https://www.scmp.com/rss/326775/feed Latest news, analysis and opinion on ecommerce, covering new technology, consumer habits and the growth of digital payment options. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Coco Feng Coco Feng Behind China’s landmark crackdown on the e-commerce and food-delivery sectors lies a darker narrative of resistance, secrecy and violence, after regulators uncovered a vast network of “ghost” bakeries and imposed a record fine on seven major platforms. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) levied a 3.6 billion yuan (US$528 million) fine on seven platforms run by PDD Holdings, Meituan, JD.com, Alibaba Group Holding and ByteDance, with the probe revealing a hidden office, violent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350891/hidden-office-fractured-bone-violent-resistance-behind-chinas-record-food-safety-fine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350891/hidden-office-fractured-bone-violent-resistance-behind-chinas-record-food-safety-fine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok and Douyin, saw its net profit plummet by more than 70 per cent in 2025 as it poured money into artificial intelligence, according to Chinese media reports. At the same time, revenue from overseas markets surged by nearly 50 per cent, far outpacing the roughly 20 per cent growth in China, according to reports on Monday by outlets including Securities Times and 36Kr, which cited a person familiar with the matter. For the first time, overseas revenue... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350720/bytedance-profit-plunges-ai-push-tiktok-shop-powers-overseas-growth-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350720/bytedance-profit-plunges-ai-push-tiktok-shop-powers-overseas-growth-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng For pet food container seller Chen Junbin, customs used to be a major bottleneck when shipping from Shenzhen in southern China to his customers in the US. “In the past, we had to handle all the paperwork and coordinate with multiple logistics suppliers ourselves; a single [customs] inspection could delay our shipment by a week,” said Chen, founder of Shenzhen Lightning Technology. As one of the first sellers to test Amazon’s Global Warehousing and Distribution (GWD) facility, the US giant’s new... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350409/how-amazon-uses-closer-china-supply-ties-counter-tariffs-shein-and-temu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350409/how-amazon-uses-closer-china-supply-ties-counter-tariffs-shein-and-temu?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Ji Siqi,Coco Feng,Wency Chen Ji Siqi,Coco Feng,Wency Chen China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has levied more than 3.6 billion yuan (US$527.3 million) in fines on seven e-commerce and food delivery platforms and their representatives following an investigation, the regulator announced on Friday. SAMR said the seven platforms, which included retail and food delivery mainstays Pinduoduo (PDD), Meituan and JD.com, failed to properly verify food vendor licences and knowingly allowed unverified “ghost” catering services to operate. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350444/chinas-e-commerce-platforms-hit-36b-yuan-fine-food-safety-violations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350444/chinas-e-commerce-platforms-hit-36b-yuan-fine-food-safety-violations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:11:57 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng US e-commerce giant Amazon has launched its first smart warehouse in Shenzhen, aiming to cut storage costs for local merchants by up to 45 per cent as competition with Chinese rivals Shein and PDD Holdings’ Temu intensifies in cross-border trade. The facility – Amazon’s first Global Warehousing and Distribution (GWD) centre – will serve as an “all-in-one” logistics hub for Chinese sellers targeting US customers, located at the heart of Shenzhen’s manufacturing base, the company said at a launch... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350199/amazon-bets-shenzhen-smart-warehouse-cut-merchant-storage-costs-45-cent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350199/amazon-bets-shenzhen-smart-warehouse-cut-merchant-storage-costs-45-cent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:18 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu China’s internet regulator has introduced new rules for live stream tipping, banning children under eight from the practice and introducing a tiered system for older minors, as part of a broader effort to curb manipulative inducements and irrational spending behaviour. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced the live-streaming regulations on Monday after unveiling them on April 4, banning platforms from allowing children under eight to tip content creators. Under a new tiered... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349912/china-curbs-live-stream-tipping-new-rules-protect-minors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349912/china-curbs-live-stream-tipping-new-rules-protect-minors?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:49 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud and artificial intelligence unit is expected to remain a prime engine for the March quarter, with the growth rate forecast to accelerate as the company steps up AI monetisation and reshuffles its AI businesses, according to analysts. Cloud revenue growth was projected to increase to around 40 per cent during the period, up from 36 per cent in the December quarter, analysts said. The growth momentum was expected to be supported by “a robust surge in token usage”,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349508/alibaba-cloud-growth-forecast-accelerate-ai-push-higher-service-charges-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349508/alibaba-cloud-growth-forecast-accelerate-ai-push-higher-service-charges-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:30:13 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Unitree Robotics, one of China’s largest robot makers, will debut the R1, its cheapest humanoid model, on the international market via Alibaba Group Holding’s AliExpress marketplace next week, according to two sources familiar with the matter on Thursday. The launch would cover major overseas markets including North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore, one of the sources said. The product would later be available on other channels, the second person said. The R1, launched in mainland China last... