The Mindset of Building a Second Channel When Shopee Is No Longer Cheap

Over the past few years, Shopee has been a powerful launchpad for many Vietnamese brands. A well-timed Flash Sale could triple revenue overnight. 

But 2025 paints a different picture: advertising costs are rising, display policies have changed, and smaller brands are finding it harder to compete.

The market is shifting, and the question is: When Shopee is no longer the easy growth zone, where should brands go next?

The answer isn’t to leave Shopee — it’s to build a second channel that your brand truly owns.

1. When Shopee Is No Longer the “Cheap Land” for Small Brands

Between 2019 and 2021, Shopee was a “goldmine” for thousands of new brands. With good products and smart discounts, revenue could grow 3–5x within months.

But by 2025, that structure has changed. Advertising costs on Shopee have increased by about 30–40% in the past two years , mainly due to rising competition and display algorithm changes. This means the cost for brands to maintain the same level of traffic and sales has risen sharply — making it harder to grow through ads alone.

At the same time, subsidy programs are more selective and organic traffic is declining, making Shopee less of a “comfort zone” for mid-sized sellers.

That doesn’t mean Shopee has lost its value — but brands need to move from “selling on the platform” to “building an omnichannel system.”

2. The Second Channel – A Necessary Step to Regain Control

As traffic costs rise, there are only two ways to protect margins:

1. Increase Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)  – through retention and remarketing.
2. Reduce dependency on intermediary platforms.

Shopee controls both customer data and the buying journey. If your brand relies solely on Shopee’s traffic, you’re renting customers — not owning them.

A second channel  — such as a website, TikTok Shop, Zalo OA, or internal CRM system — isn’t just “another sales point.” It’s about:

• Owning your customer data.
• Controlling the shopping and re-marketing experience.
• Reducing reacquisition costs that are eroding profitability for most marketplace sellers.

3. Three Mindsets for Building a Second Channel

Long-term mindset over short-term ROI

A website may not generate quick sales like a marketplace, but it’s a data asset — where you own your customer base. After 6 months, returning customers can bring 2–3x more value than the initial acquisition cost.

Systems thinking, not siloed channels

Omnichannel doesn’t mean adding more points of sale — it means connecting touchpoints.  Data from Shopee should feed into CRM, ERP, or your website for analysis and optimization. When your channels communicate, your business system becomes stronger.

Brand thinking, not just sales thinking

Shopee sells products, but brands sell trust. When customers still seek you after leaving the platform — that’s when your brand truly exists.

4. Where to Start

First, determine which channel fits your brand’s current goals.

If you need better data control — build your website and CRM.

If you aim for awareness — TikTok Shop or live commerce can work well.

If retention is the goal — Zalo OA or a mini app may be ideal.

Each channel serves a purpose, but what matters most is a unified data-driven strategy.

Building a second channel isn’t about “leaving Shopee” — it’s about redefining Shopee as part of your brand’s ecosystem.

Shopee still holds value, but your brand needs its own “home base” — where you own the data, story, and customer experience.

The real shift is moving from selling on platforms  to building brand systems.

From rented traffic → owned traffic.

From promotions → relationships.

From transactions → capabilities.

This article is part of the “Omnichannel & Ecom Operations Strategy” series, where LMC shares insights on helping brands integrate data and synchronize multi-channel operations.

Next article:  “From Shopee to TikTok Shop: Shifting Channels Without Losing Customers”.

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