?? Marketplace Sellers = AI Disbelievers ??♂?Plus: Spring Sale Flops in the US, Tops in EU??

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Wishing all our MarketMaze readers a joyful Easter filled with happiness and bright new beginnings! We hope you enjoy this issue after your Easter meal with your loved ones. ??

This week’s highlights:

1. The Big Story ?? Marketplace Sellers = AI Disbelievers ??♂?

2. Data ?? Spring Sale Flops in the US, Tops in EU??

3. News ?? ?? AliExpress, Walmart, Apple, Temu, Alibaba, Amazon, Allegro ?? ASOS, Shein, StockX, Amazon, Vinted, ThredUp ?? Getir, Instacart, Swiggy, Coupang, DoorDash, Glovo, Bolt Food ??Airbnb, Amazon, Wilko, Shopify, Claspo, CIRRO, TikTok

4. Deals ?? Pandion, Kidsy, Dema, Uzum

1. The Big Story ??

Packhelp based on surveyed 500 EU marketplace sellers prepared a comprehensive report to understand seller expectations, challenges, and needs towards marketplaces. Featuring real-life examples, expert insights, and exclusive data, this report provides a unique look into the marketplace ecosystem.

Selected Insights:

• ??? Customer Reach: 40% of sellers leverage marketplace platforms to tap into new customer segments.
• ?? Operational Challenges: High commissions & payment delays pose key challenges for sellers to join marketplaces. 44% of sellers wary of commission rates and 43% is concerned about payment delays.
• ?? Marketplace Strategy: Around 40% of sellers focus on selling exclusively on one marketplace.

For the full report, see this link. Where I want to point your attention in the report is Trend #1 namely “AI Usage Among Sellers”. Packhelp study reveals interesting sellers attitude towards AI.

Full insights in the email version of the newsletter here

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2. Data ??

As Amazon's Spring Sale concluded nearly a week ago, it's a great time to distill some strategic intentions and observed impacts.

?? Global Strategy

• The Spring Sale might be Amazon's tactic to counter competitive pressures from low-price, high-deal international platforms like Temu.
• The frequency of sales could also serve as a strategy for executives to amplify quarterly results, suggesting a correlation between event discounts and quarterly performance metrics.

Full insights in the email version of the newsletter here

3. News ??

?? Mass merchant

????? AliExpress gears up for UEFA Euro 2024. AliExpress is UEFA Euro 2024 first exclusive e-commerce partner. Kicking off on June 14 in Germany, it's a golden chance for merchants with a traffic surge and 2.7M fans anticipated.

????? Walmart woos the wealthy with luxury goods. Walmart is upping its game by targeting the luxury market, revamping 800+ stores with upscale products and a modern look. The move includes high-end fashion and specialty foods, aimed at attracting consumers with deeper pockets.

????? Apple, Meta, and Google under EU lens.

????? Temu faces lawsuit over dodgy discounts.

????? Alibaba halts Cainiao's IPO, takes full control.

????? Alibaba sees UK SMEs surge in digital sourcing.

and more in the full version of the newsletter here

?? Fashion & Beauty

????? ASOS and Boohoo lead with green pledges. The U.K.'s CMA (The Competition and Markets Authority) has gotten ASOS, Boohoo, and George at Asda, raking in $5.55B yearly, to promise only true green claims.

????? H&M Group boosts store investments in 2024. H&M Group's strategic shift includes opening 100 new stores while closing 160 in 2024, focusing on enhancing customer experience through physical store refurbishments in prime locations including NY & London.

????? StockX snaps up Scout, reshaping resale.

????? Amazon speeds up Rx delivery in NYC & LA.

??? ThredUp reshapes fashion with $197B sales.

????? Vinted's sales in France leap by 32%

and more in the full version of the newsletter here

?? Food & Grocery

????? Getir teams up with Too Good To Go in the UK, offering 'Surprise Bags' worth ￡16-￡18 for just ￡5.50 to fight food waste.

????? Instacart launches game-changing API. Instacart's new Developer Platform offers a public API, enabling apps like WeightWatchers and NYT Cooking to offer seamless grocery shopping experiences.

????? Swiggy's IPO dreams hit by $200M loss.

????? Coupang Eats switches to free delivery model.

????? DoorDash boosts local restaurants with grants.

????? Glovo's green shift with e-Mobility hits 62 EVs.

and more in the full version of the newsletter here

??General

????? Amazon invests another $2.75bn in Anthropic. With an additional $2.75bn, Amazon's investment in AI startup Anthropic reaches $4bn. This move signals Amazon's commitment to leading in the generative AI space.

????? Airbnb shakes up B2B with SaaS venture. Airbnb's entry into the SaaS market could revolutionize property management, making the connection process for rentals significantly more efficient.

????? Wilko partners with easyToolhire for rentals.

????? Shopify plugins leak rattles e-commerce.

????? Claspo & Shopify join forces for easy widgets.

and more in the full version of the newsletter here

4. Deals??

????? Pandion raises $41.5M to scale deliveries. Pandion, initiated by Amazon Air's founder, secures a hefty $41.5M in Series B, aiming for a significant scale-up. With experts from Amazon to FedEx on board, it's set to disrupt e-commerce delivery.

????? Kidsy slashes kids' gear prices, lands $1M funding.

????? Uzum turns Uzbekistan’s first unicorn at $1.16B.

and more in the full version of the newsletter here