E-Commerce: Latest News and Analysis

TechCrunch
Bench shuts down, leaving thousands of businesses without access to accounting and tax docs
Bench, a Canada-based accounting startup that offered software-as-a-service for small and medium businesses, has abruptly shut down, according to a notice ...
CNBC
Here are 5 of the best website builders for small businesses
CNBC Select rounds up the top website builders on the market so you can decide which one is right for your business.
ARPU
Alibaba and E-Mart Team Up for $4 Billion Korean E-Commerce Joint Venture

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is merging its South Korean operations with E-Mart Inc.'s e-commerce platform in a joint venture valued at approximately $4 billion, according to a stock exchange filing by E-Mart and a report by Bloomberg. The 50-50 joint venture, combining AliExpress International and Gmarket, aims to

SiliconANGLE
Alibaba announces advanced experimental visual reasoning QVQ-72B AI model
Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of China Alibaba Group Ltd., unveiled QVQ-72B-Preview Wednesday, an experimental open-source artificial intelligence model capable of reviewing images and ...
Bloomberg
Alibaba Is Said to Near $4 Billion Deal With Korea’s E-Mart
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is nearing a deal to merge its South Korean operations with E-Mart Inc.’s e-commerce platform to better compete in the country’s fast-paced online retail sector, according ...
Reuters
Alibaba nears deal to merge S.Korean operations with E-Mart in $4 billion deal, Bloomberg News reports
Alibaba Group Holding is nearing a deal to merge its South Korean operations with E-Mart's e-commerce platform in a transaction that would value the new joint venture at about $4 billion, Bloomberg ...
Reuters
Alibaba nears $4 billion JV deal with S.Korea's E-Mart, Bloomberg News reports
Alibaba Group is nearing a deal to merge its South Korean operations with E-Mart's e-commerce platform in a transaction that would value the new joint venture at about $4 billion, Bloomberg News ...
Reuters
South Korea's Shinsegae to set up joint venture with Alibaba International
By Joyce Lee and Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean retailer Shinsegae plans to set up a joint venture with Alibaba International, Shinsegae affiliate E-Mart said on Thursday. The joint venture ...
Bloomberg
Alibaba, E-Mart to Create $4 Billion E-Commerce JV in Korea
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is nearing a deal to merge its South Korean operations with E-Mart Inc.’s e-commerce platform to better compete in the country’s fast-paced online retail sector, according ...
Wall Street Journal
E-mart, Alibaba Plan Online-Shopping Joint Venture
Alibaba and E-mart will combine the assets of their separate e-commerce platforms, AliExpress Korea and Gmarket, to form a 50-50 joint venture.
ARPU
Amazon Crackdown: Chinese Sellers Banned from Undercutting on Temu

Amazon has instructed some Chinese cross-border merchants to cease offering their products at lower prices on rival platform Temu, according to multiple sellers cited by the South China Morning Post. This move comes amidst escalating competition from Temu, a budget retailer owned by Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings.

Sellers indicate

ARPU
Ant Group Splits Alipay into Two Units in Latest Restructuring Move

Ant Group, the fintech giant affiliated with Alibaba Group Holding, is splitting the business group of its mobile payment platform Alipay into two units, in its latest corporate restructuring move aimed at driving new growth, according to the South China Morning Post.

The company will establish the Digital Payment Business

ARPU
Fiserv Acquires Canadian Fintech Firm Payfare

US-based payments technology company Fiserv has agreed to acquire Payfare, a leading Canadian digital banking platform serving the gig economy, according to Reuters. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will expand Fiserv's presence in the payments technology market, particularly within the rapidly growing gig economy sector where Payfare

ARPU
Prosus Acquires Despegar for $1.7 Billion, Expanding its Latin American Footprint

Prosus, the technology conglomerate controlled by Naspers, is acquiring Despegar, a leading online travel agency in Latin America, for $1.7 billion, according to a statement released by Prosus today, as reported by TechCrunch. The deal, which has been approved by Despegar's board of directors, is expected to

ARPU
Allegro Subsidiary Sues Google for $567 Million Over Anti-Competitive Practices

Ceneo, a subsidiary of Polish e-commerce platform Allegro, has filed a lawsuit against Google owner Alphabet, Google Ireland, and Google LLC, seeking 2.33 billion zlotys ($567.6 million) in damages, according to a report by Reuters.

