Migros discontinues FoodNow to focus on core business. Alfies buys Stash, expanding its Swiss presence. Despite 600 partners, FoodNow couldn't meet goals. Stash, active in Zurich and Lucerne, joins Alfies after struggling to break even.

Home Depot joins forces with Instacart to provide same-day delivery from 2,000 stores. This move aims to enhance their eCommerce capabilities amid declining consumer spending. The partnership leverages Instacart's fast delivery, including heavy items, and follows a successful pilot. Instacart's collaborations with other retailers like Kohl's and Uber Eats highlight the trend of delivery services expanding beyond groceries.

John Lewis introduces the largest high-street menswear rental range in the UK. Powered by Hurr, it offers brands like Boss Tailoring and Charles Tyrwhitt, with prices starting at £40 for a 4-day rental. The global menswear rental market is set to reach £2.36B by 2027.

Oh Polly, a fashion retailer, now charges a tiered fee for returns based on the percentage of the order returned. The policy aims to manage costs associated with high return rates. First-time returns remain free for new customers.

Gopuff launches 24/7 delivery in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, and Swansea, offering an Aldi Price Match on over 50 products for added value. This move aims to meet the increasing demand for round-the-clock grocery delivery.

Ocado Retail buys Getir's customer email database following Getir's UK exit. Zoom by Ocado offers former Getir users 25% off their first order and Gorillas customers 30% off their first shop and three months of free deliveries.

Amazon teams up with Lucky Supermarkets for same-day, 2-hour grocery delivery in select San Francisco Bay Area cities. Prime members receive free delivery on their first three orders of $10 or more. Shop at amazon.com/luckysupermarkets.

Hugo Boss XP, a new tech-based loyalty program, launches in the UK next month. It combines traditional loyalty features with blockchain and Web3 elements, allowing members to collect and trade NFTs. The program aims to enhance customer engagement and lifetime value.

TPG had its best year in 2023. Gross merchandise volume grew to $770M, and sales hit $480M. The number of partners rose to 5,520, and active customers grew to 4.05M. Profitability improved with adjusted EBITDA at $24.7M and consolidated profit at $29.4M.

Mytheresa, a leader in luxury e-commerce, reported a 15% growth in GMV in 2023, reaching $932M. It aims for $1B by year-end with a 3.9% EBITDA margin. The U.S. market saw a 42% GMV increase, driven by targeted events and pop-up shops. CEO Kliger sees bright prospects.

Germany backs ending EU import tax breaks for Shein and Temu. This change could affect their ability to offer low-cost products by eliminating the current €150 exemption, increasing scrutiny on imports, and impacting their business strategies.

LVMH strengthens its partnership with Alibaba to redefine luxury retail in China. Leveraging Alibaba's AI and cloud technologies, LVMH aims to enhance customer experiences and streamline operations. The partnership, starting in 2019, now covers over 30 brands and includes new AI capabilities like Qwen and Bailian.

TikTok is set to lay off a significant number of employees in its operations and marketing teams worldwide. The layoffs, affecting user support, communications, content, and marketing teams, were announced by senior executives. Approximately 1,000 employees may be impacted.

MercadoLibre is in talks to get a banking license in Mexico, aiming to enhance its financial services. This move follows the success seen in Brazil, with plans to expand digital banking and credit offerings in Mexico.

Alibaba invested $230M into Lazada, totaling $7.7B since 2016. This is its first investment this year. In 2023, Alibaba invested $1.8B. The investment supports Lazada’s low-cost strategy to compete with Temu and Shein.

Rakuten is teaming up with eBay to test the U.S. market for used Japanese fashion goods. The trial, starting with seven vendors, takes advantage of the yen's low value. This venture, which began on May 8, aims to capitalize on the currency effect and global bargain hunting.

Temu, a Chinese e-commerce retailer, has been approved for Brazil's tax benefit program, exempting goods up to $50 from import fees. This step brings Temu closer to launching in Brazil, joining rivals Shein and Shopee in the market.

Foxintelligence has compiled a study on trends in saels of furniture category across selected European countries. The post-pandemic era has fueled a surge in the furniture market, driven by the desire to upgrade homes for comfort, while consumers now prioritize personalized, sustainable furniture with flexible delivery options. Foxintelligence explored how marketplaces impact retailers’ sales and whether pure players still have a place in the furniture market.

Amazon introduces Prime Access for qualifying government assistance recipients at $6.99/month, over 50% off. Customers can save on essential needs with programs like SNAP EBT, Amazon Layaway, and more. Last year, Prime Access members saved $1,600 on average.

Amazon is expanding its logistics with 16M sq ft of new warehouse space in the U.S. The company has restructured its distribution network into nine regions to speed up deliveries and cut costs, competing with Walmart and new players like Shein and Temu.

ECC KÖLN study in cooperation with Salesforce of Germans reveals significant increases in awareness and use of Temu, Shein, and other Asian marketplaces even though there is almost complete lack of trust. Let's dive into insights

Xometry reported a 16% revenue growth in Q1 2024, reaching $123M. Marketplace revenue rose by 24%, driven by a 32% increase in active buyers. Gross profit increased by 22%, while supplier services revenue declined.

Restaurant365 secures $175M from ICONIQ, KKR, and L Catterton. The company, valued over $1B, plans to expand its food service software. This move supports its mission to help restaurants manage accounting, inventory, and workforce.

Pepper, an e-commerce platform for food distributors, raised $30M in a Series B funding round led by ICONIQ Growth. The company aims to support small distributors with advanced tech, increasing sales by 23% and saving 10 hours per week per sales rep. Pepper's client base has doubled to 200 in a market of 25,000.