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349489/chinas-unitree-debut-cheapest-humanoid-robot-globally-alibaba-site-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349489/chinas-unitree-debut-cheapest-humanoid-robot-globally-alibaba-site-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:30:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese e-commerce and AI giant Alibaba Group Holding has set up a high-level technology committee led by CEO Eddie Wu Yongming, as part of a broader restructuring to sharpen its focus on artificial intelligence amid intensifying competition. The Hangzhou-based company formed the Alibaba Group Technology Committee as part of its efforts to accelerate AI development, according to an internal letter from Wu to staff on Wednesday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. The committee brings... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349428/alibaba-creates-ceo-led-technology-committee-amid-intensifying-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349428/alibaba-creates-ceo-led-technology-committee-amid-intensifying-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:27:07 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding is set to launch a new service that provides AI agents for millions of merchants on its Taobao and Tmall platforms, as the tech giant capitalises on the recent frenzy fuelled by OpenClaw to secure its lead in e-commerce. The new feature, slated for release by the end of March, will provide agentic AI services based on its merchant tool Business Advisor, aiming to give them a 24/7 autonomous “digital workforce” that can automate operation processes including offering... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348237/alibaba-deploy-ai-digital-workforce-millions-merchants-taobao-tmall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348237/alibaba-deploy-ai-digital-workforce-millions-merchants-taobao-tmall?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 13:00:29 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Olympic diving champion Zhang Jiaqi has hit back at critics who have labelled her career shift to live streaming as “the fall of a genius”, asserting that financial independence is the ultimate freedom for women. The 21-year-old retired in November after finishing 10th in the National Games 10m platform final, marking the end of a 15-year career and the start of a new life chapter. Her live stream e-commerce debut a week later sparked an online backlash, with internet trolls accusing her of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3347758/olympic-diving-champion-zhang-jiaqi-defends-career-switch-says-she-has-find-new-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3347758/olympic-diving-champion-zhang-jiaqi-defends-career-switch-says-she-has-find-new-job?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding on Thursday said it aimed to generate US$100 billion in annual external revenue from its combined cloud and AI businesses within five years after disclosing for the first time the production progress of its T-Head chip unit, even as it missed its quarterly earnings estimates. “Over the past three months, token consumption on the Model Studio platform has grown by six times,” said CEO Eddie Wu Yongming on the earnings call, adding that model-as-a-service offerings would... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347177/alibaba-discloses-gpu-production-first-time-quarterly-profit-misses-estimates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347177/alibaba-discloses-gpu-production-first-time-quarterly-profit-misses-estimates?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:39:03 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang – https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/article/3347093/chinas-global-tech-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/article/3347093/chinas-global-tech-push?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 02:40:01 +0000 Iris Deng,Wency Chen Iris Deng,Wency Chen Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding are set to report quarterly earnings this week, against a backdrop of an artificial intelligence boom that is reshaping the global economy and fuelling a frenzy in China around open-source AI agents such as OpenClaw. The South China Morning Post examines market expectations for their results and the key themes investors will be watching. What are the expectations for top line and bottom line performances? Shenzhen-based Tencent, operator of China’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346920/tencent-and-alibaba-quarterly-earnings-preview-key-things-watch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346920/tencent-and-alibaba-quarterly-earnings-preview-key-things-watch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian US fashion brand Guess has told customers it will close all its stores in mainland China by the end of March, pending a new business model at a time when a growing number of international fashion retailers retreat from the market amid what analysts believe are issues including weak localisation and slow decision-making. Other foreign brands that have withdrawn entirely from mainland China in recent years include US label Old Navy, UK brand Topshop, and several labels owned by Spanish fashion... