🌀 TikTok Before Ban 🕺

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Welcome to MarketMaze, the #1 newsletter for staying on top of the latest in Marketplace and E-commerce. Get all the insights you need in just five minutes!

🌀This week’s maze:

1. The Big Story 🧠
TikTok Before Ban 🕺

2. Data 📊
Online-Offline in Tech & Durables 🌐

3. News on E-commerce players📖
🛒 🇺🇸 Temu tops US downloads for 2024
🛒 🇺🇸 Trump, TikTok, and Supreme Court in ban debate
👗 🇨🇳 Alibaba sells Intime chain for $1B loss
👗 🇮🇳 Shein cedes control to Reliance for India return
🍔 🇺🇸 Grubhub agrees to $25M settlement for fees
🍔 🇺🇸 Wing partners with DoorDash for Dallas drones

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

🎄 Happy Holidays to all MarketMaze readers! 🎄

As we wrap up the year, remember that while the markets may wobble, family, health, and relationships are the ultimate blue-chip investments. The ROI on kindness? Infinite. So, take a moment to unplug, hug your loved ones, and savor the magic of the season. Here's to a 2024 full of growth—personal and professional. Thank you for making MarketMaze a part of your journey.

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Explore TikTok Shop’s dominance over Sephora, Shein, and Qurate even as the ban aproaches. Apptopia data highlights time spent and churn stability, while The New Consumer from Coefficient reveals TikTok’s transactional data. .

📊 Time Spent and User Churn

TikTok Shop thrives despite a looming U.S. ban. Apptopia data shows average daily user time spent at 105-110 minutes, with churn staying stable. Even after the TikTok ban announcement in early 2024, TikTok maintained its engagement, showcasing strong consumer reliance.

🚀 TikTok Shop Surpasses Rivals

By Q3 2024, TikTok Shop spending in the U.S. outpaced Shein, Sephora, and Qurate (HSN/QVC). Indexed data shows Sephora shoppers spending 49% of their Sephora budget on TikTok by October 2024, doubling from October 2023. It’s the fastest-growing e-commerce platform.

🛍️ TikTok Shop Rivals Shein Among Shoppers

TikTok Shop is becoming a key rival to Shein and Temu. Monthly spending among Shein shoppers shifted significantly by October 2024, with TikTok Shop capturing 30% of their indexed spending, nearly matching Temu. Shein now leads by single-digit margins.

📈 Loyalty Drives TikTok Shop’s Growth

Seventy-four percent of TikTok Shop users repurchase products directly on the platform, while 48% also rebuy through Amazon. With a 91% satisfaction rate, TikTok Shop’s loyalty rate surpasses Sephora and Temu, solidifying its place as a leading e-commerce player.

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Online sales make up 36% of global revenue in Tech & Durables (T&D), Nielsen reports. Revenue stabilizes across regions, with growth led by China (49%) and CEE (47%). Emerging Asia lags at 9%, showing the need for localized strategies.

📊 Global Online Sales in T&D Stabilize

Nielsen reports that 36% of global Tech & Durables (T&D) revenue comes from online sales, totaling $142B in the first half of 2024. Categories like Photo (+10%) and Telecom (+7.4%) drove growth, while IT and Major Domestic Appliances saw over 5% declines. Small domestic appliances and IT products led online sales with 48% and 51% shares. Online sales show big regional differences. China and Central & Eastern Europe lead with 49% and 47% of T&D revenue online. Western Europe is steady at 39%. Emerging Asia saw online sales drop to 9%, while the Middle East and Africa grew steadily to 19%.

🌎 Online and offline merge

The fusion of online and offline retail in Tech & Durables is the future. Consumers increasingly value convenience, price, promotions, ease of finding products, and availability, blurring the lines between online and in-store shopping.

🛍️ Retailers Embrace Omnichannel Strategies

Omnichannel retail is crucial, with 80% of retailers focusing on it globally, Nielsen says. Mobile commerce is vital in the Pacific and Middle East. Europe and Latin America prioritize omnichannel strategies. Retailers need consistent online visibility and strong mobile platforms to compete.

🇺🇸 Temu tops US downloads for 2024 . 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.

🇺🇸 Trump, TikTok, and Supreme Court in ban debate. 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.

🇺🇸 Amazon revises FBA reimbursement policies. 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 partners with Intuit QuickBooks for sellers. 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.

🇺🇸 Amazon unveils eco-friendly packaging upgrade. 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 joins Meituan for 30-minute deliveries. 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.

🇻🇳 Hi1 Vietnam launches F2C e-commerce platform. 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.