The lawsuit, filed on Monday, alleges that Google's practice of favoring

SCMP
Amazon asks Chinese sellers not to offer cheaper prices on Temu
As competition heats up, the US retailer has started tracking product pricing on rival platform Temu, according to merchants.
ARPU
Amazon Sellers Revolt Over New Reimbursement Policy

Amazon's latest move to change its reimbursement policy for lost or damaged inventory under its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program has sparked outrage among third-party sellers, reports Modern Retail. The change, announced just before Christmas, will see Amazon reimburse sellers based on the manufacturing cost of the item,

ARPU
Alibaba Splits AI Team to Sharpen Consumer and Business Focus

Alibaba Group Holding has reorganized its artificial intelligence (AI) team, separating the developers of its AI chatbot Tongyi Qianwen from the team responsible for building its underlying large language model (LLM). This restructuring, reported by Chinese tech media outlet 36Kr and cited by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), aims

CNBC
This country may have the fastest-growing e-commerce sector 'on the planet'
According to EMQQ Global founder Kevin Carter, India's technology sector is extremely attractive right now. "It's the tip of the spear of growth [in e-commerce] … not just in emerging markets, but on ...
CNBC
Behind Amazon's quiet launch of Haul, which competes with Temu in ultra-low-price items from China
Haul is Amazon's answer to the booming popularity of apps such as PDD Holdings' Temu and fast-fashion retailer Shein.
Wall Street Journal
Expedia Picks Former eBay Executive as Finance Chief
Expedia Group appointed Scott Schenkel as chief financial officer.Schenkel, 56 years old, is expected to succeed Julie Whalen on Dec. 30. Whalen’s departure was announced in November.Schenkel was ...
ARPU
Amazon Delays Return-to-Office Mandate for Thousands

Amazon.com Inc. is delaying its return-to-office mandate for thousands of employees in multiple cities, pushing back full-time in-office work by as much as four months, reports Bloomberg. The move comes as the company struggles to accommodate its large workforce in existing office spaces.

The company recently informed employees in

ARPU
Amazon Workers Stage Major Strike During Key Holiday Period

Thousands of Amazon workers across multiple US warehouses will walk off the job Thursday, disrupting the online retailer's operations during its busiest time of year, reports Reuters. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Teamsters) union, representing approximately 1% of Amazon's US hourly workforce, says the strike is

SCMP
Alibaba splits AI team to sharpen consumer and business focus
Alibaba Group Holding has separated the team in charge of developing applications for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Tongyi Qianwen from the team that builds its large language model (LLM), in a bid to better serve the consumer-facing market ...
Inc
As Holidays Loom, Thousands of Amazon Workers Go on Strike
Amazon members of the Teamsters began a walkout during the final holiday season buying push, hoping to force the company to recognize and negotiate with their union.
Inc
Temu Leaves Amazon in E-Commerce Dust, Topping Apple’s Most-Downloaded Apps List
Shopping, social media apps and ChatGPT are consumers’ favorite apps this year, reflecting the strength of AI's rise and the clout of Chinese-owned digital offerings.
ARPU
Alibaba Takes US$1.3 Billion Loss in Retreat from Offline Retail

Alibaba is exiting offline retail, taking a substantial loss on its sale of Intime, one of China's leading department store operators, reports the South China Morning Post. The e-commerce giant is selling its entire stake in the retail chain to a consortium comprising Youngor Group and Intime'

TechCrunch
Shein must cede Indians’ data, control of local ops to re-enter India
Shein must surrender all data of Indian customers and control of its local operations to its partner, Reliance Retail, and keep operations fully local to re-enter the Indian market, according to new ...
SCMP
Alibaba to lose US$1.3 billion on Intime sale in retreat from offline retail
The deal for the department store chain is valued at 7.4 billion yuan, less than half of what Alibaba sank into it.
Reuters
Exclusive: Shein weighs sale of less than 10% of company in London IPO, sources say
HONG KONG/LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Fast fashion retailer Shein is considering asking UK regulators to waive listing rules that require at least 10% of its shares to be sold to the public in its ...
ARPU
Alibaba to Sell Department Store Chain Intime to Youngor Fashion

Alibaba Group Holding is reportedly set to sell its department store chain Intime Retail (Group) to Chinese apparel company Youngor Fashion, marking Alibaba’s exit from offline retailing in China, according to sources familiar with the matter, reports the South China Morning Post.