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346601/guess-says-it-will-shut-all-mainland-china-stores-amid-retail-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346601/guess-says-it-will-shut-all-mainland-china-stores-amid-retail-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:12:32 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com reported a 2.7 billion yuan (US$392 million) loss in the fourth quarter and a halving of annual profit amid an ongoing food delivery battle it ignited last year. The fourth-quarter loss contrasted with a profit of 9.9 billion yuan a year earlier, marking the company’s first quarterly loss since the start of 2022, according to its earnings results on Thursday. Profit for last year dropped nearly 53 per cent to 19.6 billion yuan. However, by non-generally accepted... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345617/jdcom-posts-first-quarterly-loss-nearly-four-years-delivery-battle-takes-toll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345617/jdcom-posts-first-quarterly-loss-nearly-four-years-delivery-battle-takes-toll?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:01:45 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang JD.com is making a renewed push into its online supermarket business with a subsidy programme worth more than 20 billion yuan (US$2.9 billion) over three years, a move aimed at defending its position in China’s e-commerce and on-demand grocery sectors. In a statement on Thursday, JD.com said the subsidy would cover products on a dedicated channel called “Billion-Yuan Supermarket”, under its JD Supermarket service. The aim was to help vendors generate an additional 200 billion yuan in sales over... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344738/jdcom-renews-demand-delivery-fight-us29-billion-grocery-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344738/jdcom-renews-demand-delivery-fight-us29-billion-grocery-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:30:14 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Weee, an online grocer specialising in Asian and Latino goods, is betting that America’s appetite for ethnic food and grocery delivery will outlast a sharp drop in immigration, with its founder forecasting years of double-digit growth even as the Trump administration tightens border controls. The San Francisco-based company has seen its annual revenue grow at about 30 to 40 per cent from 2023 to 2025, and is expecting to expand at the same pace in the next five to 10 years, founder and CEO Larry... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344657/immigration-slows-americas-appetite-ethnic-groceries-keeps-growing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344657/immigration-slows-americas-appetite-ethnic-groceries-keeps-growing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 22:52:06 +0000 He Huifeng,Coco Feng He Huifeng,Coco Feng Xu Yangtian, the low profile founder and chairman of online retail giant Shein, which sought to distance itself from China by moving its headquarters to Singapore, made his first-ever public appearance on Tuesday, praising southern Guangdong province’s role in the company’s global success. Dressed in a black suit and burgundy tie, Xu, also known as Sky Xu or Chris Xu, pledged to “continue to take root in Guangdong” by investing over 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) to build a “smart supply chain... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344473/shein-founder-praises-guangdong-roots-first-public-speech-offshore-listing-stalls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344473/shein-founder-praises-guangdong-roots-first-public-speech-offshore-listing-stalls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Lizzi C. Lee Lizzi C. Lee For decades, China’s role in the global economy was easy to define. It made things cheaply and at astonishing scale. “Made in China” became shorthand for industrial capacity. It was often contentious, sometimes admired, sometimes feared. In the years after China joined the World Trade Organization, its firms were deeply embedded in global supply chains, mostly at the lower end of the value chain. They produced for others. Western and Japanese companies controlled the premium segments and brand... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343986/how-next-china-shock-shaping-hearts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343986/how-next-china-shock-shaping-hearts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Quentin Griffiths, who co-founded British fast-fashion retailer Asos, has died after a fall from a balcony in Thailand, Thai police said on Friday. Police said that Griffiths, 58, had fallen from the 17th floor of a flat block in the seaside resort city of Pattaya on February 9. The police went to the scene and found the body of a British national, whom they identified as Quentin John Griffiths, on the ground directly below the balcony, they said. Police said initial investigations suggested... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344176/co-founder-british-retailer-asos-dies-after-falling-balcony-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344176/co-founder-british-retailer-asos-dies-after-falling-balcony-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:51:56 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Around a decade ago, aboard a train winding through China’s landscape, Wang Ning, the founder and chairman of Beijing-founded international art toy brand Pop Mart, shared with designer Kenny Wong Shun-ming the story of his early attempts at entrepreneurship. As a fresh graduate, Wang struggled to sell affordable men’s suits sourced from Yiwu in Zhejiang province, eastern China, experimenting with small-scale arbitrage and learning first-hand how difficult it was to connect products with... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3343503/can-pop-mart-turn-viral-hits-lasting-icons-molly-and-labubu-offer-answer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3343503/can-pop-mart-turn-viral-hits-lasting-icons-molly-and-labubu-offer-answer?