🇨🇳 Alibaba sells Intime chain for $1B loss. Alibaba sold its Intime chain for $1B, incurring a $1.3B loss, shifting focus back to e-commerce. The sale is part of its plan to cut losses and boost growth. Revenues grew 5% to $33.7B last quarter, driven by AI and cost-cutting strategies.

🇮🇳 Shein cedes control to Reliance for India return. Shein partners with Reliance Retail to re-enter India, ceding customer data and local control. The platform will be audited and all operations will remain within India, supporting local manufacturing and jobs.

🇬🇧 Asos partners with Adidas for fast fashion . Asos teams up with Adidas to launch a collection using its Test & React model, cutting production times and adapting quickly to trends. Facing declining sales, Asos aims to attract younger consumers with innovative strategies.

🇺🇸 Temu opens new doors for U.S. DTC brands. Temu’s U.S. Seller Program, launched in Feb 2024, offers DTC brands access to 185M global users. With fees as low as 2%, it’s a low-cost opportunity for marketing, revenue growth, and even expansion into Chinese markets.

🇺🇸 Beauty brands brace for TikTok ban impact. With TikTok’s future uncertain, beauty brands and agencies are preparing dual strategies. As ByteDance fights legal battles, brands pivot to platforms like Instagram and YouTube, ensuring resilience if TikTok’s U.S. presence ends in January 2025.

🇩🇪 dm to launch online pharmacy in 2025. dm will launch its online pharmacy in Germany in 2025, tapping into the $2.7B online OTC market. As traditional pharmacies decline, dm prepares for e-health changes. CEO Werner calls health a "megatrend" reshaping market dynamics.

🇬🇧 ASOS joins forces for climate action in fashion. ASOS, Boozt, and Selfridges join FASHION LEAP FOR CLIMATE. About 100 brands from their portfolios will access tools and an 8-week course. Cascale adds 25 participants. Co-founders ABOUT YOU, Zalando, YOOX aim for decarbonisation industry-wide.

🇨🇳 China's lingerie hub braces for e-commerce curbs. Guanyun's lingerie sector thrives on U.S. de minimis exemptions. Looming tariff changes could hit 1,400 firms employing 100K workers. Export-driven growth faces risks as U.S. and EU reconsider trade rules.

🇺🇸 Grubhub agrees to $25M settlement for fees. Grubhub will pay $25M after allegations of hidden fees, false earnings claims, and unauthorized restaurant listings. The FTC and Illinois AG's complaint pushes changes, ensuring transparency and refunds for customers.

🇺🇸 Wing partners with DoorDash for Dallas drones. Wing and DoorDash expand drone delivery to Dallas-Fort Worth, offering 15-minute food drops from 50 local merchants. Wing drones travel at 65 mph, serving eligible addresses via the DoorDash app. The partnership began in Australia in 2022.

🇬🇧 Netflix partners with Just Eat for Squid Game . Netflix and Just Eat UK launch a Korean menu and Squid Game-inspired app game this Boxing Day. Fans can indulge in themed dishes and compete in EliminATE, with a chance to win $12.5K. Available at 90+ locations nationwide.

🇭🇰 Deliveroo expands retail services in Hong Kong. Deliveroo launches ‘Deliveroo Shopping’ in Hong Kong, offering over 10K SKUs across baby, pet, pharmacy, and more. Partnering with Watsons, LEGO, and others, it combines convenience, gifting, and retail in a single app.

🇩🇪 Wolt adds LEGO and AMORELIE to fast delivery. Wolt now delivers AMORELIE, LEGO, and more in Berlin and Hamburg. A new "Double Order" feature saves fees by bundling items from two shops in one delivery, bringing gifts, wine, and local delights to your door in 35 minutes.

🇺🇸 Shipium integrates DoorDash for seamless delivery. Shipium partners with DoorDash Drive On-Demand to add white-label delivery to its platform. The integration enables quick setup for merchants, simplifying local delivery, saving costs, and enhancing shipping speed.

🇵🇱 Glovo Prime launches subscription in Poland. Glovo Prime launches in Poland, offering unlimited free deliveries and exclusive deals for $3.30/month. With over 5,000 stores onboard, it aims to make Glovo more accessible and convenient.

🇮🇳 magicpin launches 'magicNOW' for food delivery. magicpin enters food delivery as 'magicNOW,' partnering with 3,000+ merchants. Launching in 6 Indian cities, it targets freshness with a 2 km radius and a 15-min delivery promise. A pilot saw 75K deliveries in 4 weeks.

That’s all. See you next time in the 🌀Maze!