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TikTok said its local services operations in Thailand and Indonesia are still in the testing stage. Photo: Shutterstock

ByteDance-owned TikTok explores local services markets in Indonesia and Thailand

TikTok’s latest initiatives in Southeast Asia show how parent ByteDance is strategically expanding the social media platform’s revenue stream.

  • TikTok has initially enabled users in Indonesia and Thailand to obtain vouchers for restaurants, flights and hotels via links on their feeds

Alibaba.com signs NBA legend Tony Parker as brand ambassador

Alibaba bets on generative AI tools to help cross-border merchants, executive says

More than half of China’s top companies downsized last year. What now?

A Post review of 23 annual reports from leading Chinese firms found that more than half downsized last year, while others slashed staff-related expenses.

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Illustration: Henry Wong

China’s elder millennials quest afar, seeking ‘curse of 35’ cure

Youthful vigour is like a +5 character perk in the Chinese workforce, but veteran industry players who know their profession inside and out are the ones companies want to send abroad.

In China’s Guangzhou, a web of factories gives rise to Shein

An extensive army of manufacturers, managed through a complex digital system, has fed Shein’s meteoric growth.

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EU reconsiders duty exemption for cheap goods that helps Shein, Temu

The effort adds to the growing momentum of protectionism against Chinese companies as its cheaper goods threaten local producers.

The EU is considering closing off a duty exemption that has enabled a surge in small-value imports from Chinese e-commerce platforms. Photo: AFP

Alibaba’s Taobao adds 1-hour delivery short cut in race against ByteDance, JD.com

With on-demand delivery the latest front in China’s e-commerce war, Taobao is using Alibaba’s Ele.me and Freshippo to expand its offerings in the category.

China’s moonlighters seek side gigs on Alibaba’s online flea market

Xianyu, also known as Idle Fish, has launched a new feature allowing users to hire themselves out for part-time jobs.

‘China chic’ young adults make economic statements with glow-ups

Consumer trends could also reflect challenges for foreign brands that are trying to cash in on China’s huge middle class.

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By and large, Chinese shoppers born after 1995 were the nation’s main consumers of domestic “trendy products” last year. Photo: AFP

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com pursues budget-minded consumers

JD.com is said to be taking full control over the operation, logistics and after-sales services of its Jingxi low-price shopping platform.

JD.com is doubling down on its focus on budget-conscious consumers. Photo: Reuters

Amazon woos Chinese suppliers for new discount-shopping plan

Amazon has invited select mainland Chinese merchants to join its new discount-shopping marketplace.

How can Shein remain at the top its game? Experts at Bain and Kantar offer tips

‘An agile supply chain and connected-commerce capabilities are needed to sustain its success in an ever changing marketplace,’ Bain partner Derek Deng says.

Amazon to offer direct US shipping from China amid rise of Shein, Temu

A planned discount section will feature cheap items such as unbranded fashion and home goods, according to slides shown to Chinese sellers.

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A man inspects trucks before they enter an Amazon storage facility on the outskirts of Mumbai, India, in October 2021. Photo: Reuters

Shein filed for London IPO in early June, sources say

The company has also updated China’s securities regulator officially about its change of listing venue, the sources say.

A Shein pop-up store in Ottawa, Canada. Photo: Reuters

Chinese-owned Temu to face compliance issues in Indonesia, local officials warn

Budget shopping app provider Temu, owned by Pinduoduo parent PDD Holdings, may face regulatory hurdles if it enters the Indonesian market, local officials have said.

Chinese e-commerce sales up 14% for 618 shopping festival, report says

E-commerce firms including Alibaba and JD.com saw GMV rise during the midyear event, but merchants face declining profits amid a platform price war.

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Asian Angle | Why Pinduoduo’s surprise growth may not be good news for China’s economy

Consumption has been driving growth, but it remains low owing to low disposable incomes and high savings rate among Chinese households.

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The logo of Pingduoduo, the largest interactive e-commerce platform in China, is seen at a shopping centre in Shanghai. Photo: AFP

Exclusive | Shein investors said to grow jittery with London IPO plan in limbo

Plans for a quick blockbuster public listing by Shein are facing a host of uncertainties, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Alibaba denies talks to sell Lazada’s Thailand unit amid expansion push

The Chinese e-commerce giant denied the rumours sparked by a Bangkok Post report, as it continues to grapple with an economic slowdown at home.

JPMorgan finds ‘upside’ in tech stocks as China bear turns bullish

‘Macro indicators which are showing early indication of a stabilisation’ have driven a rally, according to a JPMorgan analyst known for his bearish stance.

Tencent Holdings’ headquarters building in Shenzhen, China. Bellwethers like Tencent have led a tech-stock rebound as Beijing pivoted from a wide regulatory crackdown to focus on bolstering the economy. Photo: Bloomberg

China’s midyear shopping festival ends with Alibaba, JD.com declaring victory

Alibaba and JD.com touted impressive growth trends but declined to reveal total GMV figures for their midyear 618 shopping festival, as competition heats up and consumers grow weary of too many promotions.

Workers sort parcels at a logistics company in Huzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, June 18, 2024, as the 618 shopping festival reached its peak. Photo: Xinhua

From Alibaba to BYD, Chinese sponsors jostle for attention at Euro 2024

Five of the championship’s 13 sponsors come from China, as these companies look abroad amid slow growth at home.

Hong Kong export credit insurer to cover trade loans made to e-commerce SMEs

This is the first credit trade insurance based on alternative data to help Hong Kong-based e-commerce merchants, ECIC commissioner Terence Chiu says.

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Tencent’s WeChat breaks ranks to ban digital influencers in live streaming

Tencent plans to ban digital hosts powered by AI on its live-streaming commerce platforms, as Beijing tightens controls over AI-generated content.

WeChat’s video platform has published a draft of new rules that prohibit the use of avatars for live streaming. Photo: Shutterstock Images

China’s venture capital ‘godfather’ Neil Shen exits Meituan board

Shen’s departure comes after venture capital firm HongShan had been gradually cutting its stake in Meituan since China’s food delivery services giant debuted in Hong Kong in 2018.

Venture capitalist Neil Shen Nanpeng speaks at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing on March 7, 2022. Photo: Xinhua

As Shein chases IPO, its Chinese founder stays under cloak of secrecy

Even by the standards of Chinese tech business leaders, the lack of public information about Xu Yangtian is unusual.

Delivered in an instant: India’s quick commerce apps shake up online shopping

There’s no minimum spend, prices are low and orders from apps like Blinkit and Swiggy’s Instamart arrive in a matter of minutes.

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E-commerce
Latest news, analysis and opinion on ecommerce, covering new technology, consumer habits and the growth of digital payment options. 
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