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 02:00:13 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow China’s food delivery giant Meituan on Friday warned that it expected to post a loss of up to 24.3 billion yuan (US$3.5 billion) for 2025 due to “intense industry competition”, with the slump likely to persist this year. The sharp reversal from 2024, when the company posted a profit of 35.8 billion yuan, comes on the back of one of China’s most intense price wars last year between Meituan, Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com in local e-commerce and food delivery, which only subsided after... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343538/chinas-meituan-warns-us35-billion-loss-amid-intense-food-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343538/chinas-meituan-warns-us35-billion-loss-amid-intense-food-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:15:42 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches, the Chinese government has summoned Meituan, Alibaba Group Holding, Didi Chuxing, SF Express and other logistics firms to ensure the welfare of the tens of millions of gig workers who keep the country running during the rush. The “employment administrative guidance” session, held recently by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, in coordination with six other government agencies, called on 16 major Chinese platform and logistics operators... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342989/china-calls-delivery-ride-hailing-firms-respect-gig-worker-rights-ahead-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342989/china-calls-delivery-ride-hailing-firms-respect-gig-worker-rights-ahead-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 02:37:35 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Established in 2018, Thai fashion brand Gentlewoman has rapidly ascended to become one of Asia’s hottest names thanks to its signature tote bag, now ubiquitous on the streets of Hong Kong and across the region. Along with co-founders Raya Wannapinyo and Siripa Rueangwutthisakulchai, Jitpon Siriwattanamathangkur helped steer the ship through economic uncertainties during the pandemic, emerging with a stronger and more successful business model based on timely, trendy fashion drops and hit... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3342628/how-thailands-gentlewoman-became-asias-hottest-fashion-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3342628/how-thailands-gentlewoman-became-asias-hottest-fashion-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 04:00:16 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian As the Year of the Horse approaches, Chinese consumers are hunting online for mascots, dolls and charms themed after the zodiac animal, favouring soft, round and playful designs over formal styles, in what industry observers say places more weight on emotional fulfilment than on material possessions or brand prestige. This craze is boosting retail sales for plush toys and gold accessories, as is evident in toymaker Pop Mart’s sold-out Have a Good Run series of plush pendants, as well as brisk... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3342795/chinas-year-horse-shoppers-let-emotional-satisfaction-take-reins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3342795/chinas-year-horse-shoppers-let-emotional-satisfaction-take-reins?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 02:30:09 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Hours after Alibaba Group Holding began offering freebies including bubble tea through its artificial intelligence app Qwen on Friday, a surge in downloads pushed the chatbot past Tencent Holdings’ Yuanbao to the top of China’s Apple App Store, climbing from 10th place a day earlier. More than 10 million free orders – worth 250 million yuan (US$36 million) – were placed within nine hours using vouchers capped at 25 yuan through Qwen, its team said on its official Weibo account. The surge in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342702/alibabas-bubble-tea-giveaway-pushes-qwen-past-tencents-yuanbao-top-china-app-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342702/alibabas-bubble-tea-giveaway-pushes-qwen-past-tencents-yuanbao-top-china-app-store?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:35:13 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s internet watchdog has fined Kuaishou Technology 119.1 million yuan (US$17 million) for hosting explicit live-streaming content, just days after the operator of the country’s second-largest short-video platform was penalised over e-commerce violations. Beijing’s Cyberspace Administration launched an investigation following reports of a surge in pornographic and vulgar streams. The probe found the platform had failed to meet its cybersecurity obligations, fix system vulnerabilities in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342690/watchdog-slaps-chinas-kuaishou-us17-million-fine-after-explicit-content-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342690/watchdog-slaps-chinas-kuaishou-us17-million-fine-after-explicit-content-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:55:10 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian More foreign companies have rolled out instant delivery services exclusively for China or upgraded to more comprehensive offerings in the country, as they vie to stand out in the highly digitalised market and cater to consumers’ strong demand for instant services. Multinationals offering instant delivery now include Swedish furniture retailer Ikea, German tyre manufacturer Continental, US warehouse-style retailer Sam’s Club and German discount supermarket chain Aldi Nord. “China leads the world... