Cheap Chinese goods bring joy to Southeast Asia’s shoppers. What’s the trade-off?

Yet for many Southeast Asian consumers, this influx of affordable products provides a welcome relief amid stubbornly high living cost – allowing them to stretch their budgets beyond essentials like energy and rent.

For Malaysian mother Cindy Hong, online shopping has been a game-changer. She has found budget-friendly Christmas gifts and toys for her daughter’s birthday on Shopee, often choosing items shipped directly from China.

“It is just so much cheaper than the branded toys in the shops, and more importantly, my daughter is perfectly happy with what she gets,” said Hong, 45, a human resources executive.