🌀 Unboxing Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 🎁

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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 a week!

🌀This week’s maze:

1. The Big Story 🧠 
Unboxing Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 🎁
Mytheresa partners with Mr Porter for 10% market share 🤝

2. Data 📊 
European eCommerce major categories🔝
Cross-Border Shopping in Europe🛍️

3. News 📖 
🛒 🇺🇸 Amazon Ads unveils AI tools for creative campaigns
🛒 🇸🇬 Lazada aims for $100B GMV in SEA by 2030
👗 🇬🇧 Snapchat opens immersive AR High Street in London
👗 🇩🇪 Zalando’s 3D avatars improve online fit, reduce returns
🍔 🇹🇼 Uber Eats’ $9B foodpanda merger hits roadblock
🗞🇺🇸 FTC makes it easier to cancel subscriptions
🦄🇺🇸 Uber Explores $20B Expedia Acquisition Deal

+ over 25 other news from the last week you need to know 🎁

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Numerator analyzed Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 8-9), revealing shopper behavior, satisfaction, and holiday preparations, showing how Amazon's fall sale impacts buying trends.

🛍️ Shopper Awareness & Satisfaction

95% of Amazon shoppers were aware of Prime Big Deal Days. 46% said the sale was their primary reason for shopping.

57% were very satisfied with the deals.

59% also shopped during July's Prime Day, with mixed opinions on which sale had better deals.

🎄 Early Holiday Shopping

24% used the sale for holiday gift shopping.

7% purchased Halloween-related items, 5% bought other holiday goods.

Only 16% finished more than half of their holiday shopping during the sale.

86% plan to return to Amazon for holiday shopping within the next 3 months.

🛒 Top Product Categories

46% bought items they'd been waiting for on sale.

Top categories: household essentials (22%), apparel & shoes (22%), home goods (21%), beauty & cosmetics (20%).

27% shopped for everyday items like groceries.

🔍 Price Comparison & Competition

55% of participants compared prices at other retailers.

Most common comparisons were to Walmart (67%), Target (44%), and club stores (26%).

30% planned to participate in Target Circle Week and 33% in Walmart's Holiday Deals.

According to Earnest Analytics, Mytheresa's new partnership with Mr Porter and Net-A-Porter strengthens its position in the US luxury market. Despite a recent decline, this merger helps the company bounce back.

💼 US luxury market faces challenges

Major US luxury retailers, like Farfetch (-33%) and SSENSE (-44%), have seen sharp sales declines since 2021, driven by shifting consumer habits and weak 2023 holiday sales.

Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus dominate the market, holding 30% and 20% of online sales, respectively. Both are exploring a potential merger to navigate slow post-pandemic luxury spending.

Mytheresa, despite a 6% sales drop since 2021, has outperformed peers and recently partnered with Mr Porter and Net-A-Porter, forming the 4th largest US luxury retailer, now controlling 10% of online sales.

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Ecommert’s and Mert Damlapinar latest analysis based on ECDB data sheds light on the European eCommerce market.

📊 Key eCommerce Categories in Europe

🛍️ Fashion: With $149B in sales, online fashion continues to grow. Apparel led at 59%, as more shoppers prefer convenience and variety online.

📱 Electronics: Generating $143B, consumer electronics (68%) dominate, boosted by increasing demand for connected devices and smart home tech.

🏡 Home: Furniture and Homeware ($134B) are surging as remote work fuels demand for home upgrades, with Furniture taking a 62% share.

🔧 DIY & Auto: Tools & supplies saw 55% growth, as people invested more in home projects, while vehicle parts rose by 28%, reflecting growing interest in auto maintenance.

Cross-Border Commerce Europe, with support from FedEx and Poste Italiane, released the “TOP 100 Cross-Border Marketplaces Europe” report, revealing the critical role of marketplaces in Europe’s cross-border e-commerce landscape.

📊 EU cross-border market sees rapid growth

The EU cross-border e-commerce market reached $345B in 2023/2024, with 69%, or $225B, generated by online marketplaces.

The top 100 marketplaces grew 39.3%, reaching $197B in turnover, driven by platforms like Amazon and eBay, which capture over 50% of total marketplace sales.

By 2025, 97.3% of marketplace visitors are expected to be cross-border, but marketplace share of total e-commerce GMV will decline slightly from 69% to 67.9%.

