GoHealth has announced the acquisition of e-TeleQuote, expected to close on Sept. 30. This acquisition will strengthen its Medicare-focused offerings, combining GoHealth's scale and technology with e-TeleQuote's experience and talent.

Zepto's valuation surged to $5B after raising $340M in a funding round led by General Catalyst Partners. The Mumbai-based company plans to expand with over 700 warehouses by March 2025. Founded by two Stanford dropouts in 2021, Zepto faces fierce competition.

Riyadh-based car marketplace Syarah raised $60M in a Series C round. Led by Artal Capital, funds will help expand their platform, selling new and used cars. The funding includes $20M in debt from US-based Partners for Growth.

UK-based Warehow has raised $2.7M in a Series A round to expand its fulfilment services. Led by Mercia Ventures, the funds will grow storage and improve technology for major clients like Puma and River Island.

Ochama expanded its pickup point network in Paris to streamline fulfillment, responding to a 172% year-on-year order growth in France from Jan-Aug 2024. Offering faster delivery and a broader product range, the move improves shopping for French customers.

Amazon Aggregator SellerX, founded in 2020, will be auctioned on Sept 17. Despite $900M in investments, financial struggles led to Blackrock pulling its $400M loan. This highlights broader issues with the Amazon Aggregator model.

ChannelEngine’s Vendor Hub introduces a Recovery Management solution aimed at helping Amazon Vendors reclaim 3.5% of their unpaid revenue, amounting to millions in lost profits due to shortages and pricing discrepancies. The tool, part of a larger suite designed for operational efficiency, automates the recovery process and enhances order and catalog management. New features like Sales Analytics and Digital Shelf Monitoring are also in the pipeline, set to launch later this year.

TikTok introduces a new AI-powered tool that lets users create a digital version of their own voice for voice-overs. Developed by parent company ByteDance, this feature is part of a broader AI push. The tool could save time and effort in content creation.

UPS will apply a $0.50 per-pound surcharge to imports from China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Other countries like Japan and Australia will see a $0.25 fee per pound. The move is meant to offset rising shipping costs, especially with the surge in e-commerce from sites like Temu and Shein.

Qoo10 has let go of over 80% of its workforce in Singapore. 90 of the 110 employees were laid off, leaving only senior management to run day-to-day operations. This comes after financial trouble in Qoo10’s South Korean branch, raising questions about the company’s future.

Alibaba announced it will start accepting Tencent's WeChat Pay on its e-commerce platforms, Taobao and Tmall. This breaks the "walled garden" payment rivalry between Alipay and WeChat Pay. The move comes after JD.com and Pinduoduo already allowed WeChat Pay.

Seven & i Holdings rejected Alimentation Couche-Tard’s $38B offer, calling it too low and risky. The deal could create a 100K-store giant, but 7-Eleven is skeptical. The Japanese firm is open to better offers but warns of regulatory hurdles.

Alnatura shuts down its delivery service on Sept. 30, 2024. The company struggled with technical issues, high costs of electric vehicles, and scattered customers. Alnatura will now focus on its core in-store business.

Swiggy launches Incognito Mode, allowing users to place private orders that are hidden from their order history. Currently available to 10% of users, this feature caters to the rising demand for privacy in online transactions.

Delivery Hero is planning to list its Talabat unit on the Dubai stock market, aiming to raise $1B. Emirates NBD, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan are handling the IPO. Talabat's valuation could exceed €5.4B.

SPAR Group is selling its struggling Polish division to Specjal for $10M. SPAR will recapitalize the business at a cost of $143M to clear debts. This deal refocuses SPAR on its South African core operations.

REWE has teamed up with Lieferando to provide 45-minute grocery delivery in 40+ cities. Customers can choose from over 3,000 products with orders starting at $21. Delivery fees vary from $2, but are free for large orders.

Gymshark appoints Sian Keane as chief people officer, while Fabien Versavau is set to take over as CEO of La Redoute. Both brands focus on global growth, with Gymshark transforming into an omnichannel giant and La Redoute strengthening its home and fashion segments.

Kaufland Marketplace launched in Austria on September 4, 2024. This is the fourth country for its e-commerce platform, which is already available in Germany, Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia. Kaufland aims for rapid growth.

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala applies to take full control of Getir as Türkiye's delivery giant focuses on its home market after securing $250M in June. This follows Getir's exit from Europe, with founders retaining a minority stake.

Reboxed's new platform, ReboxedOS, empowers brands to scale resale and recycling programs. Founded in 2019, the London startup helps retailers like Three Mobile, aiming to rehome 100M devices and promote sustainability.

Mango expands its online business to 12 new countries, including Angola, Belize, and Laos, bringing its presence to over 120 markets. The company reported over $1B in online revenue in 2023, making up 33% of total sales.

Google expanded its AI-powered virtual try-on tool to include dresses, supporting brands like Boden and Sandro. Dresses are more complex than tops, so Google developed new technology to provide lifelike, detailed virtual experiences.

Shein is looking for Polish IT experts for its new Warsaw team. The brand plans to hire 10 employees as part of its Europe Technology Centre. This follows Shein's rapid expansion in Poland, with warehouses and teams already in place.

Balenciaga opened its flagship store on JD.com on September 3, 2024. JD.com is now the exclusive online channel for Balenciaga’s new Stapler Sneaker. The partnership includes a wide range of collections and interest-free installments.