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341868/multinationals-race-chinas-us1439-billion-instant-retail-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341868/multinationals-race-chinas-us1439-billion-instant-retail-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 03:00:15 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese regulators have slapped a 26 million yuan (US$3.7 million) fine on a unit of Kuaishou Technology, operator of the country’s No 2 short video platform, over multiple violations and misconduct in its live-streaming e-commerce operations, signalling tighter oversight of this market segment. Chengdu Kuaigou Technology, a unit of Beijing-based Kuaishou, was found to have committed seven breaches including failure to disclose information in accordance with the law, charging unreasonable fees... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3341936/china-slaps-us37-million-fine-kuaishou-over-live-streaming-e-commerce-violation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3341936/china-slaps-us37-million-fine-kuaishou-over-live-streaming-e-commerce-violation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 07:39:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Amazon is slashing about 16,000 corporate jobs in the second round of mass lay-offs for the e-commerce company in three months. The tech giant has said it plans to use generative artificial intelligence to replace corporate workers. It has also been reducing a workforce that increased during the pandemic. Beth Galetti, a senior vice-president at Amazon, said in a blog post on Wednesday that the company has been “reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy”. The company did... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341581/amazon-cuts-16000-jobs-amid-ai-shift-post-pandemic-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341581/amazon-cuts-16000-jobs-amid-ai-shift-post-pandemic-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:24:47 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese regulators are targeting one of the world’s biggest travel platforms in an anti-monopoly probe after complaints it had hurt travellers and travel operators in China’s expansive tourism market, analysts said. Unlike the broad legal actions against Chinese tech firms and cram schools five years ago, the investigation into Trip.com is seen as a relatively isolated case – yet one that might precipitate others – in response to issues over commissions, exclusivity and the sophisticated use of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3341019/china-probe-tripcom-zeroes-algorithms-prices-after-vendor-backlash-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3341019/china-probe-tripcom-zeroes-algorithms-prices-after-vendor-backlash-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 01:30:15 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The world’s largest retail show held last week in New York saw a mood of measured optimism amid the bustle, cheap swag and canned smiles – a sense that the worst of last year’s tariff turmoil was over and that Chinese goods would continue to fill Walmart and Costco, even if they had to travel through a third country. “I feel more optimistic for this year,” said Teagan Pollard, an IT expert with TP Industries, which sells vaping equipment from China. “The economy and tariffs have been rough. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3340995/americas-biggest-retail-show-china-question-never-really-goes-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3340995/americas-biggest-retail-show-china-question-never-really-goes-away?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:00:14 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shanghai’s tax authority fined an operating entity of PDD Holdings, the US-listed e-commerce company that runs leading retail platforms Pinduoduo and Temu, citing its failure to comply with local tax requirements, according to a Wednesday report from state news agency Xinhua. Shanghai Xunmeng Information Technology, a PDD subsidiary which operates Pinduoduo, failed to report necessary information concerning its platform operators and employees for the third quarter of 2025, the city’s tax... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340679/china-fines-e-commerce-firm-pdd-tax-violations-amid-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340679/china-fines-e-commerce-firm-pdd-tax-violations-amid-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:15:44 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng In a seismic shift for the global retail landscape, Temu, the budget shopping platform owned by PDD Holdings, has caught up with Amazon.com in cross-border market share globally. The platform, which launched in 2022, saw its share surge from less than 1 per cent then to 24 per cent last year, on par with American giant Amazon, according to a survey published by International Post Corporation (IPC), an association of 26 national postal services in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. Amazon’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340415/chinese-owned-temu-catches-amazon-global-cross-border-e-commerce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340415/chinese-owned-temu-catches-amazon-global-cross-border-e-commerce?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:15:08 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Alibaba’s ambition to turn its chatbot app into a powerful AI assistant that dramatically changes the way people interact with smart devices appears to be paying off, according to users and analysts. Instead of repeatedly swiping a screen to complete a task, a user can tell the Qwen app to conduct a range of tasks from ordering drinks to paying electricity bills after the Hangzhou-based technology giant links it to the group’s existing apps like shopping platform Taobao and payment interface... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340150/alibabas-upgraded-qwen-chatbot-app-receives-warm-consumer-reception?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340150/alibabas-upgraded-qwen-chatbot-app-receives-warm-consumer-reception?