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.

TikTok Shop added 10 new comic and manga categories, along with autographed items, while enforcing strict authenticity checks. A looming U.S. ban poses challenges.

Alibaba and South Korea’s E-Mart will form a $4B joint venture in 2025 by merging AliExpress Korea and Gmarket platforms, enhancing global eCommerce services.

Alibaba sold its 73.7% stake in Sun Art Retail for $1.7B at a loss of $1.8B. The move highlights its focus on e-commerce as competition with Pinduoduo intensifies.

Amazon sets new product title rules for 2025, limiting titles to 200 characters and restricting special characters. Changes aim to standardize listings and enhance user experience.

Sellers cite rising fees and tighter margins as reasons to expand beyond Amazon. Competitors like TikTok Shop and Walmart Marketplace lure merchants with lower costs.

Starting January 10, 2025, TikTok Shop sellers using “Ship by Seller” must cover customer-paid shipping fees in all return cases. Sellers are advised to review their pricing strategy.

Amazon will only reimburse sellers for manufacturing costs for lost or damaged items starting March 10, 2025. This change may threaten margins for sellers of low-cost products.

eBay's new 7-day shopping window for auction items enables buyers to combine shipping. The feature aims to reduce unpaid items and enhance buyer satisfaction.

Analysts warn TikTok Shop's U.S. ban, set for January 2025, will disrupt e-commerce, ending its $8B dominance in social commerce and reshaping the industry.

Allegro's subsidiary Ceneo claims Google's search practices caused $567.6M in losses. The lawsuit seeks damages tied to EU's $2.7B antitrust fine on Google.

Alibaba has launched operations in Morocco, its first site in Africa. The goal is to help Moroccan firms expand exports to North America via its platform.

Shinsegae and Alibaba join forces to dominate Korea’s e-commerce scene. The $4.1B deal merges Gmarket and AliExpress Korea for global reach and advanced tools.

Walmart’s e-commerce sales grew 27% YoY, far outpacing Amazon’s 7%. With Walmart Connect ads and Walmart+ perks, the company reshapes its retail strategy for long-term gains.

Amazon is asking Chinese sellers to stop listing cheaper products on Temu. Sellers with higher prices on Amazon risk losing access to its lucrative Featured Offer program.

Amazon reduces plastic and ink in Echo, Kindle, and Fire TV packaging. The new design uses 30% more recycled fiber, 60% less ink, and QR codes for guides. Since 2015, it cut packaging weight by 43%, avoiding 3M tons of waste.

Walmart partners with China’s Meituan to offer 30-minute deliveries. The move follows Walmart's $3.6B JD.com divestment. This partnership aims to strengthen Walmart’s online-to-offline operations and digital marketing in China.

Vietnam's Hi1 launches its first F2C e-commerce platform on Dec 11. It offers direct manufacturer-to-consumer connections with no seller fees, AI-powered support, and a focus on premium domestic products.

Amazon's FBA reimbursement policy changes on March 10, 2025. Sellers will now be reimbursed based on manufacturing costs instead of sale prices, affecting profitability. A new portal for managing costs launches in January 2025.

Amazon integrates QuickBooks into Seller Central by mid-2025 to help U.S. sellers manage finances, access loans, and scale. The partnership uses AI for profitability insights and tax simplification. Expansion to international markets follows.

The Supreme Court will hear TikTok’s case on Jan. 10 to block a U.S. ban. President-elect Trump opposes the ban set for Jan. 19, one day before his inauguration. Congress, courts, and companies all play key roles in TikTok’s fate.

Chinese app Temu tops US App Store downloads in 2024, replacing TikTok. Threads ranked 2nd, ChatGPT 4th. Meta apps fell in ranks, while Block Blast! dominated games. Apple released these rankings on Dec 16, 2024.

Amazon Autos, launched in 48 U.S. cities, partners with Hyundai to offer online car buying. Customers can browse, finance, and schedule pickups. The service expands in 2025, adding dealerships and brands, offering seamless transparency.

eBay UK launches Trade In, a new service for selling old tech. Partnering with Fonehouse, devices can be traded for cash or coupons. From Dec 9, 2024, to Jan 3, 2025, selected trades get an extra $50 bonus.

