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Dear Readers,

Apologies for the late newsletter, I fell in the garden on my back on Saturday and then had to rush my Jack Russell to the ER vet. Everyone is okay.

The three questions this week:

1. ​Amazon Ads is partnering with Netflix to offer Amazon DSP customers advertisers with direct access to Netflix's premium ad inventory.. Amazon is continuing to grow its DSP amid Google's legal drama and gaining digital real estate that it can monetize. Ads remain a must-have for marketplace platforms.
2. How many retailers in Europe is JD.com looking to buy? On Saturday, Sainsbury's was in discussion with JD.com regarding Argos. In a matter of 24 hours, the discussions ended. Is this a case of JD.com having access to capital to buy distressed assets? I can't decide.
3. Has Amazon ever been first to market with a device (not called a Kindle)? They are behind Meta and their Ray-Ban glasses, and clearly feel the need to develop their own device.

I want to thank all the readers who take the time to reply to this email (I spend a considerable amount of time creating this newsletter) and appreciate any comments, even if you disagree with me. I want you to know that all comments are confidential and are not shared.

If you'd like to help me, please share this newsletter to help me grow my list.

​Onwards,

Hendrik

Around The World in Marketplaces

Africa

Moroccan super-app ORA Technologies acquires logistics startup Cathedis. Leroy Merlin launches South Africa’s first mobile hardware app. Trade war benefits African consumers, Jumia CEO says.

China

Alibaba to raise $3.2 billion via a convertible bond to fund cloud growth. Alibaba mobilises merchants on Tmall to join the instant commerce drive. Alibaba mapping app steps into local business rankings, intensifying competition with Meituan.

Europe

EU approves takeover of Deliveroo by DoorDash. Allegro expands its Smart! offer through cooperation with Wolt. Sainsbury terminates discussions with JD.com over Argos.

​12.5% more European users for Temu. Turnover in Greece is soaring for Temu and Shein.

Russia-based e-commerce marketplace Wildberries pilots real estate listings. Amazon demands proof of authenticity from electronics sellers in Europe. Wildberries has launched a secondhand section with a transactional resale model. Recommerce and Xiaomi partner to launch Integrated Trade-In programs across Europe. France asks JD.com for more information on Ceconomy takeover ($)

India

​Amazon expands quick commerce service 'Now' to Mumbai, after Delhi and Bengaluru. Urban Company’s IPO was fully subscribed within hours. Flipkart's loss widens to Rs 5,189 Cr in FY25; revenue up over 17%. Flipkart marketplace arm continues to trim losses in FY25; revenue growth slows to 14%.

Latin America

Sellers on Amazon and Mercado Libre face competitive barriers, according to Mexico's watchdog rules. Reuters​

An investigation into Mexico's e-commerce market found that sellers on Amazon and MercadoLibre faced barriers to competition, the nation's antitrust watchdog Cofece said on Friday.

Amazon's Rappi deal poses little threat to Mercado Libre in Brazil. [in Portuguese]. Ask, And AI Will Answer: Reimagining Finance At Mercado Libre. TikTok Shop Brazil GMV grew close to $50M in August. Mercado Libre Rolls Out First Pinterest Shopping in Mexico. Magalu celebrates its e-commerce anniversary with a national “Brazilian sauce” campaign [in Portuguese].

Middle East

​Qatar orders Talabat’s temporary closure, company initiates internal review.

South East Asia and Australia

The coins issued by AliExpress and Trip.com without prepaid registration, sparking Korea fairness concerns. Coupang wins dismissal of US shareholder lawsuit over IPO. Emart expands quick-commerce stores and broadens product range. WeMakePrice faces liquidation risk. Dawn of a New E-commerce Paradigm: Naver & Kurly Launch “Kurly N-Mart”

Philippines online sellers and platforms must have DTI ‘Trustmark’ by September 30.

​Lazada pumps $100M into affiliate program to dominate Southeast Asia E-Commerce. Amazon and Shein pull in millions more Australian customers.

US

​Temu agrees to $2M civil penalty and injunction for alleged violations of the INFORM Consumers Act. Twenty One Pilots sue Temu over counterfeit merchandise. Temu plots aggressive US comeback with price cuts as deep as 60%.​

​Waffle House Delivery Is Here: All Night, All Locations - Powered by DoorDash. CEO of eBay: We now have a giant $10 billion collectibles business. Walmart Live launches weekly livestream commerce for collectibles.

Ticketing platform StubHub eyes up to $9 billion valuation in US IPO. CrowdStrike and Amazon Business Prime transform cybersecurity for small businesses. eBay’s Global Marketplace shrinks with new restrictions on some overseas sellers.. E-commerce firm Pattern eyes up to $2.6 billion valuation in US IPO.

Luxury Commerce

In a surprise twist, Armani's will sets the stage for the sale of the fashion empire. Reuters​

Will instructs heirs to sell 15% stake within 18 months, then up to 54.9%. Priority buyers include LVMH [in French], L'Oreal, and EssilorLuxottica ir IPO.

As Prada and Chanel hike prices, a secondhand luxury era begins in South Korea. Dubai startup Luxury For You debuts members-only platform. Canada Goose partners with Beside Group to grow in the Middle East. Off-White to debut in India through a distribution partnership.

Ralph Lauren Introduces Ask Ralph, a New Conversational AI Shopping Experience. Kering delays full Valentino acquisition to 2028 amid debt concerns.

​Taobao turns the catwalk into livestream shopping at Beijing Fashion Week. Dotshop opens as a new social marketplace redefining luxury retail. Unode50 advances in US market with entry into Bloomingdale's. China’s luxury resellers get physical. Food group Bateel ‘hires Morgan Stanley to advise on Saudi IPO.’

