainly due to increase in fulfillment fees, bandwidth and server costs, and payment processing fees. On a GAAP basis, total operating expenses this quarter increased 3% to RMB 36.4 billion from RMB 35.4 billion in the same quarter of 2024. On a non-GAAP basis, total operating expenses increased to RMB 34.4 billion this quarter from RMB 32.9 billion in Q3 2024. Our total non-GAAP operating expenses as a percentage of total revenues this quarter was 32%, roughly in line with the same quarter last year. Looking into specific expense items, our non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses this quarter were RMB 29.8 billion, flat compared to the same quarter last year.
On a non-GAAP basis, our sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of our revenues this quarter was 28% compared to 30% in the same quarter last year. Our non-GAAP general and administrative expenses were RMB 896 million versus RMB 647 million in the same quarter of 2024. Our research and development expenses were RMB 3.7 billion this quarter on a non-GAAP basis and RMB 4.3 billion on a GAAP basis, up 41% year over year. Our investment in R&D reached a new high this quarter, reflecting our focus on improving the core technology capabilities of our platform. We are committed to investing in R&D over the long run to capture opportunities in supply chain innovation and consumer experience. On a GAAP basis, operating profit for the quarter was RMB 25 billion versus RMB 24.3 billion in the same quarter last year.
Non-GAAP operating profit was RMB 27.1 billion versus RMB 28 billion in the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP operating profit margin was 25% this quarter, down from 27% for the same quarter last year. As we invest in the platform ecosystem, our profitability may continue to fluctuate. Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB 29.3 billion for the quarter compared to RMB 25 billion in the same quarter last year. Basic earnings per ADS was RMB 20.96, and diluted earnings per ADS was RMB 19.7 versus basic earnings per ADS of RMB 18.02 and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB 16.91 in the same quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB 31.4 billion versus RMB 27.5 billion in the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS was RMB 21.08 versus RMB 18.59 in the same quarter of 2024.
Now, as Lei and Jiazhen mentioned, we are facing an increasingly competitive industry landscape, which calls for more investments in the platform ecosystem. Therefore, as we roll out greater merchant support initiatives and ecosystem investments, financial results may continue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. That completes our income statements. Now, let me move on to cash flow. Our net cash generated from operating activities was RMB 45.7 billion compared with RMB 27.5 billion in the same quarter last year. As of September 30, 2025, we had RMB 423.8 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments. Thank you. This concludes my prepared remarks.
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Thank you, Xinyi. Next, we will move on to the Q&A session. In today's Q&A session, Lei and Jiazhen will take questions from analysts on the line. We could take a maximum of two questions from each analyst. Lei and Jiazhen will answer questions in Chinese and will help translate for convenience purposes. Operator will open for questions.
Operator (participant)
Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin the question and answer session. If you wish to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone and wait for your name to be announced. If you wish to cancel your request, please press the pound or hash key. Participants are requested to restrict the number of questions to two at each time. Your first question comes from Joyce Chu with Bank of America. Please go ahead.
Joyce Chu (Analyst)
very much. I will translate myself. My first question is, in the third quarter, we see a recovery in overall online retail sector as the industry's year-over-year growth reached its best level in the past few quarters. Could management share the company's perspective on the recent industry trend? In the meantime, we noticed a slowdown in PDD's online marketing service revenue this quarter, which we estimate also indicated some pressure on the pay grade. Could management elaborate on the main factors driving the growth? And do you anticipate this trend will continue in the next couple of quarters? Secondly, in the past few quarters, we've seen several platform companies roll out major business innovations and ramp up investment in the new models, which has really shifted the competitive dynamics. How does management view the competitive outlook in China's e-commerce sector from here and why? Thank you very much.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
嗯，你好，我是 Jiazhen. 我来回答一下这个问题啊。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Hi, this is Zhao Jiazhen. Let me take this question.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
在过去的几个季度呢，行业开启了新的一轮的这个投入周期。电商行业一直在快速的变化。在一个这个竞争者数量众多，而且各方实力都很强的这个行业的格局下面呢，啊，我们认为竞争是不可避免的。那面对竞争和行业的这个快速的变化，我们主要思考的是平台可以为消费者、商家，还有其他的平台的参与方能够创造什么样的独特价值，而不会去过分的关注短期的行业动向和竞争对手的一举一动。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
In the past few quarters, the industry has entered a new investment cycle. The e-commerce sector is evolving rapidly, and within an industry landscape that has a large number of strong players, competition is unavoidable. Faced with this competitive and fast-changing environment, our primary focus should be that what unique value our platform can create for the consumers, merchants, and other participants. We do not pay too much attention to the short-term industry trends or every move made by the competition.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
在我们看来呢，接下来平台的发展要结合自身的优势，我们去谋求高质量的发展，通过时代的这个能力的提升，服务好商家和消费者，创造更多的价值。当然，我们也很高兴的看到啊，这个整体的线上零售的回暖。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
And as we see it, from here onwards, we must leverage our inherent strength to pursue high-quality growth and enhance our core capabilities in order to better serve our merchants and consumers, and along the way, creating more value.
