Polish e-commerce giant Allegro has expanded into Hungary, marking another step in its Central European growth. Allegro's move follows its entry into Czechia and Slovakia, where it gained 2.5M buyers. Hungary adds a 10M client potential.

MercadoLibre, founded in 1999, leads online sales in Latin America, growing 34% in 2024. Amazon trails with a 27% rise. MercadoLibre’s Q2 revenue grew by 42%, backed by a young, mobile-savvy population of 600M.

eBay’s AI-powered Magical Bulk Listing Tool speeds up product listings by auto-filling titles and categories using images. Starting with sports trading cards, eBay plans to expand to other categories soon.

eBay drops seller fees in the U.K. for most products to combat competitors like Vinted and Depop. This move, already successful in Germany, aims to boost C2C sales. Fashion resale is growing fast, with the global market hitting $197B last year.

Amazon Prime's new show, "Buy It Now," lets contestants pitch products to an audience and celebrity panel. Winning products will be sold on Amazon's special storefront. One winner per episode also takes home a $20K prize. The show premieres October 30th.

Amazon expands its “Climate Pledge Friendly” label to Belgium and Sweden, making sustainable products easier to find. Belgian customers get access to 70K products. Faict promises faster growth, aiming to help consumers make greener choices.

Amazon introduced 5 new visual tools for faster and more precise product searches. The company now allows text and image integration, showcases similar items, and highlights product videos, making searches 70% faster globally.

Alibaba commits US$142M to cover delivery fees for Hong Kong Taobao users on orders over US$14. This Q4 initiative targets key categories like fashion, electronics, and skincare, with over 800 pickup stations available.

TikTok expands its Subscription feature beyond LIVE creators, enabling non-LIVE creators to offer exclusive perks and content to their followers. The feature rolls out in select regions with plans to expand globally. Creators can choose from various tiers, offering benefits like private communication channels, exclusive content, and community identifiers. To qualify, creators need 10K followers and 100K video views in the past month. The move comes as TikTok discontinues its music subscription service, focusing on partnerships with major streaming platforms like Spotify.

American Eagle filed a lawsuit against Amazon for unauthorized use of its Aerie and Offline by Aerie trademarks in ads and URLs, redirecting customers to substandard knock-offs. The lawsuit demands tripled damages and a halt to infringements. AEO claims Amazon’s tactics began after AEO denied Amazon’s request to sell Aerie products, aiming to protect its brand. Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit fights counterfeits but the line between counterfeits and ‘dupes’ remains blurred.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced a 5-day return-to-office (RTO) mandate, sparking dissatisfaction among employees. An internal survey reveals strong opposition, with concerns about collaboration and the risk of brain drain. Will Amazon listen?

Walmart is launching its first Holiday Deals event from Oct. 8 to Oct. 13, with Walmart+ members receiving 12-hour early access. The event coincides with Target's Circle Week and Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, intensifying the competition among retailers.

Amazon has launched its fully-managed Supply Chain service, allowing sellers to streamline operations and improve delivery speeds by 20%. The service also reduces costs by up to 25%. Sellers like Juvo+ report doubled sales conversions due to faster deliveries.

Between April and August 2024, Otto.de saw 1,178 seller accounts disappear, a 17% drop. Rising fees led 500 partners to quit, while Otto terminated 150 more over alleged violations. The company's own revenue fell by 4.7% to $6.5B, pressured by rivals like Temu.

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.

Amazon will reduce Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) fees by up to £1.60/€1.87 for small oversize items. This fee cut impacts UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain from September 16, 2024. The goal is to expand the range of small oversize products available on Amazon's platforms by lowering seller costs.

PayPal expands its partnership with Shopify to process online credit, debit, and wallet payments through Shopify Payments in the U.S. This integration provides a unified experience for merchants, building on their 2022 collaboration in France.

Alibaba has launched over 100 new open-source AI models and introduced a text-to-video tool. The company aims to compete with giants like Baidu, Microsoft, and OpenAI. With 40M downloads of its models, Alibaba is intensifying its AI efforts.

Mercado Libre secured $250M from JPMorgan to grow its FinTech business in Mexico, targeting SMBs. The company seeks a banking license, expanding its $1.5B loan portfolio. Mexico now contributes 20% of its revenue, with $2.5B investment planned for 2024.

Cainiao has expanded its local express delivery services to 10 new countries and regions. In Europe, they now offer next-day delivery for €2 and three-day delivery options for €3 to €5. Their flagship "Global 5-Day Delivery" service has also grown to 14 countries, including Europe and the U.S.

Allegro will expand to Hungary by the end of 2024. The company plans to invest up to 20% of its adjusted EBITDA in this international expansion. Allegro’s adjusted EBITDA in Poland reached $220M, a 35% increase year-over-year in Q2 2024.

After two hours of intense debate in a Washington court, TikTok’s future in the U.S. hangs in the balance. Judges are examining whether a law targeting its Chinese ownership is constitutional, which could lead to a nationwide ban.

Amazon introduces Project Amelia, an AI assistant for sellers, starting in the U.S. The tool helps sellers manage and grow their businesses by answering questions about sales metrics and customer traffic. Available now in beta.

