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🧠 Big Story: 
Meta & YouTube Ready for TikTok Ad Dollars 📈

📊 Key Data:
Undisputed Cross-Border Leader 🌏

📖Ecommerce players news
🛒 🇺🇸 Meta adds eBay listings to Marketplace
🛒 🇺🇸 TikTok creators flock to Lemon8 amid U.S. ban fears
👗 🇷🇺 Shein banned in Russia over LGBTQ+ products
👗 🇩🇪 Germany leads Europe’s fashion e-commerce boom
🍔 🇺🇸 Just Eat sells Grubhub for just $650M
🍔 🇬🇧 Amazon Fresh offers Londoners £1 meal deals

+ over 15 other hot news from the last week you need to know 🔥

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Meta & YouTube Ready for TikTok Ad Dollars 📈

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.

📊 Meta and YouTube’s Ad Windfall

If TikTok gets banned in the US by 2025, Instagram and YouTube will likely emerge as the biggest winners. Instagram could capture 22% of reallocated ad dollars, followed by Facebook with 17% and YouTube at 11%. TikTok’s US ad revenue, expected to hit $22B by 2025, is a lucrative target for competitors. Connected TV and smaller social platforms would divide the remaining ad budgets. This shift could reshape ad strategies for brands targeting TikTok’s engaged audiences.

🌐 TikTok’s Global Ban Risk

Global scrutiny is mounting on TikTok, with Canada, the UK, and EU banning it on government devices. The US may go further, demanding TikTok divest its Chinese ownership. Countries like Japan are exploring bans on apps spreading disinformation, while Latin America and Southeast Asia see minimal risk of restrictions due to strong China ties. Even TikTok’s efforts like Project Clover, localizing European data, haven’t reduced security concerns. Broader bans could impact marketers worldwide, forcing pivots to safer platforms.

💸 Ad Dollars on the Line

TikTok’s ad revenue, projected to rise from $3.9B in 2021 to $22B by 2025, makes up 3% of global digital ad spend. A US ban would leave over $10B in ad budgets up for grabs. Meta’s platforms, already trusted by marketers, are well-positioned to absorb the fallout. Meanwhile, smaller players like connected TV services could capture a niche slice. For advertisers, the potential loss of TikTok’s high engagement rates will push them toward safer, established platforms like Instagram and YouTube.

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Undisputed Cross-Border Leader 🌏

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.

📈 China's cross-border dominance

China has solidified its position as the leader in cross-border e-commerce, with its share growing from 31% in 2021 to 40% in 2024, according to IPC's latest survey. This data comes from a study of 31,000 shoppers across 37 countries. Platforms like Temu and Shein have played a key role in driving China's growth. Notably, Germany, the US, and the UK saw declines in their market share, while France held steady. The "Other" category rose slightly by 1 percentage point, reflecting broader diversity in e-commerce origins.

🌍 Mature markets favor China

Over 40% of cross-border purchases in mature markets such as Czechia, Poland, and Germany came from China in 2024. Countries like Spain (49%) and the Netherlands (48%) also show high dependency on Chinese imports. Interestingly, even traditionally strong markets like the US and UK saw China’s share outpace domestic or regional sellers. The survey underscores a clear shift towards China in global cross-border buying habits.

🛍️ Temu and Shein disrupt the market

Temu and Shein’s rapid rise has reshaped cross-border e-commerce. Temu grew its share from 7% in 2023 to 21% in 2024, while Shein held steady at 9%. Together, they now account for 30% of the market, up from 16% last year. Meanwhile, Amazon maintained its 24% share, AliExpress dropped from 16% to 10%, and eBay fell slightly to 6%. Temu’s aggressive marketing and low prices have been critical drivers of its success.

🛒 Mass Platforms

🇺🇸 Meta adds eBay listings to Marketplace. 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.

🇺🇸 TikTok creators flock to Lemon8 amid U.S. ban fears. 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.

🇲🇽 Amazon gains edge from Mexico import tariffs. 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.

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

🇩🇪 Majority of Germans want TikTok banned. 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.

🇮🇩 YouTube partners with Shopee in SEA. 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.

🇨🇳 Alibaba revamps gifting to fend off Tencent. 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.

👗 Fashion & Beauty

🇷🇺 Shein banned in Russia over LGBTQ+ products. 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."

🇩🇪 Germany leads Europe’s fashion e-commerce boom. 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.

🇨🇳 Shein faces scrutiny over Chinese cotton use. 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.

🇪🇺 Zalando expands Klarna's 'Pay in 3' option. 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 posts modest sales growth. 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.

🇺🇸 Syte partners with Tally Weijl to boost sales. 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 announces 66 more store closures in 2025. 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.

🇨🇳 H&M reopens iconic Shanghai flagship store. 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.

🍔 Food Delivery & eGrocery

🇺🇸 Just Eat sells Grubhub for just $650M. 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.

🇬🇧 Amazon Fresh offers Londoners £1 meal deals. 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.

🇮🇳 Flipkart hires Dunzo’s Kabeer Biswas to lead push. 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.

🇮🇳 Swiggy diversifies with Pyng app for professionals. 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.

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

Various

🇮🇩 Bukalapak exits physical goods sales. 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 sparks a retail war in Asturias. Costco plans a $32M store in Siero, sparking debate on large retailers' role in Asturias. New laws ease approvals, but unions oppose the project.

🇺🇸 Walmart’s online grocery market share hits 37%.. Regional grocers can still thrive by focusing on hyperlocal products, loyalty programs, and innovative fulfillment strategies, according to industry experts.

🇦🇷 Decathlon plans return to Argentina with 20+ stores. 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.

🇪🇸 Zara’s café expansion faces legal hurdles. Inditex’s Zacaffé initiative hits a snag as Italian brand Zicaffè opposes its EU trademark registration, claiming risk of confusion and brand misuse.