Of course, we are also encouraged to see the overall recovery in online retail.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那今年的初始呢，我们进一步的意识到高质量发展的参与价值。因此呢，在这个阶段，我们管理层下决心将平台生态建设升级到新的阶段，推出了千亿扶持的会商计划。平台主动拿出真金白银，反哺商家和产业，为品牌商家、中小商家的创新和发展创造充分的空间。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
At the beginning of this year, we further recognized the long-term value of high-quality growth, and our management team made a commitment to elevate our platform ecosystem investments to a new stage and launch the 100 billion support program to support our merchants. This involves the platform proactively dedicating substantial resources to invest in merchants and the broader industry. In doing so, we target to provide ample room for innovation and growth for both established brands and the SMEs.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那与此同时呢，平台也成立了商家权益保护委员会，建立了与商家沟通的谈笑机制，对商家售后服务体系进行了专项升级，并且对这个异常订单售后等问题呢，实行了多项的改进和治理的举措，优化商家的经营环境，全力构建多方共赢的平台生态。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
In the meantime, we also formed the Merchant Protection Committee to create a long-term communication mechanism with our merchants. We have also undertaken targeted upgrades to the Merchant After-Sales Service System and implemented multiple evolvement improvements to address issues like abnormal order disputes.
And these efforts are all focused on optimizing the business environment for our merchants and nurturing a platform ecosystem where all participants can thrive together.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那站在当前的节点往前看，呃，我们管理层一致认为，继续加码平台生态投入，从更大的社会公众利益和长期健康生态的角度呢，来考虑企业发展的问题，是我们平台应该做的事情。我们将专注于平台长期的内生价值以及平台的长期健康发展。因此呢，未来一段时间内，类似于千亿扶持等汇集供需两侧的战略项目将会进一步的增多，平台反哺产业回馈社会的力度呢，也会加大。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Looking ahead at this juncture, management unanimously agreed that it is our responsibility to further increase investment in our platform ecosystem and to think about the company's development from the broader perspective of public interest and the long-term health of the entire ecosystem. We will remain focused on the platform's intrinsic value and healthy development in the long run, and therefore, in a period ahead, we plan to roll out more strategic initiatives that benefit both merchants and consumers. Programs such as the 100 billion support program, and further enhance our efforts to invest in the industry and give back to the society.
Back to the topic of growth rate, we mentioned several quarters ago that as the platform increases in scale and also as competition intensifies, our growth rate is set to slow down. As we continue to invest in programs to support merchants and industry, our financial performance may experience ups and downs in the coming period. However, we will always maintain a long-term perspective, focusing on creating a unique value for consumers and merchants and building our intrinsic value. In terms of your second question about competition, as you have observed, the competition in our industry has intensified. Over the past few months, we have seen many industry peers deploying significant capital and resources to aggressively develop new business models, leading to increasingly fierce competition around emerging business models in the e-commerce sector.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
好在这个环境下呢，我们继续投入真金白银，反哺平台生态，就像当前正在开展的类似于一减免千亿扶持的重磅会商举措呢，将会长期的持续，未来也会呢推出更多的类似的举措。平台是愿意牺牲自己的利润来为平台生态创造更广阔的发展空间，这个呢就是我们的长期的投资。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
In this environment, we'll continue to invest substantial capital to strengthen our platform ecosystem. Major merchant support initiatives, such as the 10 billion fee reduction program and 100 billion support program, will be sustained over the long run, and with more similar programs to be launched. The platform is willing to let go some of the profits to create room for the development of the entire ecosystem. We view these as our long-term investments.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
安利如像先前介绍的，今年以来我们依托千亿扶持战略，推出了多多好特产的专项行动，帮助帮助优质的农货商家大幅提升了农产品上行的规模和效率。像类似这样的例子呢，还有很多。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
For instance, as mentioned earlier, this year we launched the Duoduo Premium Produce campaign under our 100 billion support program, which has significantly helped quality agriculture merchants increase their scale and improve the efficiency of product distributions. There are numerous initiatives like this.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
而这些长期投资呢，将不可避免地影响营收和利润的可持续表现。接下来我们面对外部环境的变化和愈发激烈的行业竞争，我们的长期的投资势必会增加。那因此呢，我们不觉得本季度的利润呢能作为接下来的业绩指引，不排除未来几个季度的业绩表现将出现反复的波动。谢谢。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
These long-term investments will naturally impact our revenue and profits performance.
