SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami attributed Chinese brands' ability to offer good quality at low prices to factors like lower worker and input costs, efficient supply chains, government subsidies, and potentially laxer regulations that do not fully reflect social costs. Addressing the stigma of low-cost, mass-produced goods, he stated that these products, including those from global players like Ikea, provide affordability despite not being buildt to last. Assoc Prof Ramaswami noted that while it is easy to blame such brands for fostering a throw-away culture, ultimately, consumer choices dictate market success and sustainability.
