🌀 AliExpress uncovers nuances between key EU countries... better late than never🤨

3.1 🛒 Mass Merchant

• 🇺🇸 Amazon delivered 1B same-day deliveries in US. Available in over 90 metro areas, Amazon's model underscores the importance of supply chain control and customer trust. 79.8% of U.S. shoppers stated that its fast, free shipping was the primary reason they shopped with the retailer Deep Dive → Amazon

• 🇺🇸 Walmart expands drone delivery to 1.8M more texas homes, covering 75% of Dallas-Fort Worth. Partnering with Wing and Zipline, Walmart enhances delivery speed and convenience, showcasing innovation in logistics Deep Dive → TechCrunch

• 🌏 Alibaba reduces stake in GoGoX amid stiff mainland competition. Alibaba trims GoGoX stake to 8.89% (from 12.23%) amidst fierce mainland competition. GoGoX's continuous losses since 2018 and Alibaba's focus on Cainiao IPO reflect shifting strategies in the competitive logistics market. Deep Dive → SCMP

• 🇰🇷 Alibaba's AliExpress and Temu navigate challenges in South Korea's ecommerce Boom. Despite attracting millions of users with low prices, they grapple with long delivery times and quality concerns, contrasting with local giants Coupang and Gmarket. South Korea, the fourth-largest e-commerce market, poses a unique challenge for these Chinese platforms Deep Dive → Yahoo

• 🌎 eBay resolves Cyberstalking case with $3M Penalty. The case involved former employees targeting a couple critical of the company, leading to charges of stalking, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice Deep Dive → Yahoo

• 🌎 Amazon, Google, Duolingo reduce workforce in major tech layoffs. Twitch, Amazon’s Prime Video, MGM Studios, and Google Assistant divisions are among those affected Deep Dive → Forbes

3.2👗 Fashion & Beauty

• 🇪🇺 Douglas eyes Q1 IPO in Frankfurt, a milestone for European markets. This would mark a significant event in the 2024 European IPO landscape. Valued at up to €7 billion, this CVC-owned company's move follows impressive earnings, including a 12% sales rise to over €4 billion. The IPO, aiming to reduce the company's substantial debt, signals a rejuvenating IPO market after a quiet period Deep Dive → Yahoo

• 🌏 Shein seeks Chines approval ahead of US IPO. The company's confidential filing in the US, alongside a filing with the China Securities Regulatory Commission, highlights its adherence to Beijing's new rules for offshore listings Deep Dive → BoF

• 🌍 Shein's revenue surpasses $30B, asserts Fashion dominance, according to Authentic Brands Group CEO Jamie Salter. This achievement places Shein among the top global fashion retailers, alongside Zara's Inditex and H&M, highlighting its rapid growth and market influence Deep Dive → CNBC

• 🇪🇺 Zalando to utilised Innervate' advanced marketing automation. Utilizing Innervate's advanced marketing automation capabilities, Zalando will effectively manage numerous campaigns, enriching customer engagement and brand awareness. This collaboration transformed Zalando's marketing approach, allowing for efficient campaign management and personalized content Deep Dive → MarTechCube

• 🌍 Amazon Fashion launches new AI tools for perfect fit solutions. Amazon has introduced 4 AI-driven features: personalized size recommendations, a "Fit Insights" tool for sellers, AI-generated highlights from fit reviews, and reimagined size charts. These advancements aim to reduce the high return rate associated with online clothing purchases by providing more accurate size guidance and detailed product insights Deep Dive → Amazon

3.3 🍔 Food & Grocery

• 🇺🇸 Amazon closes final Fresh Pickup in Seattle, continues package service operations. The site at the base of the Starbucks headquarters, along with another location in Ballard, represented Amazon's only Fresh Pickup operations in the U.S. Despite these closures, the spaces continue to serve as Amazon Hub locations, facilitating package pickups and drop-offs Deep Dive → GeekWire

