BiteSpeed, an Indian AI e-commerce startup, raised $3.5M in funding on Nov 14, 2024. This brings total capital to $5.6M. The company plans to hire more staff and deepen R&D efforts, focusing on AI tools for brands across various regions.

Founded in 2021, Wheelocity has pivoted from B2B to rural e-commerce. Backed by Lightspeed, they raised $15M to expand in 3,500 villages. CEO Selvam VMS says they aim for a $1T market. Their unique “phygital” approach ensures daily delivery.

Swiggy's shares soared 10.7% on debut, valuing the firm at $12.3B. Co-founder Sriharsha Majety aims to excite new investors as India’s tech landscape heats up. The IPO is a key moment with Zomato as the benchmark competitor.

On Nov 12, 2024, Landmark Group announced a $1B investment to open 400 shops in the Gulf, India, and Southeast Asia. This three-year plan boosts retail by 20% by 2028. Its online sales grow over 20% yearly, says CEO Kabir Lumba.

Deliveroo Singapore has launched 'Deliveroo Shopping,' expanding its offerings to include on-demand retail items like beauty, pet care, and electronics. The move marks Deliveroo SG's 9th anniversary and aims to rival services from Grab and Foodpanda. Partners include LUSH, Xpressflower, and The Body Shop, with a gifting feature and machine-learning recommendations to come. Jason Parke, MD of Deliveroo SG, says it’s all about convenience and value.

Swiggy has raised $606M from over 75 anchor investors, including BlackRock and Fidelity, ahead of its $1.35B IPO. This makes it India’s second-largest listing of 2023. Swiggy aims for an $11.3B valuation, with bids exceeding $15B. Indian mutual funds hold 56% of this anchor portion, as Swiggy gears up to compete with Zomato and Zepto.

After a four-year absence, Shein is back in India, relying on a new partnership with Reliance Retail to boost its presence. Indian consumers await its trendy, low-cost offerings, but local brands brace for tougher competition. Fast fashion, led by Shein’s affordable products, has a growing appeal among Gen Z and Millennials. This move might push brands like Zara, H&M, and Myntra to adopt faster turnarounds and aggressive discounts. Reliance's local connections could help Shein handle regulatory challenges, while India's fast-fashion market sees intensified price wars.

Swiggy targets $11.3B IPO valuation—about half of Zomato’s market cap at $26.2B. Swiggy's IPO next month seeks $1.34B, with $535M from new shares. Yet, it now ranks behind Blinkit and Zepto in quick commerce. Swiggy’s valuation growth has slowed since its $10.7B private market peak in 2022, but it will try to rebound with its public offering.

Lazada partners with Alibaba’s Taobao to launch a new Taobao Fashion channel in Singapore and Malaysia. With over 6M items available and discounts of up to 70% every Saturday, Lazada aims to offer affordable style. Promotions like “Buy 3, Get 20% Off,” free returns, and fast air shipping in as little as 5 days enhance the shopping experience. Lazada’s Chief Business Officer, Jason Chen, highlights this partnership as an opportunity to deliver variety and value. The dedicated channel will showcase top Taobao merchants, with plans to expand into lifestyle products soon.

Meesho has achieved positive cash flow, becoming the first Indian horizontal e-commerce firm to do so. For the fiscal year ending March 2024, Meesho reported a cash flow of ₹232 crores ($27.6M) and grew revenues by 33% to $905.6M. It also reduced adjusted losses by 97%, showing its competitive edge. Meesho’s growth outpaced India’s e-commerce market, with new users from smaller cities driving 45% of its growth. The e-commerce market, currently seeing fierce competition from quick-commerce firms, expects 120M more online shoppers by 2027, mostly from Tier-2/3 cities.

YouTube’s new affiliate program partners with Flipkart and Myntra in India. Creators with 10K+ subscribers can earn through referrals by tagging products in their videos. India, YouTube’s largest market with over 400M users, offers massive growth potential.

Uber Eats' $950M acquisition of Foodpanda in Taiwan faces delays as the FTC waits for application materials. Consumer groups and unions raise concerns over potential monopolies and impacts on worker rights.