Amazon, eBay, and others will fund UK e-waste recycling by 2026. The plan creates fairness for UK firms like Currys. E-cigarette makers face added costs. UK households trash 100K tonnes of electronics yearly. New rules will enforce accountability.

MercadoLibre and Nubank battle for Latin America's fintech market, with $94B and $57B valuations. MercadoLibre leads in data mining; Nubank excels in unbanked outreach. Their rivalry may hinder new fintech entrants in the region.

Amazon and Meta each pledged $1M to Trump’s fund. Jeff Bezos is also in talks to meet with the president-elect. This marks a shift in Big Tech’s relationship with Trump, aiming for closer ties with his administration.

TikTok Shop has launched in Spain, its first continental European market. With 20M monthly users, Spaniards can now shop directly in-app. This move follows TikTok’s $100M Black Friday success and precedes a potential U.S. ban.

Temu is expanding beyond budget goods to higher-priced items. At a recent footwear expo in NYC, the marketplace engaged with premium brands like Minnetonka to shed its low-cost image and challenge Amazon as the next everything store.

TikTok Shop has drawn retailers like Scrub Daddy, Beachwaver, and Yay’s Snacks with low fees and viral sales potential. Despite a potential U.S. ban by Jan. 19, sellers enjoy record-breaking sales, with TikTok’s GMV set to reach $50B in 2024.

Miravia, backed by Alibaba, expands to Portugal after success in Spain. Launching with 2K sellers and 3.5M products, it offers brands a no-cost entry and global reach. The Spanish platform already hosts 17M products and 12K vendors.

Temu has entered Nigeria, promising low prices and local partnerships to rival Jumia. With an $75B e-commerce market forecast for 2025, challenges like poor infrastructure remain. Will Temu’s strategy work?

Temu now sources from UK suppliers, reducing delivery times to 2 days for 12M UK customers. The move includes plans for a London office and new hires, aiming to outpace rivals like Shein with low prices, free returns, and fast delivery.

A U.S. appeals court upheld a law banning TikTok unless ByteDance divests ownership. ByteDance plans to appeal to the Supreme Court as the deadline looms, raising questions about user data, free speech, and global tech geopolitics.

Amazon tested its MK30 drone in Italy, capable of carrying 5 lbs. Approved by ENAC and ENAV, this marks a step toward Prime Air's commercial launch in Italy by 2025, following earlier U.S. operations in Texas and Arizona.

At re:Invent 2024, Amazon introduced Nova AI models, claiming superior performance over rivals Google and Microsoft. CEO Andy Jassy outlined six variants designed for multi-modal tasks, including text, images, and video generation.

Amazon's European fulfillment centers face capacity issues, especially during the holiday rush. Retailers report delays, unprocessed shipments, and returns, with added costs of $159 per pallet. They demand better communication and swift solutions from Amazon.

Meesho’s GenAI bot now manages 60K daily customer calls in India, cutting costs by 75%. It handles English and Hindi, with plans for 6 more languages. Customer satisfaction is up 10%, while human agents focus on complex tasks.

Walmart has scaled back diversity efforts, citing backlash and boycotts. The retail giant ended its five-year racial equity program and supplier diversity initiatives. Conservative activist Robby Starbuck claimed credit for influencing the decision.

Walmart enhances its Walmart Realm with four holiday-themed virtual stores, leveraging TikTok and Pinterest trends. New features include AR-enabled previews and shareable Wish Lists. Influencers curated the experience for a social shopping edge.

Temu has overtaken eBay in Australia’s online retail market for the first time since its 2023 launch. October 2024 saw Temu at 20% share, compared to eBay’s 17%, with Amazon still leading at 50%. Smaller retailers like Kogan have lost ground.

Shopify has launched multi-currency payouts for Advanced and Plus plans. Initially rolled out in the UK, Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Spain, it helps merchants save on FX fees. Multiple bank accounts can be added.

Amazon Japan is under investigation by the Japan Fair Trade Commission for alleged anti-monopoly law violations. The raid concerns Amazon’s Buy Box system and demands for lower prices from vendors. Similar probes occurred in the EU and U.K.

Shein and Temu’s aggressive keyword bidding drove Black Friday CPC up 16x in two years. Retailers adjusted budgets, targeting Meta, TikTok, and loyalty programs. The move comes ahead of proposed tariffs, threatening cost-sensitive strategies.