Getty Images and Shutterstock merge to form a $3.7B entity. Getty's CEO calls the deal transformational, with AI challenges and antitrust scrutiny ahead.

Mexico imposed 17%-19% tariffs on imports via e-commerce on Jan. 1, targeting Chinese goods. Foreign companies now also pay a 16% VAT, boosting domestic competitiveness.

Partnering with Loop, Poshmark lets U.S. shoppers resell non-returnable items with ease. This innovative move supports sustainability and boosts resale revenue.

Seattle’s Pipe17 secures $15.5M Series A funding, bringing its total to $25M. The startup, which optimizes e-commerce logistics, adds Kelly Goetsch as COO to scale growth.

USPS launched new delivery options for volume sellers. It offers same-day and next-day shipping through Ground Advantage and Connect, reaching 87% of Americans.

DHL Supply Chain acquired a majority stake in Brandpath Group to enhance its eCommerce services. This move combines DHL's global reach with Brandpath's agile logistics solutions.

FedEx targets healthcare, e-commerce, and global air freight to recover from weak Q2, leveraging Network 2.0 and cold chain logistics for a competitive edge.

WordPress introduces Studio Sync, enabling developers to seamlessly synchronize local WordPress sites with WordPress.com-hosted sites. It's a game-changer for fast deployments.

TSL Shoppettes debut as short-form, shoppable videos for Instagram and Facebook, allowing brands and creators to scale sales and engagement with actionable data insights.

Automattic will cut WordPress contributions to match WP Engine’s 45 hours weekly. The move highlights a feud with WP Engine and shifting priorities amid financial pressures.

PrettyDamnQuick secured $25M in Series A funding to enhance its checkout and shipping platform. The startup processes 30M orders monthly and plans rapid expansion.

Accio AI, launched by Alibaba in Nov 2024, now has over 500,000 SMEs using it for sourcing. Its natural language search spans 7,600 categories and 200M parameters.

SAP unveiled its AI shopping assistant, ERP cloud solutions, and a loyalty platform tailored for retail at Retail’s Big Show. These innovations aim to simplify operations and enhance customer experiences.

Avataar has unveiled Velocity, an AI tool creating product videos directly from links, aiming to revolutionize e-commerce marketing with cost-effective, scalable video creation.

Livestream shopping app Whatnot raised $265M, boosting its valuation to $4.97B. The funds will expand categories, launch globally, and introduce seller tools to grow businesses.

Amazon Ads' new SQL generator in AMC uses generative AI to simplify audience creation, cutting query time from hours to minutes. This innovation aids data-driven campaigns.

Microsoft’s Bing search engine now mimics Google’s design in Edge. The stealth move hides Bing branding, tricking users into believing they’re using Google.

Marketplacer and Zitcha unify marketplaces and retail media to transform digital commerce. The integration enhances ad relevance, sales, and customer experience.

Microsoft launched two retail ad products, Curate for Commerce and Sponsored Promotions by Brands, simplifying campaigns and monetizing first-party data for retailers.

Amazon’s new service allows U.S. retailers to integrate its advanced ad tools into their websites, helping them monetize better and reaching customers more effectively.

Inditex’s Zacaffé initiative hits a snag as Italian brand Zicaffè opposes its EU trademark registration, claiming risk of confusion and brand misuse.

The French sports retail giant is finalizing its Buenos Aires launch after 20 years. Partnering with Grupo One, it aims for 20–30 stores by 2025-end, per La Nación.

Regional grocers can still thrive by focusing on hyperlocal products, loyalty programs, and innovative fulfillment strategies, according to industry experts.

Bukalapak will stop selling physical goods by Feb 9, 2025, shifting to virtual products like mobile credits. Its market cap has fallen to $750M after fierce competition.

Costco plans a $32M store in Siero, sparking debate on large retailers' role in Asturias. New laws ease approvals, but unions oppose the project.

DoorDash teams up with Ibotta to offer personalized digital coupons across grocery, beauty, and alcohol categories. The move highlights growing demand for consumer savings.