The AICPDF has asked the CCI to investigate Swiggy, Blinkit, and Zepto for predatory pricing. Traditional retailers fear that these quick commerce giants are offering discounts that threaten their survival. The sector is set to exceed $6B in annual sales.

Zomato will raise $1B ahead of Swiggy's $1.4B IPO, shifting the market. This move may help Zomato reduce foreign ownership below 50%, making Blinkit more flexible with its inventory model. Swiggy’s IPO is expected next month.

Zepto, India’s quick-commerce startup, is set to raise $100M from local investors, marking its third funding round in six months. The investment, led by Motilal Oswal, maintains its $5B valuation. Zepto has raised over $1B recently.

Accel is set to invest $30M-$40M in India’s Truemeds at a $330M valuation. The 6-year-old online pharmacy disrupts medicine delivery by offering affordable generic alternatives to costly branded drugs. Amid industry upheaval, Truemeds’ digital platform targets chronic patients in remote areas, providing online consultations and delivery. Rivals like PharmEasy have seen valuations fall, from $5.6B to below $600M.

The Ministry of Labor opposes Uber Eats’ $9B foodpanda acquisition, announced in May. The Ministry informed Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission that worker rights issues, including pay, must be addressed first. The deal is currently under review, pending submission of key documents by both companies.

Singapore's Lazada plans to achieve $100B in GMV by 2030, focusing on luxury brands like Armani DG. Its strategy moves away from low-priced competition, aiming for high-end e-commerce dominance in Southeast Asia.

Rumors of a potential Temu acquisition of Bukalapak fueled massive share trades worth $135M on the IDX. While Bukalapak denies knowing of any deal, concerns rise about Temu's impact on Indonesian SMEs as the government considers restrictions.

Swiggy has launched Bolt, a 10-minute food delivery service in major Indian cities. The service partners with 2,700+ restaurants to deliver quick-to-prepare meals like burgers and coffee. Swiggy aims to stay competitive in India's fast-growing quick-commerce market.

Talabat, a Delivery Hero subsidiary, could be valued at $12.9B–$15.1B in its upcoming Dubai IPO, potentially outpacing its parent company. With strong growth and solid market positioning, the sale is run by Emirates NBD, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan.

Shopee, Tokopedia, and others in Southeast Asia are increasing seller commissions, with fees rising up to 10%. Merchants are unhappy but staying, facing higher margins. Shopee remains the largest e-commerce platform, holding 48% market share.

Reliance's AJIO partners with H&M to enhance its online presence and expand its international brand portfolio. H&M offers over 10,000 styles, starting at ₹399, across womenswear, menswear, kidswear, and home décor, including the A/W 2024 collection.

Flipkart launched "Reset for Business" on Sept. 25, 2024, aiming to assist sellers of refurbished products in over 800 Indian cities. The app offers competitive pricing, rigorous testing, and a 74-point quality check.

Blinkit is testing 10-minute returns for fashion items, addressing a major challenge in online fashion shopping. Zepto offers a 72-hour return window for damaged items. With fashion returns at 25-30%, these quick commerce firms aim to solve a pressing issue.

Myntra, India's largest fashion e-commerce platform, is testing 4-hour delivery in select cities. This move is part of the company's strategy to compete in India's booming quick commerce market. With plans to expand nationwide by the end of the year, Myntra is responding to changing consumer demands and increased competition from quick commerce startups.

Taobao’s AI-powered English version hit Singapore on Sept. 10, boosting it to the top of Apple’s App Store. The app caters to non-Chinese users, with AI translations improving access, despite some flaws in currency display.

Swiggy plans to boost its IPO by $150M, aiming for a total of $1.4B. It seeks shareholder approval to raise $600M from fresh shares. Backed by Prosus and SoftBank, Swiggy eyes a $15B valuation for its public listing.

Deliveroo has launched its new global brand platform, ‘Now Just Got Even Better,’ showcasing its expanded services in the UAE. The campaign highlights how Deliveroo now delivers more than food – from groceries to pet items – transforming any moment.

Trendyol, valued at $10B, plans a logistics hub in Romania by 2025, employing 250 people. Having already sold 3M items and gained 500K customers, the company will also integrate local sellers. The expansion aims to triple its product offerings in 2024.