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:45:08 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Alibaba Group Holding has rolled out a major update to its flagship Qwen artificial intelligence app, integrating it more deeply into the company’s expansive ecosystem, from online shopping to travel booking, as it pushes to make the service an AI-powered gateway to daily life. The upgrade came as Qwen surpassed 100 million monthly active users (MAUs) as of January, said Wu Jia, vice-president of Alibaba, at a corporate event on Thursday in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province, where... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339968/alibabas-qwen-ai-app-hits-100-million-users-upgrade-broadens-role-daily-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339968/alibabas-qwen-ai-app-hits-100-million-users-upgrade-broadens-role-daily-life?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 05:44:55 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A New Year’s Eve flash strike by gig workers in India who provide commerce connectivity, such as through 10-minute doorstep deliveries, has drawn attention to their welfare, including the risk of accidents amid physical exhaustion. More than 200,000 gig workers staged protests across major Indian cities during the peak delivery period to highlight their demands for legislative protection, social security benefits and better wages, according to the Indian Federation of App Based Transport... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339617/gig-workers-strike-india-spurs-debate-human-cost-delivery-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339617/gig-workers-strike-india-spurs-debate-human-cost-delivery-race?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:46:24 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Ant International, the Singapore-based spin-off of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, has teamed up with Google on standards for artificial intelligence agents that complete online shopping tasks for users, as AI continues to transform the e-commerce sector. Ant International said in a statement on Monday it would endorse the US search and AI giant’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that powers agentic commerce. “By leveraging our leading payment capabilities, Ant International... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339580/ant-international-teams-google-use-universal-commerce-protocol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339580/ant-international-teams-google-use-universal-commerce-protocol?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:00:15 +0000 Ji Siqi,Sylvia Ma Ji Siqi,Sylvia Ma China has launched a market competition probe and assessment for its food delivery platforms, the State Council announced on Friday, a move analysts said was an affirmation of the country’s determination to continue to combat self-defeating competition. “Recently, issues such as excessive subsidies, price wars and control over traffic flow in the online food delivery platform service industry have become prominent,” according to a statement issued by the Anti-Monopoly and Anti-Unfair Competition... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339342/china-probe-food-delivery-platforms-under-anti-monopoly-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339342/china-probe-food-delivery-platforms-under-anti-monopoly-law?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:17:12 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Ikea will close seven stores in mainland China, as the multinational furniture retailer grapples with the country’s weak property market and sluggish consumer spending, which have dampened demand for its goods. Following a comprehensive review, Ikea China said the seven stores would cease operations from February 2. These are located in Shanghai’s suburban Baoshan district, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Nantong and Xuzhou in eastern Jiangsu province, Ningbo in eastern Zhejiang province and Harbin in... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339068/furniture-retailer-ikea-close-seven-stores-china-amid-property-market-slump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339068/furniture-retailer-ikea-close-seven-stores-china-amid-property-market-slump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:30:44 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Wang Nan, a hardware trader in China’s eastern city of Yiwu, expected her business to feel some pain when the US-China trade war escalated in April. “Last year, we still had many American clients, but the tariffs changed everything,” she said. Yet, Wang’s firm not only survived a rollercoaster year – which at one point saw US tariffs soar to triple-digit levels – it has emerged even stronger. An aggressive push to find new buyers in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa paid off. In the end,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338358/how-worlds-supermarket-rode-out-trumps-tariffs-and-grew-even-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338358/how-worlds-supermarket-rode-out-trumps-tariffs-and-grew-even-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:00:10 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Coupang’s significant spending on lobbying politicians in the United States has apparently paid off, with Republicans criticising the South Korean government’s ongoing investigation into the Seattle-headquartered e-commerce firm. They have denounced South Korea’s investigation into Coupang as an attempt to favour China while remaining silent on the company’s massive data breach of the personal information of 33.7 million users, allegedly by a former employee who is a Chinese national. Amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337699/us-politicians-back-coupang-seethe-over-south-koreas-campaign-aggression?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337699/us-politicians-back-coupang-seethe-over-south-koreas-campaign-aggression?