Read online Dear Readers, The three questions on my mind this week: The company on the hot seat this week is The Trade Desk. The Information reported that the company's exclusive DSP relationship with Walmart is no longer. A week later, management could not communicate to investors that Amazon's advertising is not a competitor ($). The news led to a rebuttal, but it's clear that the company is under pressure. Remember the last company that failed to see Amazon as a direct competitor? FedEx,...
13 days ago • 7 min read
Read online Dear Readers, The three questions on my mind this week: Have we, as a sector, been thinking incorrectly about nascent emerging markets? Singapore-headquartered Flood, which raised $3.5M, wants to empower telecommunications companies and incumbents through its Superapp-as-a-service platform to grow retail. How does the future for brands look with Google's AI search and answer engine look like? Retailers and brands are concerned, but Google says it is leading to more queries and...
20 days ago • 6 min read
Read online Dear Readers, The three things on my mind this week: The big news of the week is JD.com announcing its intention to acquire Germany's Ceconomy (owner of MediaMarkt and Saturn) for $2.5 billion. JD.com has decided that 2025 is the year in which they will make big bets (enter the competitive food delivery sector) and now acquire a retailer that requires investment. Amazon announced its Q2 earnings, and while they beat market expectations, investors are still not sure about their AI...
27 days ago • 6 min read
Read online Dear Readers, The three things on my mind this week: Is it that time of the year again when Amazon stops its advertising on Google? A week after Prime Day, Amazon has stopped advertising. Is this a negotiation tactic, or is it a secondary effect of Google becoming an answering engine that showcases AI summaries? Can we agree that brand aggregators are a spreadsheet idea that has gone nowhere? OpenStore cut 95% of its valuation, while in India, The Good Glam Group collapsed. I am...
about 1 month ago • 7 min read
Read online Dear Readers, Happy National Ice Cream Day to those who celebrate.The three things on my mind this week: The most interesting thing I read this week is Flipkart offering sellers the opportunity to advertise now on the platform and pay for it later. Can anyone say fintech plays a role in driving advertising on the platform? The dirty marketplace secret - most, if not all, marketplaces contain Chinese sellers. Why? Larger selection of goods at lower prices. One of the byproducts of...
about 1 month ago • 9 min read
Read online Dear Readers, It's the middle of July, so what are the three questions on my mind this week? Can anyone please tell or convince me that Prime Day, over four days, was a success? Bloomberg decided that an article on the first day's result was a good idea, but I tend to believe that consumers waited until the last day to see all the deals before making any purchases. Days one and two were down. Extending events leads to dilution of demand from consumers. In China, marketplaces are...
about 2 months ago • 9 min read
Read online Dear Readers, The three questions for the past week: Why is there no discussion about the regulations for marketplace sellers in California and New York? I know from experience that regulations often receive little to no clicks or engagement, but how do sellers prove that they are not selling stolen goods? Is this the end of retail arbitrage? Returns policies on product detail pages? Why have Home Depot and Lowe's decided that buying platforms for professionals is the next race?...
about 2 months ago • 8 min read
Read online Dear Readers, The three things on my mind this week: Are Stablecoins the next shiny thing that businesses will chase? Another crypto concept that could seemingly help facilitate cross-border commerce, but what will be its usage by consumers? I sit in the middle of the world, literally, and it feels like we are witnessing Chinese marketplaces and logistics solutions expanding into new markets. I have not spoken about this in detail, but the Middle East and Brazil are the...
2 months ago • 7 min read
Read online Dear Readers, The three things on my mind this week:? I find Amazon and its AI future fascinating. Did Andy Jassy say anything new in the note sent to Amazon staff this week? We are entering an era where technology companies will have fewer staff due to the rise of AI. Amazon is unique in that it will need staff for its warehouses, but let's not get carried away with this being something like Bezos' shareholder letter. Really? No Brittain. Did something happen at JD.com this past...
2 months ago • 8 min read