A highly accomplished investor and professional senior executive, with more than 10 years of experience in technology and agricultural venture capital, currently serving as the Vice President and Head of Dingdong Research Institute at Dingdong (Cayman) Ltd, responsible for the cultivation of new technologies and new products in the food and agricultural fields of Dingdong Fresh, as well as the incubation of new brands and new businesses of the company. Led the establishment of Dingdong's children's food section “ Mom’s choice ”； and also led Dingdong's own baking brand to grow rapidly, achieving 6 months nearly 30 times performance growth. Mr. Shen’s contributions encompass innovation, growth, health consciousness, and fostering the development of the agri-food industry. Created innovative business models and revolutionized the retail industry in China, helped Dingdong listed in New York Stock Exchage in 2021 (NYSE：DDL) .
After four consecutive months of using Dingdong Maicai, I have reached a conclusion: Dingdong’s private label system deserves a serious deconstruction. At the strong recommendation of two business unit heads, we have invited the true architect and driver behind this private label system—Jonathan Shen.
Starting from a systematic study of retail paradigms such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, and ALDI, Jonathan Shen pioneered the private label strategy in 2020. For him, private labels are not just a means to improve gross margins, but a way to build a "sustainable treasure hunt experience" within high-frequency consumption—ensuring that every time a user opens the app, they may encounter unexpected yet repurchase-worthy products.
In 2025, the scale of Dingdong’s private labels surpassed 5.5 billion RMB (for comparison, Pang Dong Lai’s private label sales in 2025 were approximately 6.4 billion RMB). Behind this figure is not a series of isolated "hero products," but a systematic capability revolving around supply chain integration, user insight, and organizational synergy: balancing efficiency with the continuous creation of a "sense of discovery." Starting from frontline practice, this session will deconstruct the underlying logic and methodological path of Dingdong’s private labels, exploring how private labels have become a core variable in retail competition amidst a highly fragmented channel environment.