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 07:46:18 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Following the burglary of a warehouse belonging to Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com on Monday, a judicial source has confirmed an investigation has begun on charges of theft by an organised gang. The incident came in the middle of the Christmas shopping season and took place in the town of Dugny, a northern suburb of Paris that serves as a midpoint between the French capital and its main freight hub, Charles de Gaulle Airport. Suspects neutralised the warehouse’s video surveillance system, with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337610/burglary-jdcom-warehouse-france-prompts-investigation-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337610/burglary-jdcom-warehouse-france-prompts-investigation-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 09:00:12 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li With its signature fan-shaped wall of lipsticks displayed at the entrance, the Hong Kong store of Mao Geping Cosmetics at the Harbour City shopping complex in Tsim Sha Tsui appeared quiet on a recent weekday night. That underscored a sluggish state of affairs at Mao Geping, about two months after opening its first overseas location in the city, and the broader challenges faced by Chinese beauty – dubbed C-beauty – brands seeking to expand sales outside the mainland. The cosmetics firm was named... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337519/c-beauty-brands-find-retail-expansion-outside-china-slow-slog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337519/c-beauty-brands-find-retail-expansion-outside-china-slow-slog?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 03:30:11 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng China has unveiled new rules to rein in aggressive pricing tactics by online platforms, prohibiting e-commerce operators from forcing merchants to offer discounts or setting different prices based on user demographics without consent. The 29-article regulation – jointly issued over the weekend by the National Development and Reform Commission, State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), and Cyberspace Administration of China – lays out detailed compliance requirements that target several... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3337315/china-bans-e-commerce-platforms-forcing-lowest-prices-or-abusing-algorithms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3337315/china-bans-e-commerce-platforms-forcing-lowest-prices-or-abusing-algorithms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:00:14 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The long-running saga of TikTok that has caused much friction and resentment between China and the United States may finally come to an end. A deal has been signed between the commercial parties and blessed by US President Donald Trump, though it’s unclear whether Chinese regulators have cleared it. What was supposed to be a forced sale on national security grounds is now a joint venture. In response to a question, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun said the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3337208/tiktok-deal-could-show-way-forward-us-china-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3337208/tiktok-deal-could-show-way-forward-us-china-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 23:15:17 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li At a shopping centre in Shenzhen’s coastal business district, a store’s entrance feels more like a security checkpoint than a retail gateway. Customers check their bags, don white silk gloves, and pass through a gate. Beyond the checkpoint, which also seems incongruent with the outer facade resembling a typical multi-brand fashion shop, lies a 2,000-square-metre (21,527-sq-ft) showroom. Inside, luxury handbags are not displayed under artful lighting. Instead, they are tightly arranged in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337003/china-shoppers-swap-boutiques-bargains-fuelling-us30-billion-luxury-resale-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337003/china-shoppers-swap-boutiques-bargains-fuelling-us30-billion-luxury-resale-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 22:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French court on Friday rejected the state’s request to suspend Shein’s site in France as “disproportionate” after the e-commerce giant removed illicit products sold on its platform. French authorities had requested the ultra-fast-fashion giant’s site be blocked for three months after weapons, banned medications and childlike sex dolls were found on the platform. The authorities asked that the Chinese online platform only be reopened if it applied strict new measures to prevent a repeat of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337135/shein-avoids-france-site-ban-after-removing-illegal-goods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337135/shein-avoids-france-site-ban-after-removing-illegal-goods?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 16:07:52 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Alibaba Group’s logistics arm Cainiao and online grocery business Tmall Supermarket are teaming up to expand fulfilment infrastructure and speed up deliveries, as the Chinese e-commerce giant ramps up its efforts in China’s fast-growing instant commerce battle to fend off rivals such as JD.com and Meituan. Cainiao will launch new or expand instant commerce warehouses for Tmall Supermarket across 31 mainland Chinese cities by the end of January 2026, it said in a statement on Thursday. Alibaba... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337029/need-speed-alibaba-ramps-china-instant-commerce-push-cainiao-and-tmall-tie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337029/need-speed-alibaba-ramps-china-instant-commerce-push-cainiao-and-tmall-tie?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:15:09 +0000