Moving forward, amid the changing external conditions and intensifying competition, our long-term investments are set to increase. Therefore, we do not think this quarter's profitability should serve as guidance for future performance, and there is still the possibility of continuous fluctuation in the results over the coming quarters. Thank you.
Joyce Chu (Analyst)
非常感谢。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Thank you, Joyce. Operator, we're ready for the next analyst on the line.
Operator (participant)
Your next question comes from Alicia Yap at Citigroup.
Alicia Yap (Analyst)
Hello, 关于陈晚上好，谢谢接受我的提问。啊，我有两个问题。啊，第一个问题是，嗯，关于全球，啊，就全球化的业务中，啊，我们看到公司和一些同行在不少国家其实是受到，呃，不少的监管，啊，还有这个舆论的审查，啊，有的甚至是比较激烈的，然后管理层如何看待，呃，这样的情况，然后，呃，那么我们接下来有有有有怎么样的一些应对哈。第二个问题是，呃，公司在过去几个季度都提到了商家生态的这个投资，呃，请问当前的效果怎么样，以及我们应该，呃，怎么样去衡量，呃，他对财务的这个影响，未来公司的计划是怎么样，啊，我自己翻译一下。
Thanks management for taking my questions. Two questions. The first one is in the global business operation, we have observed that the company and also other peers are facing regulatory and also public scrutiny in many countries, some of which are quite intense. How does management view this situation and what are our plans, response?
And then second question is the company has mentioned investment in the merchant ecosystem over the past few quarters. Could you share the current status of this initiative and how should we assess the financial impacts of this initiative and what are the company's future plans? Thank you.
Chen Lei (Chairman and Co-CEO)
呃，你好，Alicia，我是陈磊。呃，那我来先回答一下你的第一个问题。呃，我们公司的全球化业务呢，已经经历过了三年多的发展。呃，目前呢，已经在很多的，呃，市场呢，服务当地的消费者，呃，也收到了，呃，来自于世界各地的，呃，消费者的正向反馈。那么面对这样的，呃，支持和信任呢，我们是很受鼓舞的。但同时呢，我们也感到，哎，肩上的责任非常的重。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Hi Alicia, this is Lei. Let me, let me answer your first question. After more than three years of development, the company's global business now serves local consumers in many markets and has received positive feedback from users worldwide. We are greatly encouraged by such support and trust, but at the same time, we sense profound responsibility.
Chen Lei (Chairman and Co-CEO)
那我们的全球化业务呢，从一开始我们的目标呢，就是希望能够在，呃，全球的各个市场，那么实现长期的，呃，健康的发展。那我们希望呢，能够为各国的消费者，呃，创造实实在在的价值。因此呢，我们也一直在思考，呃，如何能够融入各个市场的文化习俗和法规合规的体，法律合规的体系。我们希望自己呢，能够成为当地市场，呃，有机的一部分。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
From the very beginning, the goal of our global business has been to achieve long-term sustainable development in each market and deliver a tangible value to consumers.
Therefore, we continuously reflect on how to integrate with the local cultural practices and legal compliance systems in each of the markets, so that we become an organic, organic part of the local economies.
Chen Lei (Chairman and Co-CEO)
那么平台的业务发展呢，以及各个市场的监管趋势，那么这些呢，都给我们提出了更高的要求。啊，我们也始终认为呢，给消费者提供一个，啊，安全的，啊，放心的消费环境呢，这其实也是一个电商平台的本分。因此呢，管理团队把平台治理和商品合规，啊，纳入了公司这个高质量发展战略的重要一环。我们针对这一块呢，做了大量的工作和投入。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
The growth of our business, alongside regulatory trends across different markets, now set a higher standard for us. We have always believed that providing consumers with a safe and trustworthy shopping environment is a fundamental duty of an e-commerce platform. Accordingly, management has made trust and safety and also product compliance a key component of the company's high-quality development strategy and has made substantial investments in this area.
