Which eCommerce Company Is Dominating Cross-Border Activities?

Amazon and Alibaba dominate the global cross-border eCommerce race, each excelling in unique ways. In 2023, Amazon generated a staggering $360 billion in cross-border GMV, a figure so large it rivals the GDP of mid-sized nations. Meanwhile, Alibaba owns four of the top 10 global cross-border marketplaces, including Taobao and Tmall. These platforms generate up to 5% of their GMV from Southeast Asia, while Lazada and AliExpress focus on Southeast Asia and global markets.

The competition doesn’t stop there—other players like Shopee and MercadoLibre are thriving with regional strategies. eBay and Zalando focus on Europe, showing that a narrower regional approach can drive success. What drives these strategies, and how do they differ from one another...Read more

Apple Pay or Google Pay? Finding Out Which FinTech Service Rules Europe

Apple Pay leads Europe’s online payment landscape, but regional trends paint a more nuanced picture. While most countries reflect Apple Pay’s global dominance—Germany, where 6.3% of stores offer it compared to Google Pay’s 3.0%, is a prime example—several markets prefer Google Pay. Poland, Bulgaria, and Greece are notable outliers, where Google Pay overtakes Apple Pay in availability.

In the smaller eCommerce markets Lithuania and Estonia, the split is even, as limited online store options often lead to offering both payment methods. Cultural preferences, consumer demographics, and economic factors heavily influence these adoption patterns. With Apple Pay attracting a younger, urban, and more affluent user base, its readiness for use is higher, but why do some markets resist the trend…Read more

TikTok Shop’s Expansion Plan Extends to Europe and the Americas

TikTok Shop, the eCommerce extension of the social media app, continues its expansion across the globe. After launching in Indonesia in 2021, TikTok Shop rapidly grew in Southeast Asia, contributing 86.1% of its US$20 billion GMV in 2023. Despite regulatory challenges in the Philippines and Indonesia, the platform has remained resilient, even re-entering the Philippine market through a merger with Tokopedia.

In 2023, TikTok Shop made its U.S. debut, with its European launch starting in Spain and Ireland. Now, the platform is focused on markets like France, Germany, and Latin America, aiming to hit US$75 million in GMV by 2025. Further plans for 205 include...Read more