🇺🇸 Amazon Ads unveils AI tools for creative campaigns. Amazon Ads unveiled AI Creative Studio and Audio Generator at unBoxed 2024. These tools simplify ad creation by using AI to generate content, from images to audio, in minutes. Early users saw a 5% sales increase from AI-powered ads.

🇸🇬 Lazada aims for $100B GMV in SEA by 2030, focusing on luxury brands like Armani DG. Its strategy moves away from low-priced competition, aiming for high-end e-commerce dominance in Southeast Asia.

🇩🇪 Amazon faces warning over fake discount prices on product pages in Germany. The consumer center Baden-Württemberg argues that Amazon’s reference prices violate EU law by not showing the lowest price from the last 30 days. Legal action is underway.

🇺🇸 Amazon extends the holiday returns window between Nov 1 and Dec 31, 2024. Shoppers can return these items until Jan 31, 2025. Apple products have a shorter window, eligible for returns until Jan 15, 2025.

🇺🇸 Amazon joins nuclear energy push with SMRs. Amazon is joining the nuclear energy race alongside Google and Microsoft. The tech giant has signed deals to develop several small modular reactors (SMRs), aiming to meet its carbon-neutral target by 2040 while supporting the growing energy demands of AI.

🇨🇳 JD Logistics to double warehouse space by 2025, growing from 10M to 20M square feet. The company aims to expand in the U.S. and Europe, with 24-hour fulfillment and increased international cargo flights.

🇬🇧 OnBuy gears up for EU expansion, North America in 2025. OnBuy, a UK-based e-commerce marketplace, will expand to 14 EU countries by 2024, and enter North America in 2025. With a £2.5M investment and a Google Cloud partnership, OnBuy aims for 10x growth, offering cashback and a customer-first experience.

🇵🇱 Allegro CEO Roy Perticucci steps down in June 2025, transitioning to a special advisory role. The Board will initiate a search for his replacement. Perticucci, who joined in September 2022, has a strong background at Amazon in logistics.

🇬🇧 Snapchat opens immersive AR high street in London. Snapchat launches Snap Street, an AR-powered shopping experience on 19 and 20 October in London. Partnering with Boots and Depop, they aim to blend digital and physical retail. Visitors can test makeup, play games, and win prizes.

🇩🇪 Zalando’s 3D avatars improve online fit, reduce returns, allowing customers to try on Levi’s clothes with accurate body measurements. Available in 14 countries, this tech promises a 40% drop in return rates.

🇩🇪 Zalando launches ‘Cultural Ties’ streetwear map, a streetwear map for Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm, and Warsaw. With exclusive interviews, hotspots, and a December adidas Originals drop, it's streetwear's new frontier in Europe.

🇬🇧 eBay boosts Circular Fashion Fund with $1.2M to support startups that promote sustainability. The fund provides financing, mentorship, and networking. Launched in 2022, it now covers the U.S., Germany, Australia, and the U.K.

🇬🇧 Shein adds Barclays, UBS for $61B London IPO. The fashion giant, already working with Goldman Sachs and others, faces scrutiny over labor and tax practices as the listing nears in early 2025.

🇫🇷 Vestiaire Collective celebrates 15th anniversary, hosted a luxury item treasure hunt with 250 high-end pieces priced at $19.48. Brands like Gucci and Dior were part of the event. The platform grew 25% in 2023 and is expanding in the US.

🇹🇼 Uber Eats’ $9B foodpanda merger hits roadblock. The Ministry of Labor opposes Uber Eats’ $9B foodpanda acquisition, announced in May. The Ministry informed Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission that worker rights issues, including pay, must be addressed first. The deal is currently under review, pending submission of key documents by both companies.

🇪🇸 Glovo merges social media with food discovery features, enabling users to share restaurant picks, follow friends for food recommendations, and interact with restaurateurs. CEO Oscar Pierre says 35% of users struggle to decide what to order.

🇺🇸 Uber Eats adds social features with favorite meal lists. Food influencers like Sam Roby are joining the fun, curating lists for Uber Eats. This is the latest in a series of changes, including fresh produce delivery and driverless cars.