Chen Lei (Chairman and Co-CEO)
那么从技术的层面呢，我们在不断的优化商家入驻和商品上架的规范和流程。呃，整个公司都投入了大量的资源，那我们和人工筛查的手段，那么对商品上架、销售、售后都做主动的巡查和管理，啊，从而完善安全风险的发现和响应能力。那与此同时呢，我们也在非常积极的和外部的相关方合作，我们在听取他们的意见，以高标准来要求自己。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
On the technical front, we are continuously refining the policies and processes for merchant onboarding and product listing. The company has dedicated significant resources combining automated and manual screening to proactively monitor product listing, sales, and after-sales services.
Chen Lei (Chairman and Co-CEO)
By doing so, we hope to enhance our ability to detect and respond to safety risks. At the same time, we actively collaborate with external stakeholders and incorporate their feedback to hold ourselves to higher standards.
那么在团队建设方面呢，我们持续的投入专业合规团队的建设，那么实时的跟进我们所在的市场的合规趋势，并且呢，及时的在业务侧做调整。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
\In terms of our teams, we continue to invest in building a professional compliance team that keeps up with regulatory trends in our operating markets and promptly implements adjustments in our business operations.
Chen Lei (Chairman and Co-CEO)
那么尽管如此，那我们也看到各个国家和地区，那么他们在这个贸易政策，呃，税务数据和商品合规等监管政策方面呢，都在发生着比较大的变化。那么这不可避免呢，给我们带来了更大的挑战，增加了更多的不确定性。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Despite these efforts, a regulatory environment in areas such as trade policies, tax, data security, and product compliance are undergoing significant changes across various countries and regions, and this presents us with greater challenges and heightened uncertainty.
Chen Lei (Chairman and Co-CEO)
那么作为一家年轻的全球化公司，我们正在努力的学习，呃，努力的跟上以及适应这些变化。呃，但是我觉得需要承认的是，这个过程中是显著的存在着不确定性。那么呢，这可能让公司面临着不可预知以及很难明确计算的风险，从而影响到短期乃至长期的财务表现。 As a young and global organization, we are striving to learn and to adapt to these changes.
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
However, I have to admit that this process introduces significant uncertainties, which bring unpredictable and difficult to quantify risks and could impact the company's financial performance in both the short and long term.
Chen Lei (Chairman and Co-CEO)
而面对这样的不确定性呢，对我们来说呢，还是我们会专注的，啊，练好内功，啊，提高自身平台的合规能力。那么呢，培育更健康、更加可持续的平台生态。啊，谢谢。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
In facing such uncertainties, to us, we remain very focused on strengthening our internal capabilities and enhancing platform compliance and fostering a healthier and more sustainable platform ecosystem. Thank you.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
嗯，你好，啊，我是赵嘉珍。我来回答一下你的第二个问题。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Hi, this is Zhao Jiazhen. Let me answer your second question.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那在过去十年呢，我们经历了一段不平凡的成长的历程，从一家初创公司发展成为拥有社会影响力的公众平台。那在这一路呢，我们得益于互联网经济的蓬勃发展，也始终坚守着平台型企业应该有的社会责任。那十年来呢，我们也在不断的探索如何通过数字化的力量服务更广泛的群体，积极的回馈社会，尤其是在农业振兴和产业升级方面的持续的投入。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Over the past ten years, we have undergone an extraordinary growth journey, evolving from a startup to a public platform with certain social influence. Throughout this journey, we have benefited from the rapid development of the digital economy and, at the same time, took on social responsibilities that are expected of a platform company like ours.