Fashion and Beauty e-commerce

​SHEIN Kaela Tavares x Glowmode Launch has Australians turning heads with a luxe feel and $30 price point. Wildberries has launched a secondhand section with a transactional resale model [in Russian]. Amazon, Temu, and Zalando lead European cross-border fashion e-commerce.

Snatched Wear officially launches as a new direct-to-consumer shapewear brand. Digital Brands Group expands its partnership with Amaze to strengthen domestic apparel manufacturing.

​Revlon and Christina Aguilera reignite their iconic fragrance deal. Clarks preps digital marketplace for 2026 launch.

AI and Commerce

AI salespeople aren’t better than humans… yet, according to the University of BC. Shahbandr launches "Shahbandr AI," the first integrated Arabic AI Kit for e-commerce stores. Amazon's supply-centric AI vs Shopify's demand-centric​

​LG Electronics unveils Retaiverse: Transforming e-commerce with immersive, AI-enabled 3D product experience. New Gen launches AI-ready infrastructure to power fashion brands in the age of agentic commerce. Microsoft launches personal shopping agent to power AI-driven retail.

​Coupang invests 75 billion won to foster AI unicorns. Koah raises $5M to bring ads into AI apps. Qatari fund invests $2M in AI-driven logistics technology company Nexx.

Advertising

Amazon Ads and Netflix Partner to Offer Programmatic Buying on Netflix’s Ads Plan. Netflix​

Amazon Ads and Netflix today announced a partnership that provides advertisers using Amazon DSP with direct access to Netflix's premium ad inventory. The offering will be available in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Italy, Germany, and Australia, providing availability for marketers using Amazon DSP in these countries. The new integration will be available beginning in Q4 2025.

US FTC probes Google, Amazon over search advertising practices, source says. Reuters​

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Amazon.com and Alphabet's Google misled advertisers that place ads on their websites, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. The FTC's consumer protection unit is conducting the investigations and focus on whether Amazon and Alphabet properly disclosed terms and pricing for ads.

​Google and Criteo’s new retail media integration addresses fragmentation. How leading retailers and brands utilize Google Ads to attract and retain customers. Google’s proposed fix to its ad tech monopoly is at odds with the DOJ’s remedies.PubMatic files lawsuit against Google to restore fair competition and innovation in digital advertising. Google tests Sponsored Ads with search refinement options.

​Advertisers in Mexico can now measure brand marketing impact using Amazon Brand Lift. Vroom links with Instacart to offer digital ads.

​Skai names former Amazon Ads evangelist Jeffrey Cohen its Chief Business Development Officer. Amazon VP of Global Video Advertising Krishan Bhatia Exits.

Logistics is sponsored by Third Person - a new way for brands to discover 3PLs

​OnTrac launches 7-day play with Fenix Commerce: an easier way to grow e-commerce sales with last-mile logistics. Veho brings its e-commerce delivery network to Southern California.

​Spreetail launches “Promise Pro” to boost sales and loyalty with fast, transparent shipping. Amazon Air Cargo expands network to the Dominican Republic. Wayfair Warehouse in East Hartford has continued to sit empty for more than one year. Ocado shares plunge 13% as US partner Kroger rethinks warehouse strategy.

​Qatar Airways Cargo and Cainiao expand strategic partnership to power global e-commerce. Alibaba slashes its 11.3% stake in SingPost by more than half, ceasing to be a substantial shareholder. Cainiao Expands "Global Five‑Day" Network to Vietnam, Hungary, Singapore, Qatar, the Philippines, and Austria.

​Teleport enhances real-time, last-mile supply chain visibility across Southeast Asia, partnering with Shipsy's AI-powered platform.

Consumer

How Fast-Growing and Quirky Shopping Platform Whatnot Is Helping Small Businesses Boost Sales Through Livestreaming. Hy-Vee continues to grow retail media partnership with Instacart.

​Instacart and Morrisons bring AI-powered shopping trolleys to the UK. Albertsons becomes the first retailer to use Google Cloud's new conversational AI solution in the US. First look inside Sam Altman’s ‘No Bot Shop’ In Los Angeles. BBQGuys announces acquisition of Mont Alpi, expanding leadership in modular outdoor kitchen solutions. Jumex launches first US. online store.

Walmart to launch first stores in Africa by year-end.

​LocalExpress raises $6.2M to pivot AI data capabilities. Tipple raises a glass and $4M for alcohol distribution platform. How Marzipan claims to be ‘game-changing’ DTC platform for wineries. Timbuckdo, a social commerce platform for students, has raised $285,000.

Jordan's DawaDose closes pre-seed round, launches Saudi HQ.

​ESW links with Shopify to help enterprise brands optimise their cross-border e-commerce presence. Carrefour China sells 12 loss-making subsidiaries to Suning for 1 yuan each. Basic.Space, the curated, private shopping destination for design, art, and fashion, announces the acquisition of Platform, the e-commerce destination for art and artist collaborations.

Payments

PayPal launches Fastlane to boost guest checkout in Australia. Prosus-backed PayU Eyes $300M minority stake sale ahead of IPO. MoneyHash unites with noon payments to streamline GCC payment infrastructure.

Stats and Other Interesting News

Indonesia targets $2 billion in transactions for the 2025 National Online Shopping Day. Korea online sales jumped 15.3%.

In a court filing, Google concedes the open web is in “rapid decline” Amazon reportedly developing augmented reality glasses for consumers and delivery drivers

The content here is for informational purposes only and should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice. It does NOT constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase any investment or a recommendation to buy or sell a security. The content is not directed to any investor or potential investor and may not be used to evaluate or make any investment.

This was edition number 329, sent on 14 September 2025.