China-based e-commerce platforms built multi-billion dollar businesses by exploiting a customs loophole. That loophole – Section 321 'de minimis' thresholds – is now closed, and with it, the current era of ultra-cheap direct-from-China retail.
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In 2024, Amazon again had a record-breaking year despite growing criticism from workers, sellers, governments, and shoppers.
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If AI chat is the future of shopping, Perplexity just took the lead. And because it already integrates with Amazon, it has an infinite supply of products.
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Four months after Target and Shopify teamed up to expand Target's third-party marketplace, it didn't make much progress. Target's invite-only marketplace has only added 500 new sellers this year.
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Shopify's almost-marketplace Shop app is approaching a $1 billion GMV run rate. It's not a shopping destination but drives sales as a by-product of the Shopify ecosystem.
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Thousands of brands adopted Buy with Prime two years after Amazon launched the fulfillment and one-click checkout service in April 2022.
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Walmart is Amazon’s only competitor. Everyone else is too small, too niche, or not a good substitute. A bigger Walmart means a better alternative to Amazon, which means a better e-commerce market.
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Fifteen years ago, Jeff Bezos said, "I can't imagine that ten years from now [our customers] are going to say, 'I love Amazon, but if only they could deliver my products a little more slowly.'" That is the inspiration for the sixth edition of the Year in Review.
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Buy with Prime app for Shopify is now available to all merchants. The previously invite-only integration is now open to all merchants who already use or want to use Amazon's fulfillment network.
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Shopify's marketplace is now available on the web, and from afar, it looks like Amazon or any other online retailer. The new marketplace allows shoppers to search and buy all products hosted on Shopify.
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