Over these ten years, we have explored different ways to leverage digital capabilities to serve the broader communities and give back to society, particularly around rural revitalization and industry upgrades.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那在这个过程中呢，我们先推出了百亿能源等这个战略级的项目，为农业现代化注入了新的动力。那今年呢，我们进一步的迈出了关键的一步，在电商行业率先启动了千亿扶持的会商助农的行动。那我们通过多做好特产、亲自供给、电商吸进等这些重要的举措，我们正在不断的优化平台生态，推动更多的优质商家、优质商品更高效的能够连接更广阔的消费市场，助力这个产业的高质量发展。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
As part of this journey, we launched strategic initiatives such as the 10 billion agriculture research program to inject new energy into agriculture modernization. This year, we took another critical step to launch the first 100 billion support program in the e-commerce sector. Through key measures such as Duoduo Premium Produce, new quality supply, and logistics support for remote regions, we are continuously improving the platform ecosystem and brought more high-quality merchants and products to the broader consumer
markets, driving the high-quality development of different industries.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那对于你提到的这个商家的生态投资，啊，我们一直在强调的是，作为电商平台，平台和各个生态的参与方需要通力的协作，一起来为这个消费者创造价值。而商家呢，则是我们服务好消费者的重要的伙伴。那因此，这个健康可持续的商家生态是平台高质量发展的重要基础。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
And regarding your question around merchant support, investments, we have always emphasized that as an e-commerce platform, we must collaborate closely with all the ecosystem participants to create value for consumers. And merchants are vital partners in our efforts to serve the consumers well. Therefore, a healthy and sustainable merchant ecosystem is a fundamental pillar of the platform's high-quality development.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那我们希望呢，这些政策能够推动优质商家实现高质量发展。那比如说，我们推出了费用减免政策，降低了商家的经营成本。这呢，将帮助商家更有动力和能力进一步的完善他们的产品和服务。那目前在我们的平台上，我们看到这些生态建设的投资已经产生了一些正向的反馈。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
We hope these initiatives will promote high-quality growth for quality merchants. For instance, the fee reduction policies we introduced have lowered merchants' costs, enabling them to be more willing and able to reinvest in their products and services. Currently, we are already seeing some positive feedback from these ecosystem investments on our platform.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那今年是我们成立十周年。那在十周年的新起点上，我们将继续扎扎实实一个一个的解决用户、商家、产业的实际问题，持续构建多方共赢的平台生态，承担更大的社会责任。谢谢。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
And this year marks our ten-year anniversary, and standing at this new starting point, we will continue to diligently address the practical challenges faced by our users, merchants, and industries one by one. We hope to take a greater social responsibility by building a platform ecosystem that benefits all. Thank you. Okay, operator, I think we have time for one more analyst. Your next question comes from Kenneth Fong with UBS.
Kenneth Fong (Analyst)
嘿，呃，晚上好，谢谢管理层接受我的提问。呃，我第一个问题就是从利润率方面来看，看到公司这个季度的，呃，经营利润率同比下降的幅度跟前几个季度有一些收窄。呃，但是管理层刚刚也提到会继续加大投入。呃，我想请教一下，就是接下来我们应该怎么思考，呃，我们这个投入的节奏，还有盈利的水平。呃，另外呢，就是管理层也可以分享一下，就是刚刚刚刚过去这个大数里，大数里面，呃，我们有没有观察到一些比较新的消费趋势。呃，因为我们看到很多军队也有新的模式，呃，包括闪购啊，呃，还有在，呃，双十一里面也取得不错的成果。那管理层可以分享一下，啊，这对一些新的模式以下的格局吗？啊，我具体翻译一下。
the company operating margin decline this quarter has narrowed compared to the previous quarter. Meanwhile, management just mentioned plans for increased investment. How should we view the company's upcoming investment pace as well as the profitability level? And my second question is, could management share what the new consumption trend that we observed during the recent annual shopping festival promotion?
Additionally, we have seen other industry participants achieving good results with the new business models such as quick commerce during Double Eleven. How does management view the competitive landscape under these emerging models? Thank you.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
嗯，你好，我是赵嘉珍。我来回答你的问题啊。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Hi, this is Zhao Jiazhen. Let me answer your question.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那今年的商机度呢，竞争在加剧。那节假的平台在这个千亿扶持计划下的对平台生态的持续投入，我们的收入呢，继续承压。经营利润率呢，也同比环比双双下降。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
In the third quarter, heightened competition together with our ongoing investments in the 100 billion support program put pressure on our revenue growth and also led to a decline in operating margins both year on year and quarter on quarter.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那当前行业的竞争格局呢，仍在加速的变化。在这个环境下呢，我们更要坚持立足产业链的战略的定力。接下来我们将围绕平台生态继续加大投入，比如说通过商家费用的减免、优质商家营销扶持等措施，为产业链的发展升级创造更大的空间。这些投入呢，在财务上会对收入和利润在一段时间内带来的挑战。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
At the moment, the industry landscape continues to change rapidly, and in this environment, it is crucial for us to maintain our long-term strategic focus. Looking ahead, we will continue to increase investments in our platform ecosystem.