India's Competition Commission (CCI) found Amazon and Flipkart guilty of violating competition laws by favoring specific sellers. This investigation comes as quick commerce challenges their dominance in India's $50B e-commerce market.

Zepto's valuation surged to $5B after raising $340M in a funding round led by General Catalyst Partners. The Mumbai-based company plans to expand with over 700 warehouses by March 2025. Founded by two Stanford dropouts in 2021, Zepto faces fierce competition.

Riyadh-based car marketplace Syarah raised $60M in a Series C round. Led by Artal Capital, funds will help expand their platform, selling new and used cars. The funding includes $20M in debt from US-based Partners for Growth.

Qoo10 has let go of over 80% of its workforce in Singapore. 90 of the 110 employees were laid off, leaving only senior management to run day-to-day operations. This comes after financial trouble in Qoo10’s South Korean branch, raising questions about the company’s future.

Swiggy launches Incognito Mode, allowing users to place private orders that are hidden from their order history. Currently available to 10% of users, this feature caters to the rising demand for privacy in online transactions.

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala applies to take full control of Getir as Türkiye's delivery giant focuses on its home market after securing $250M in June. This follows Getir's exit from Europe, with founders retaining a minority stake.

Amazon has invested $20M into Indian BNPL firm Axio, which serves 9M customers and 3,000 merchants. Axio aims to scale its loan book, enhance its offerings, and unlock credit for 200M new customers across India.

Zepto raised $1B in 90 days, pushing its valuation to $5B. The company expects to grow 150% in the next 12 months, reaching over $3.5B in sales. The quick-commerce market in India is booming, with Zepto leading the charge.

Agrim, an Indian agri-tech startup, raised $17.3M to improve its just-in-time supply chain for agri-inputs, like seeds and pesticides. The company aims to expand its catalog from 30,000 to 150,000 items and extend its services to southern and western India.

India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal warns of e-commerce disruption, citing Amazon's $715M loss as evidence of predatory pricing. With e-commerce doubling every four years, concerns rise over the future of small retailers.

Swiggy targets a $15B valuation in its upcoming IPO to raise $1-1.2B. This would be one of India's biggest IPOs this year. Swiggy plans to use the funds to expand its quick commerce business, Instamart, which is currently loss-making but crucial to competing with Zomato.

Amazon is considering moving Amazon Pay into a standalone app in India to gain more recognition. Currently part of the main app, Amazon Pay has only a 0.5% market share on UPI. The move may help it compete better with rivals like PhonePe and Google Pay.

Indian startup Zepto raises $340M in Series G round, boosting its valuation to $5B, up from $3.6B in June. Competing in India’s quick-commerce market, Zepto plans to expand its dark stores to over 700 by March 2025, while Amazon lags behind.

Swiggy is applying its service fee to gross order values for non-metro restaurants, impacting 1,000 partners. This change aligns with larger cities and might raise commissions by 17-25%, sparking a debate among restaurant owners.

Turkey lowers its de minimis from €150 to €30, doubles customs duty to 60% for non-EU goods, and introduces an additional 20% Special Consumption Tax. The new regulations start on August 21, aiming to curb the influence of Temu and protect local businesses.

India’s largest conglomerate, Reliance, slashed over 42,000 jobs, reducing its workforce by 11% in the fiscal year ending March 2024. The company hired only 171,000 new employees, down from 263,000 a year earlier, signaling a shift in strategy as its revenue growth slowed.

Flipkart, India's largest e-commerce firm, launched "Flipkart Minutes," a 10-15 min delivery service in Bengaluru. This move targets Amazon's customers as quick commerce gains traction in India. The market is thriving with players like Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart.

Thailand strengthens regulations on Temu, a PDD Holdings shopping app, to protect local merchants from low-cost imports. Temu launched in Thailand in July, and its rapid growth worries the government, which is enforcing stricter laws.

Amazon's decision to ignore quick-commerce in India has backfired, allowing local players like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy's Instamart to capture a quarter of Amazon India's sales. As e-commerce shifts, Amazon is losing its urban customer base.

Swiggy launched new marketing tools for restaurants, helping them leverage influencers and social media. This follows the release of a data tool for marketing performance. The IPO is valued at $1.2B, including $799M in share sales.