Revent, a UAE-based marketplace for pre-owned electronics, raised $900K in a pre-Seed round led by Techstars. The funds will help build a self-service platform and grow its client base in Saudi Arabia. Revent was founded in 2022 by Baldeep Singh and Dhananjay Choubey.

Maad, a B2B e-commerce startup from Senegal, raised $3.2M to grow locally and in Francophone regions. Led by Ventures Platform, with Seedstars, Reflect Ventures, and others. Plans include expanding logistics and introducing BNPL services.

Kudos, an AI-driven smart wallet, raises $10M to enhance credit card optimization for rewards. The company grew from 1,000 beta testers to 200,000 users since 2022. Investors include QED Investors, Patron, and others.

TikTok is testing 60-minute videos, available to select users. This follows a trend of increasing video lengths, from 10 minutes to now an hour. TikTok is aiming to offer longer, YouTube-like content while boosting engagement and monetization.

Shopify has sued Shopline, alleging that the latter copied its customizable storefront template technology, Dawn. The lawsuit claims Shopline's Seed template carries clear evidence of copying, including the presence of Shopify’s name in Seed’s code.

At Shopware's Community Day in Schöppingen on May 16, 2024, Co-CEO Sebastian Hamann revealed AI and 3D features. 1,500 attendees saw demos of the Scene Editor, AI Copilot, and Immersive Elements. New B2B tools like Sales Agent were also introduced to enhance sales processes.

BigCommerce launched an open-source Buyer Portal on May 7, 2024, allowing B2B brands to create tailored buyer experiences. This move aims to reduce development costs and time, offering streamlined services and faster time-to-market. The portal supports localized experiences and automates administrative processes.

Meta's enhanced generative AI tools now offer full image and text generation for advertisers. These features help businesses create creative variations and automate ad creation, improving performance. New text overlay and image expansion tools are also included.

Esprit, present in over 40 countries, files for insolvency in Germany affecting 1,500 jobs. High rent, labor, and energy costs, alongside pandemic after-effects and international conflicts, cited as reasons.

Shöpping is expanding into Germany in Q4 2024. This move will allow Austrian retailers to reach German customers and attract EU merchants. This expansion aims to meet the increasing demand for Austrian products in Germany.

AI companies in China, like Silicon Intelligence, offer digital avatars to help mourners talk to deceased loved ones. This technology has become more affordable, with prices dropping from $2,000 to a few hundred dollars. Ethical and emotional debates continue.

Ukraine’s Minister of Economy canceled a directive exempting employees of six companies, including Glovo and Favbet, from military mobilization. The directive was questioned for its fairness. The debate highlighted tensions between national security and economic stability.

Just Eat has partnered with Pop Specs to deliver prescription eyewear in under 30 minutes across six UK cities. The partnership will expand to 30 stores by year-end, offering 80+ designs. This move follows Just Eat's ventures into health & beauty and toy deliveries.

Getir partners with Türkiye Wealth Fund, hinting at future collaborations. The company recently exited international markets, refocusing on Türkiye where it sees the most growth potential.

Getir, once valued at $11.8B, exits UK, Germany, Netherlands. Suppliers claim unpaid bills, with one alleging a $190K deficit. Getir to focus on Turkey after international demand drops. 1,500 UK jobs at risk.

Shein's promise to improve conditions remains unfulfilled. Workers still face 75-hour weeks and low wages. Audits reveal persistent issues, raising questions about Shein's commitment to change.

Swiggy files for a $1.2B IPO with SEBI. The Bengaluru startup, valued at $12.7B, aims to raise ₹10,414 crore, awaiting SEBI's approval. The IPO will include new shares worth ₹3,750 crore and a stake sale by investors.

BuyBay launches You Grade, a SaaS product for retailers to resell returned items in their own distribution centers. This software increases resale profitability and reduces CO2 emissions, extending product life by up to 80% of original value.

Reebok unveils an AI-driven fashion experience on Instagram called 'Reebok Impact.' Users can create custom digital sneakers by sending a photo via DM. This feature is free for up to four creations, usable in games like Fortnite and Roblox.

Uber will acquire Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda Taiwan for $950M in cash. The deal includes a $300M stake in Delivery Hero. The acquisition will strengthen Uber Eats in Taiwan, where it competes closely with Foodpanda. Completion is expected in H1 2025.

Mytheresa's Q3 sales grew by 17.6%, reaching $251.5M. GMV increased by 14.7% to $271.2M. EBITDA soared by 183.8%, and losses were reduced by 41.7%. The CEO highlighted their strong performance in a challenging market.

Poshmark launched "Promoted Closet," a tool for sellers to promote all listings at once. Using machine learning, it boosts items based on search terms. Sellers set budgets and are charged per click. Beta testers saw a 43% sales increase. Available now in the U.S.

Zalando is restructuring its management board to enhance B2C and B2B strategies. David Schneider steps into a new role, with David Schröder becoming co-CEO. Changes take effect 1 September 2024, aiming to strengthen market position and customer relationships.

Flipkart's new rate card, effective May 18, reduces fee components from four to two, enhancing clarity for sellers. Shipping policy updates include no extra charges for local shipments under 500 gm. The initiative aims to improve seller operations and customer experience.

Dr. Carina Popovici used AI to find 40 fake paintings on eBay, including a Monet priced at $599K and a Renoir at $165K. She believes this is just the tip of the iceberg. eBay claims to use AI to block counterfeit items but has not responded to her concerns.

eBay introduces a new "resell on eBay" feature integrated into Certilogo's smart labels, allowing users to list clothing with just a few clicks. Save The Duck is the first brand to pilot this feature starting May. This initiative aims to foster a pre-loved fashion marketplace and reduce landfill waste.