Reasonably Interesting Week

Happy Monday! It's finally here, holiday shopping will soon, if it has already not, commence. My initial thoughts are continued dominance of consumer friendly pricing from Amazon and Walmart. A surprisingly softer than expected performance by Temu and SHEIN (driven by the longer shipping windows during a tighter holiday season) and increased traffic to discount stores; TJ Maxx, Ross and others as the year of the cost conscious consumer races to it's close.

Here's what we have this week:

1. Temu parent-company is choreographing increased prices to slow market criticisms, so expect slower unit growth as a result.
2. US companies highlight their plans for a post-tariff US administration. Expect a lot of 'near-shoring', 'multi-shoring' and other "we're not dependent on China" language in 2025.
3. Walmart's 2024 growth bolsters their earnings with increased volume driving reduced costs and thus greater profits. It's great to be king.
4. Amazon feels the pressure of Temu and SHEIN attracting china-based US sellers and responds with no fulfillment fee increases in 2025.

Also, re-introducing the e-commerce fire chats. If you have a burning question or topic you want to better understand, feel free to message or schedule time with me below.

And now, the newsletter. . .

Interesting Retail

• E-commerce platforms are seeing robust sales ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, signaling strong consumer spending momentum into the holiday season. Link Here
• China’s second-richest man accuses Pinduoduo, parent-company of Temu, of harming brands with unsustainable pricing strategies, igniting debate over e-commerce ethics in the region. Link Here
• Home Depot reminds investors of it diversified supply chain readily positioned to mitigate ongoing tariff concerns, highlighting multi-shoring and near-shoring supply chains to avoid price shocks. Link Here

Interesting Logistics

• Walmart’s investment in delivery innovations has slashed operational costs, bolstering profit margins while expanding its e-commerce market share. Link Here
• USPS plans price hikes in 2025 to counter inflation and rising operational costs. Businesses relying on postal services should prepare for higher shipping expenses. Link Here
• Amazon seeks to slow seller exodus to other platforms with no increase in fulfillment fees in 2025. A positive sign for sellers, specifically the 60% located in China. Link Here
• Ralph Lauren reports reduced reliance on China for manufacturing, citing tariff pressures. The brand leverages supply chain diversification to maintain stable costs despite geopolitical uncertainties. Link Here

Re-introducing eCommerce Fire Chats

Have a burning question about eCommerce or want to more deeply discuss one of the topics above? Grab some time with me below:

Meet with Me!

Thanks and see you next week!

Thanks for reading Reasonably Interesting Week! Subscribe for continued access to the latest news in the industry.

I still want to hear from you!

Have a feedback or a question you want answered or discussed? Let me know! Reach out to me here on Linkedin.