ASOS sold a 75% stake in Topshop to Heartland, generating $146M to strengthen its balance sheet. ASOS retains 25% and faces pressure from rivals like Shein and Temu. Shares rose 18% following the announcement.

Littlest Luxuries has relaunched after a merger with peer platform Little Fashion House. The business aims to be the leading marketplace for authenticated luxury childrenswear, addressing high clothing circulation and reducing waste. The marketplace had 600+ sellers on a waitlist before launch.

eBay shifted its global media account from WPP's EssenceMediacom to Dentsu's iProspect. After a competitive pitch involving Havas Media, iProspect stood out with its passion for eBay and an integrated campaign model.

Shopify teams up with Roblox to let brands sell real items in-game, reaching 80M users. The pilot will launch in 2025, offering new opportunities for brands and creators. Roblox is popular among youth, despite past concerns over safety.

Amazon has invested $20M into Indian BNPL firm Axio, which serves 9M customers and 3,000 merchants. Axio aims to scale its loan book, enhance its offerings, and unlock credit for 200M new customers across India.

U.S. CPSC commissioners call for an investigation into Shein and Temu after deadly baby products were sold. The probe may impact the use of a legal loophole, de minimis, that allows cheap imports to bypass tariffs.

Mercado Libre founder Marcos Galperín announced a $75M investment to build a new logistics center in Buenos Aires, creating 2,300 jobs. President Javier Milei praised Galperín’s contribution to Argentina's economic growth during his visit.

The Federal Cartel Office is investigating Amazon's price control mechanisms and brand gating. It surveyed 2,000 third-party retailers to understand the impact of Amazon's algorithms, which can limit competition on its marketplace.

Two CPSC commissioners are calling for a probe into e-commerce giants Shein and Temu. They want to examine their safety practices, particularly after reports of dangerous baby and toddler items. Both companies say they prioritize safety.

Chinese ecommerce giant PDD has amassed $38B, surpassing even Tesla. However, the company refuses to offer dividends or share buybacks, which caused a 31% stock drop. Concerns rise over its limited financial transparency.

ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is securing a $9.5B loan. Banks like Citigroup and Goldman Sachs are interested. ByteDance plans to invest in e-commerce, generative AI, and research while refinancing a $5B loan.

Walmart has teamed up with StockX to sell high-demand sneakers like Nike Jordans. StockX will launch next week on Walmart.com, offering hundreds of pre-verified shoes. The move is part of Walmart’s strategy to boost its marketplace’s growth.

Data from ECDB highlights trends in the global eCommerce market from Sep 2023 to Aug 2024, focusing on key players China, the U.S., and the U.K. as they navigate growth and challenges.

Data from Foxintelligence and Apptopia show Temu's growth slowing down in Europe and the US. This report analyzes market saturation and engagement trends across key regions.

Shopify has expanded its partnership with YouTube. Eligible U.S. merchants can now join the YouTube Shopping affiliate program. Creators can tag products in videos from thousands of new brands. This collaboration empowers businesses and creators.

GrubMarket, a $3.6B food delivery startup, has acquired FreshGoGo, a B2C platform for Asian groceries, expanding its customer base by 210K across 27 states. This is part of GrubMarket's strategy to grow through strategic acquisitions. FreshGoGo, which generates $30M in revenue but is not yet profitable, joins GrubMarket following its recent purchase of Good Eggs. The deal mixes cash and shares, with FreshGoGo founder Jianbing Duan staying on board to continue operations. GrubMarket aims to scale these acquisitions for better profitability and growth.

Zepto raised $1B in 90 days, pushing its valuation to $5B. The company expects to grow 150% in the next 12 months, reaching over $3.5B in sales. The quick-commerce market in India is booming, with Zepto leading the charge.

Agrim, an Indian agri-tech startup, raised $17.3M to improve its just-in-time supply chain for agri-inputs, like seeds and pesticides. The company aims to expand its catalog from 30,000 to 150,000 items and extend its services to southern and western India.

Branded and Heyday, two leading Amazon aggregators, plan to merge into a new entity named Essor, with an expected annual revenue of $400M. The merger reflects the contraction in the industry that once thrived on $16B in investments.

Shift has launched a logistics driver marketplace to serve enterprise clients like IKEA. The service aims to reduce last-mile delivery costs using proprietary tech. This follows the acquisition of Tuffnells and a $6.8M funding round led by Fuel Ventures.

Coolblue, the largest Dutch electronics retailer, plans to invest $161M in expanding its operations in Germany. CEO Pieter Zwart sells 7.5% of his shares to HAL to fund the initiative. 36 stores and 9 delivery depots are planned.

Trouva, an online marketplace, has left many of its 650 boutique partners unpaid for over a month, despite promises of swift payment resolution. Trouva's acquisition by Fy! and a pending funding round are cited as reasons for the delays.

Mavely, the "Everyday Influencer" platform, achieved $675M in GMV, up 175% from last year. It supports micro- and nano-influencers, offering commissions from brands like Adidas and Macy’s. Over $37M has been paid out to influencers since 2019.

Ikea is piloting a secondhand marketplace called Ikea Preowned in Madrid and Oslo. Users can sell their old Ikea furniture and choose to be paid via bank transfer or an Ikea gift card with a 15% bonus. The trial ends in December 2024.