Swiggy's new app, Pyng, connects fitness coaches and educators with clients. The app offers booking, payment tracking, and service listing features, targeting new markets.

The UK plans a “Deliveroo-style” NHS app upgrade to enhance appointment booking, reduce inefficiencies, and personalize care. Concerns linger over execution and legacy issues.

After two years, Just Eat Takeaway sold Grubhub to Wonder for $650M. Burdened by $500M debt, Just Eat nets only $50M from the sale, a fraction of its 2020 value.

Flipkart taps Dunzo co-founder Kabeer Biswas to lead Flipkart Minutes. The Walmart-owned e-commerce giant is intensifying its quick-commerce efforts in urban India.

Amazon Fresh launched its £1 meal deal campaign for Londoners. From Jan 6-31, grab a main, snack, and drink, usually £3.90, in select stores via the Amazon app.

H&M relaunches its 6-story flagship on Huaihai Road, Shanghai, after a 2.5-year closure. This marks a bold move to regain market share in China post-2021 boycott.

Syte’s AI tech enhances Tally Weijl’s eCommerce, driving higher conversions and order values. It optimizes product discovery for seamless shopping experiences.

Macy’s will shutter 66 locations this year as part of its “Bold New Chapter” plan to modernize. Nine closures each in NY and CA, plus the Philadelphia flagship store, lead the list.

Zalando partners with Klarna to launch 'Pay in 3' in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and The Netherlands, extending flexible payment solutions across Europe in 2025.

About You's sales grew 1.3% to €559M in Q3, with €20.1M profit. The late Black Weekend shifted gains to next quarter. Zalando's takeover bid values About You at €1.2B.

Mytheresa and Zalando drive Germany’s rise in e-commerce. Mytheresa’s $4.3B luxury plan and Zalando’s $10.6B revenue lead the charge in 2025, shaping a new market leader.

The Russian court banned Shein's website after finding rainbow bracelets labeled as LGBTQ+ symbols. The ruling follows the nation's strict laws on "LGBT propaganda."

Shein's lawyer refused to confirm if products use Xinjiang cotton, angering UK MPs. Concerns over forced labor highlight the fast-fashion giant's supply chain.

Alibaba upgraded Taobao’s gift-giving feature, letting buyers send gifts with a virtual card and passcode, rivaling Tencent’s similar WeChat improvement. Discounts entice users.

YouTube is challenging TikTok Shop by partnering with Shopee to bring shoppable videos to Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. This taps into the region’s $149B e-commerce market.

Mexico's new 19% tariffs on imports from non-trade-partner nations, like China, benefit Amazon and Mercado Libre. Analysts expect these players to capture market share.

A survey by Appinio shows 38% of Germans favor banning TikTok, citing risks to democracy and mental health. Most support stricter regulation and age restrictions for social media.

TikTok Shop begins operations in Mexico this February, bypassing US challenges. ByteDance offers 90-day commission-free sales to local merchants to boost adoption.

Meta will test eBay listings on Facebook Marketplace in the US, France, and Germany. This comes as Meta appeals an $821M EU fine for Marketplace antitrust violations.

With a TikTok ban looming, creators are shifting to ByteDance's Lemon8. Lemon8 saw U.S. downloads surge 150% in December 2024, but its future also looks uncertain.

Temu offers average discounts of 60%-75%, far surpassing Shein's 9%-27% in H1 2024. Data from Measurable.ai highlights contrasting discount and pricing strategies worldwide.

47% of shoppers now start product discovery on marketplaces, surpassing search engines. 63% prefer marketplaces for convenience and variety, per ChannelEngine's survey.

Instagram could gain 22% of TikTok’s US ad dollars if a ban occurs. Global bans may ripple, disrupting TikTok’s $20B ad revenue by 2025.

China’s share of cross-border e-commerce hit 40% in 2024, up from 31% in 2021. This growth was driven by platforms like Temu and Shein, as detailed by IPC's latest survey.