this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2025
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[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 25 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

The financial fuckery is that they're very heavily subsidized by the CCP. It's not sustainable.

[–] einkorn@feddit.org 34 points 21 hours ago (3 children)

I'd argue it is.

Just look how Amazon got where it is now: Sell way under market price, till local competition closed shop, then squeeze.

[–] frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

It's unsustainable to keep prices lower than costs. The Amazon example didn't have low prices forever.

[–] einkorn@feddit.org 10 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, I know. That's why BYD is going to then squeeze the customers once they are locked in.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org -2 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Thus, not sustainable, as I said.

[–] Taldan@lemmy.world 4 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

It worked for Wal-Mart

Which isn't really a sustainable business model, but it's quite successful

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 2 points 17 hours ago

It didn't work for Walmart the same way it didn't work for Amazon

[–] Tiger666@lemmy.ca 3 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

What is sustainable in today's economy?

Really, what Western corporation actually base their policies on sustainable growth?

Take your time. I'll wait.

...

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 2 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

All of them that I know of. Which corporations do you see running unsustainable business models until they fold completely? Take your time, I'll wait.

The point is that they eventually change their tactics. In this case, they'll have to eventually increase their prices.

[–] msage@programming.dev 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Even big companies ran gigantic losses for years, just to undercut the competition and emerge as the only winner.

Some do it because they have other cash cows Epic store milking Fortnite), others have VC funding, like Uber.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 2 points 10 hours ago

Yes but after they win they have to raise prices...

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

You forgot the part where they raised prices on everything.

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 2 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

I think your muddying sustainable and successful. It definitely can be successful, but its not sustainable.

Its also high risk, especially if you can't crank up the prices enough later

[–] einkorn@feddit.org 0 points 20 hours ago (1 children)
[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Sustainable implies that they can keep doing it forever without changing. Switching later means what they are doing is not sustainable. It might be successful, but its not sustainable.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

There's sustainable practices and sustainable businesses. The latter is what others are arguing. Undercutting competition to take over a market is a sustainable practice IF you can hold out long enough. I'd wager the country of China can hold out longer than General Motors.

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 2 points 16 hours ago

But the business model has to change in order to survive. The company cannot undercut forever, it actually needs to change in order to survive. The business model of today is not sustainable. They may have a large warchest, they may be able to crush GM, but once they do, or the warchest runs out, the business model must change.

If you want to make the argument that their overall plan with the later change is sustainable, thats fine, but this current phase is not sustainable.

[–] Greyghoster@aussie.zone 10 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

While they are subsidised, the Chinese are really good at low cost manufacturing. It’s not the cheap labour anymore but factory automation and robotics. They really outclass anyone else.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 8 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

the Chinese are really good at low cost manufacturing

They're not "good" at it, they just have no minimum wage and no semblance of annoying things like worker protections or unions to be concerned with.

[–] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 2 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

like worker protections or unions

That's just patently false. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-China_Federation_of_Trade_Unions

It is the largest trade union in the world with 302 million members in 1,713,000 primary trade union organizations.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 4 points 16 hours ago

Like all things in China, this is owned by the government, making it pointless.