• 🇩🇪 Netto unveils 'Pick&Go' autonomous shopping in Regensburg,, offering a fully autonomous shopping experience without the need for registration or check-ins. Customers can pick products from shelves equipped with digital displays, and their purchases are automatically tallied as they shop. The store combines AI-powered scales for weighing produce, fast exit terminals for easy checkout, and traditional payment methods, catering to all customer preferences Deep Dive → FruchtPortal

• 🇳🇱 Picnic raised €355M for expansion in Europe, bolstering its expansion in France and Germany. Founded in 2015, Picnic delivers groceries via small electric vans from local distribution warehouses. In 2023, Picnic achieved approximately €1.25 billion in sales and aims for €1 billion in annual sales by the end of 2024 Deep Dive → Tech.eu

• 🇮🇳 Swiggy Instamart expands into Café Market via Instacafe, a new division resembling a café, to diversify its offerings and tap into higher profit margins. This strategic decision responds to the competition and aims to boost Swiggy's profitability through café-style products like sandwiches, coffee, and pastries. Instacafe allows customers to add these items to their regular Instamart grocery orders. With its pilot in Bangalore and Hyderabad offering about 60 SKUs, Instacafe represents Swiggy's expansion beyond groceries, including private brands and electronics Deep Dive → StartupStoryMedia

3.4 📦Various

• 🇫🇷 LaPoste is testing changing rooms in post offices. These changing rooms, resembling the iconic canary yellow French mailbox, are designed to allow customers to try on clothing items immediately after collection, facilitating on-the-spot returns if needed. This initiative, tested in a Paris branch, addresses the common issue of ill-fitting online purchases and aims to reduce the hassle of returning items Deep Dive → TheGuardian

• 🇦🇹 Niceshops cuts jobs and restructures. Niceshops is Austrian online retailer and e-commerce service provider. The company is letting go of around 90 employees as part of comprehensive cost-saving measures, including the dissolution of loss-making divisions. Despite the difficult decision, Niceshops is receiving support from other companies like the Austrian Post, offering opportunities for the affected employees Deep Dive → SteierMark

• 🇪🇺 BackMarket prevented 1M Tonnes of CO2e! This achievement underscores the positive environmental impact of choosing refurbished devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets. The calculation is based on scientific data from an ADEME study and does not yet include other tech products available on Back Market Deep Dive → BackMarket

• 🇺🇸 Etsy stock fall more than 35% in the last 12 months. Etsy, once a thriving $37 billion empire of unique and personalized items, faces a significant downturn. The online marketplace's stock prices have plummeted below $80, a stark contrast to its all-time high of $296.91 in November 2021. The decline stems from issues like seller revolts, costly acquisitions of Elo7 and Depop, and the infiltration of dropshippers and counterfeit goods. Despite a solid operating margin and considerable cash generation, Etsy struggles to maintain its distinctive and buyer-friendly image. The challenges are compounded by eroding trust through delayed payments and increased competition, leading to a decrease in active buyers and gross merchandise sales Deep Dive → Fool

4. 🌟Spotlight

• 🇺🇸 Jitjatjo secures $30M to expand gig marketplace into new markets in a Series B funding round. This significant investment, which brings Jitjatjo's total funding to around $65 million, will be utilized for market expansion and to support the company's go-to-market strategy. Jitjatjo's platform streamlines the process of finding temporary staff, offering businesses a flexible workforce solution and gig workers a variety of job opportunities Deep Dive → TechCrunch

• 🌏 OppDoor is a new venture of Flipkart co-founder.. Registered in Singapore as 'Three State Ventures Pte Ltd,’ OppDoor is set to revolutionize the e-commerce sector by providing end-to-end solutions to businesses. Operating in eight countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, the UK, and the US, OppDoor aims to assist e-commerce firms in expanding their global footprint. The company focuses on various aspects such as design, product, human resource, and backend support, collaborating with major platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy Deep Dive → Mint

• 🌏 Glamplus secures $1.9M for global beauty marketplace expansion in a pre-series A funding round. Glamplus combines a beauty product marketplace with SaaS management software, providing an integrated solution for salons and spas to enhance productivity. The funding will enable Glamplus to extend its reach beyond Indian borders, tapping into the global beauty industry Deep Dive → TechinAsia