Amazon's Buy with Prime now accepts PayPal for payments. Starting next year, Prime members can link their Amazon and PayPal accounts for seamless checkout. Despite reported growth, some experts argue that Buy with Prime remains niche.

Amazon launches a pilot project in Frankfurt, Germany, using trams to transport packages across the city. The goods are carried by electric vans to a tram, then moved to cargo bikes for final delivery. This fits Amazon's green logistics push.

Alibaba.com introduces its first US credit card with Mastercard, offering 3% cashback or 60-day interest-free terms for purchases. Small businesses can benefit from these rewards, while Alibaba expands its global reach.

Amazon’s new Export Central tool simplifies cross-border selling, allowing merchants from six European stores to sell in 39 countries. This program boosts traffic and sales, with FBA sellers automatically enrolled and MFN sellers required to set shipping rates.

Amazon launches a new “Refund Without Return” solution for U.S. FBA sellers, allowing refunds without the need to return items. Sellers can enable this, with restrictions on item eligibility and customer abuse safeguards in place.

ByteDance's Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese sibling, saw its e-commerce GMV grow by 46% from August 2023 to July 2024. Despite facing a price war and slowing growth, Douyin outperformed major rivals Alibaba and JD.com, which saw far lower growth.

The Biden administration plans to change the "de minimis" import rule, affecting Shein and Temu. The new proposal will add tariffs and more inspections to their shipments, aiming to protect US workers and businesses.

Temu's U.S. sales growth decelerated to 37% in August, down from 45% in July. Despite a slight market share gain to 3.4%, DAUs fell 17%. Bank of America cites plateauing sales and tough comparisons, along with challenges from parent Pinduoduo.

Temu, Pinduoduo's e-commerce platform, surpassed eBay with nearly 700M monthly visits. Temu saw $20B in sales in the first half of 2023 and covers 79 countries. It holds a 45% market share in the U.S., trailing only Amazon.

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.

eBay shifted its global media account from WPP's EssenceMediacom to Dentsu's iProspect. After a competitive pitch involving Havas Media, iProspect stood out with its passion for eBay and an integrated campaign model.

Shopify teams up with Roblox to let brands sell real items in-game, reaching 80M users. The pilot will launch in 2025, offering new opportunities for brands and creators. Roblox is popular among youth, despite past concerns over safety.

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.

Mercado Libre founder Marcos Galperín announced a $75M investment to build a new logistics center in Buenos Aires, creating 2,300 jobs. President Javier Milei praised Galperín’s contribution to Argentina's economic growth during his visit.

The Federal Cartel Office is investigating Amazon's price control mechanisms and brand gating. It surveyed 2,000 third-party retailers to understand the impact of Amazon's algorithms, which can limit competition on its marketplace.

Two CPSC commissioners are calling for a probe into e-commerce giants Shein and Temu. They want to examine their safety practices, particularly after reports of dangerous baby and toddler items. Both companies say they prioritize safety.

Chinese ecommerce giant PDD has amassed $38B, surpassing even Tesla. However, the company refuses to offer dividends or share buybacks, which caused a 31% stock drop. Concerns rise over its limited financial transparency.

ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is securing a $9.5B loan. Banks like Citigroup and Goldman Sachs are interested. ByteDance plans to invest in e-commerce, generative AI, and research while refinancing a $5B loan.

Walmart has teamed up with StockX to sell high-demand sneakers like Nike Jordans. StockX will launch next week on Walmart.com, offering hundreds of pre-verified shoes. The move is part of Walmart’s strategy to boost its marketplace’s growth.

Alibaba finished a three-year regulatory rectification after being fined $2.6B for monopolistic practices in 2021. The completion led to a 3% rise in its shares. China's SAMR guided the process, ensuring Alibaba's compliance with antitrust laws.

Fruugo appoints ex-Amazon director Fergal Gara as COO, leveraging his retail expertise to drive global growth. Gara brings deep experience from Amazon, Sony, and Asda to guide Fruugo's strategy in 2024 and beyond.

Bol.com has raised its free shipping minimum from €20 to €25, citing rising costs and inflation. This is the first increase in over ten years. The company hopes customers will consolidate orders to reduce shipping movements.

JD.com’s international division improves shipping services for customers in the US, Japan, and Singapore, reducing costs by up to 50%. Free delivery is now available for qualifying orders, boosting its appeal to global Chinese consumers.

eBay UK's new policy reduces free private seller listings from 1,000 to 300 monthly, starting October 1st. A fixed 3% international fee will apply to all regions, and cash on collection payments will be removed for increased security.

Walmart unveiled three major additions at its 2024 Seller Summit. These include Premium Beauty with 20+ brands, a new pre-owned marketplace with 5M items, and a collectibles category with 0% commission fees until Oct. 31.

PDD Holdings suffered a $55B market value loss after reporting weaker-than-expected revenue and warning about challenges in China's e-commerce. Shares fell 28%. Executives cited competition and economic woes, raising concerns among investors.

eBay DE has introduced a new feature allowing sellers to link their DHL business accounts for automated return labels. This service lets sellers use their own negotiated DHL rates, improving efficiency and the buyer experience.