The two sides are expected to

Reuters
Shein weighs sale of less than 10% of company in London IPO, sources say
Fast fashion retailer Shein is considering asking UK regulators to waive listing rules that require at least 10% of its shares to be sold to the public in its planned London flotation, two people with ...
TechCrunch
Temu is the most downloaded app on the US App Store in 2024
Chinese shopping app Temu was once again the most downloaded free app in the U.S., according to a list of top apps and games across the App Store released ...
Nikkei Asia
China must train its economic eye on its home market
In August, Colin Huang, founder of e-commerce firm Pinduoduo, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in China, found himself branded as the richest person in the country. Yet what should be an ...
ARPU
Walmart Teams Up with Meituan in China to Boost E-commerce

Walmart China has announced a new strategic partnership with Meituan, China's largest food delivery company, to accelerate its e-commerce business in the country, reports Reuters.

The partnership will integrate Walmart stores into Meituan's extensive delivery network, according to a WeChat post by Walmart China. This move

Reuters
Alibaba to sell intime department stores for $1 billion amid restructuring
The deal comes as Alibaba looks to shift focus from its dominance in China's retail sector to its core e-commerce and cloud operations ...
Reuters
Exclusive-Shein weighs sale of less than 10% of company in London IPO, sources say
Fast fashion retailer Shein is considering asking UK regulators to waive listing rules that require at least 10% of its shares to be sold to the public in its planned London flotation, two people with ...
Wall Street Journal
Alibaba Expects $1.28 Billion Loss on Sale of Department Store Intime
Alibaba Group is set to book an over $1 billion loss on the sale of its department-store chain Intime, which marks the Chinese tech giant’s latest move away from offline retailing.The company said ...
Reuters
Alibaba to sell China department store chain Intime for $1.3 billion loss
Alibaba Group said on Tuesday it would sell its Chinese department store unit Intime and book a $1.3 billion loss from the deal, as the retail giant reshuffles its business portfolio to focus on its core e-commerce operation.
Nikkei Asia
Alibaba to sell Chinese department store chain, booking $1.3bn loss
The transaction will generate gross proceeds of 7.4 billion yuan ($1 billion) for Alibaba, which holds a 99% stake in Intime. But Alibaba will record a 9.3 billion yuan loss on the sale, partly due to ...
Wall Street Journal
Alibaba Expects to Book $1.28 Billion Loss on Sale of Department Store
The sale comes as Alibaba has been restructuring its businesses to focus on the e-commerce sector amid intensifying competition with its Chinese rivals.
Reuters
Shein weighs sale of less than 10% of company in London IPO - sources
Fast fashion retailer Shein is considering asking UK regulators to waive listing rules that require at least 10% of its shares to be sold to the public in its planned London flotation, two people with ...
CNBC
PDD's Temu app tops U.S. iOS downloads for second year running amid greater scrutiny of China companies
Apple ranked Temu as the top free app on its U.S. iOS store for the second year running even as Chinese companies face greater U.S. government scrutiny ...
Reuters
Walmart teams up with delivery firm Meituan in bid to boost China e-commerce sales
Walmart said on Tuesday it had formed a strategic partnership with Meituan under which the Chinese firm has begun providing delivery services for Walmart goods and the U.S. company will be featured on ...
Reuters
Exclusive: Shein weighs sale of less than 10% of company in London IPO
Fast fashion retailer Shein is considering asking UK regulators to waive listing rules that require at least 10% of its shares to be sold to the public in its planned London flotation, two people with ...
Wall Street Journal
Walmart Collaborates With Meituan to Boost China E-Commerce Sales
The U.S. retail giant has formed a strategic partnership with Meituan, and its goods will be available on the Chinese delivery company’s app.
Reuters
Alibaba to sell Intime department store chain at $1.3 bln loss
Alibaba Group said on Tuesday it would sell its Chinese department store unit Intime and book a $1.3 billion loss from the deal, as the retail giant reshuffles its business portfolio to focus on its ...
ARPU
TikTok Shop Overtakes Sephora and Shein in US Online Shopping Growth

TikTok Shop, the relatively new online retail platform launched in September 2023, has surpassed established giants Sephora and Shein in capturing the spending power of US shoppers, according to a new report from Coefficient Capital and The New Consumer's Dan Frommer.

The report, based on 11 surveys of

Bloomberg
Alibaba Said to Near $1 Billion Intime Sale to Youngor Fashion
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is nearing a deal to sell its department store business to Youngor Fashion Co. for around $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.