🇩🇪 Delivery Hero could see stock rise by 60% soon. Delivery Hero has outpaced Just Eat Takeaway in 2024. Analyst Benjamin Kohnke predicts a 60% upside for Delivery Hero in the next 12 months, while Just Eat will only see a 17% rise. With a focus on profitability, Delivery Hero is positioned for continued growth.

🇳🇱 Just Eat loses 6% in Q3, misses expectations. The U.S. saw an 11% decline despite Amazon deals. Gross transaction value reached $6.7B, below expectations. Management maintains forecasts for 2024, eyeing new sectors.

🇺🇸 Serve Robotics boosts speed, capacity for Uber Eats. Serve Robotics has introduced its third-gen robots for Uber Eats. These bots are faster, carry 15% more, and run for six more hours daily. The company plans to roll out 250 units in L.A. by Q1 2025, aiming for $60M–$80M in revenue.

🇷🇴 Wolt acquires Tazz, Romania’s key delivery platform. Wolt, a Finnish tech company owned by DoorDash, is set to acquire Tazz from eMAG. The deal, expected to be finalized in a few months, will help Wolt expand in Romania. Tazz, operating in 35 cities, will transition under the Wolt brand.

🇺🇸 FTC makes it easier to cancel subscriptions. Starting soon, canceling subscriptions like Amazon Prime or streaming services will be as simple as signing up. The FTC's new "click-to-cancel" rule is designed to eliminate obstacles, going into effect 180 days after publication.

🇺🇸 WP Engine files injunction after WordPress ban after being banned by co-creator Matt Mullenweg following a lawsuit. The company seeks to return to its pre-September 20, 2024, status to update its plugins.

🇺🇸 Apple Pay adds rewards, loans, and new payment ways. Apple Pay celebrates 10 years with new features in iOS 18. Users can redeem rewards from Discover cards and use Klarna's flexible payments. Installment loans are available with Affirm in the US and Monzo in the UK, expanding payment flexibility.

🇺🇸 Square's new Orders Platform boosts U.S. sellers in Q3 2024. The platform offers flexible options like pre-authorization, bar tabs, and subscriptions. This shift aims to improve business operations and customer experiences.

🇺🇸 General Motors turns OnStar into a new e-commerce platform. It will offer Super Cruise plans, auto insurance, SiriusXM, and accessories. This shift aims to streamline shopping for services with a responsive, flexible system.

🇩🇪 DHL Express launches eco-friendly Label-Free returns. Available in over 50 countries, this eco-friendly solution allows consumers to return packages using a QR code, removing the need for printed labels. The service targets industries like fashion and technology.

🇨🇳 Alibaba's AI translation tool beats Google & ChatGPT. Alibaba’s claims its tool is superior with 500K merchants using it across 15 languages, the tool is set to help sellers increase international sales.

🇨🇳 Alibaba invests $4.3B for 2024 Singles' Day event in perks for both consumers and merchants. Over 300K brands will participate on Tmall, and SMEs will benefit from $13B in cross-platform traffic and marketing subsidies.

🇺🇸 Uber explores $20B Expedia acquisition deal, marking a strategic shift beyond car travel and food delivery. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who led Expedia from 2005 to 2017, may return to his travel roots. Expedia’s stock surged 5% on the news.

🇺🇸 autone raises $17M to revolutionize retail data. The platform uses AI to optimize inventory management, helping retailers reduce inventory by 55% and increase sales by 30%. The funding will accelerate its US and European expansion, aiming to make inventory decisions more accurate and sustainable.

🇮🇳 Zepto raises $100M, targeting $5B valuation, marking its third funding round in six months. The investment, led by Motilal Oswal, maintains its $5B valuation. Zepto has raised over $1B recently.

🇺🇸 Storfund launches financing with TikTok Shop in the US, offering quicker payouts to sellers. Sellers can now access cash as soon as goods are shipped, halving cash cycles from 14 to 7 days. This partnership aims to enhance seller growth and improve the cash flow of high-growth ecommerce businesses.

🇮🇳 Accel to invest $40M in Truemeds at $330M valuation. The 6-year-old online pharmacy disrupts medicine delivery by offering affordable generic alternatives to costly branded drugs. Amid industry upheaval, Truemeds’ digital platform targets chronic patients in remote areas, providing online consultations and delivery.

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