This includes measures such as merchant fee reduction and marketing support for high-quality merchants, all targeted at creating more room for the healthy development of the supply chain. These investments will pose challenges to our revenue and profit.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那与此同时呢，正如我们刚刚的发言中提到的，啊，当前公司的全球化业务正在面临复杂的国际环境，各个国家及地区的宏观政策和这个行业的监督环境已经并且预计持续发生比较大的变化。那这也将呢，给公司的业务带来无法预计的风险和挑战，也会影响公司的短期乃至长期的财务表现。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
At the same time, as mentioned in our prepared remarks, our global business is currently facing a complex global environment. The policies and industry regulatory landscapes across different countries and regions have undergone and are expected to continue undergoing significant changes. This will bring unforeseeable risks and challenges to our company, which may also impact the company's financial performance in both the short and long term.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那还是像过去多个季度沟通的，在短期表现和长期健康高质量发展之间，我们将坚定的选择后者。我们的财务表现不排除未来几个季度会有反复波动，所以也不应该做线性外推。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Now, as we communicated over the past few quarters, we will firmly prioritize high-quality development in the long term over short-term financial results.
Accordingly, our financial performance may fluctuate over the coming quarters, and linear projection may not be appropriate for financial forecasts.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那关于你的第二个问题。 As to your second question. 嗯，在过去的几个月中呢，啊，我们看到整体的消费形势保持积极的态势，市场的信心呢，也在逐步的恢复。在大促的活动期间，整个电商行业的消费活力也被进一步的激发，整体呈现出这个稳中向好的趋势。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Over the past few months, we have observed an overall positive consumption momentum, with gradually recovering market confidence. During the Q3 promotional period, consumption needs in the e-commerce sector were further stimulated, showing a steadily improving trend.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那与此同时呢，我们也清醒的看到，当下的电商竞争依然异常的激烈，新的业态、新的模式层出不穷，市场格局也在持续的演变。各个主要参与者都在围绕着新业务的方向加大投入，竞争不断的在升级。我们的业务呢，也正在面临着全方位的挑战。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
At the same time, we clearly recognize that the e-commerce competition remains very, very intense. New business models continue to emerge, and the market landscape is constantly evolving. Major players are increasing investments in new business directions, leading to escalating competition and creating challenges for our businesses on all fronts.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那面对这样的环境，我们将进一步的提升自我要求，强化业务的核心能力，持续在供应链优化和平台生态建设方面深耕细作，寻找新的增长契机。那我们会以这个长期主义的视角，加大高质量的投入，并且将这些能力呢，不断的转化为对消费者更加具备有质价比的商品和服务。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
And in such an environment, we will further raise our standards, strengthen our core capabilities, and continue to deepen our efforts in supply chain improvement and platform ecosystem development to identify new growth opportunities. From a long-term perspective, we will increase high-quality investments to translate these capabilities into products and services that offer consumers greater quality for money.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那这个过程呢，并非会一蹴而就，而是一个持续而艰巨的过程。在相当的一段时间内，我们相较于部分同行，可能会处于阶段性的劣势，同时也可能带来一定的财务压力，比如说这个收入的增速放缓。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
This process will not be immediate, but will demand continuous efforts. For a considerable period of time, we may be at a competitive disadvantage to our competitors, and this will potentially be accompanied by financial pressures such as slower revenue growth.
Jiazhen Zhao (Executive Director and Co-CEO)
那我们的态度呢，始终是积极和坚定的。我们选择以长远的视角看待竞争，主动加大投入，即便意味着在短期内牺牲部分利润，也要为生态的健康成长和未来的发展空间创造更多的可能。这样的取舍呢，也是为了在竞争中构建更加稳固、可持续的长期价值。谢谢。
Cheng Peng (Head of Investor Relations)
Our attitude remains positive and firm. We choose to view competition through a long-term lens and plan on proactively increasing investments to create more possibilities for the healthy and sustainable development of the ecosystem, even if this means forgoing some short-term profits.
These trade-offs are made with the intention to build a more robust and sustainable long-term value amid industry competition. Thank you. Okay, thank you, Zhao Jiazhen. It is about time, and thank you all for joining us today. We look forward to speaking with you again next quarter. Thank you, and have a great day.
Operator (participant)
Ladies and gentlemen, that does conclude our conference for today. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.