# e-commerce
Latest news and articles about e-commerce
Total: 23 articles found
How China’s ‘Black Strawberry’ Is Challenging the Cherry’s Lunar New Year Crown
Black strawberries have erupted into China’s Lunar New Year fruit market, driven by scarcity, distinctive appearance and social-media buzz, challenging imported Chilean cherries whose prices have weakened. Improved greenhouse techniques and colourful gift-box packaging have helped domestic strawberries move from niche novelty to mainstream seasonal contender.
Google Turns AI Answers into a Checkout: Shopping Moves Inside Search and Gemini
Google is experimenting with a feature that enables direct purchases inside Search and its Gemini chatbot, aiming to monetise AI-driven interactions by turning answers into transactions. The initiative could reshape digital advertising and e-commerce economics, while raising privacy and competition questions.
Xiaohongshu Builds an AI Video-Editing Armory — OpenStoryline Targets Creators and Commerce
Xiaohongshu is developing OpenStoryline, an AI-powered video editing tool aimed at accelerating creator production and strengthening the app’s commerce ecosystem. The product dovetails with broader moves by Chinese tech firms to integrate generative AI, but faces regulatory, copyright and content-quality trade-offs.
Alibaba’s Qianwen Extends Lunar New Year Free-Order Cards as Demand Overwhelms Delivery Capacity
Alibaba’s Qianwen extended its Spring Festival 25-yuan free-order card validity to February 28 after demand outpaced expectations, and widened eligibility to include meals, fresh produce and New Year goods via Tmall and Hema. Heavy user participation has strained merchant and flash-delivery capacity, leaving many unable to place orders and exposing the logistics limits behind a high-profile promotional push.
IKEA’s Clearance Rush: A Last Hurrah — and a Symptom of China’s Furniture Retail Shake‑Up
IKEA’s high-profile clearance sales at seven closing Chinese megastores drew crowds and chaotic scenes, highlighting the decline of large-format furniture malls and the rise of small-format, omnichannel retail. Consumer preferences, e-commerce competition and changing urban living patterns are reshaping China’s home-furnishing market, creating winners among agile domestic brands and lifestyle retailers and headaches for landlords and legacy operators.
Alibaba Stakes 3 Billion RMB on 'Action' AI to Win the Spring Festival Battleground
Alibaba is investing RMB 3 billion in a Spring Festival campaign that stitches its Qianwen AI into commerce and local services to serve as an action-capable assistant. The move contrasts with Tencent’s cash-driven social push and ByteDance’s entertainment-focused AI experiences, and could determine which platform secures the mainstream AI entry point in China.
Amazon to Cut Nearly 16,000 Jobs as it Tightens Its Belt and Repositions for AI Era
Amazon has announced nearly 16,000 job cuts as it seeks to curb costs and redeploy resources toward cloud, advertising and artificial-intelligence initiatives. The move reflects a broader industry shift from pandemic-era expansion to a focus on profitability and automation, with implications for employees, customers and competitors.
Former Star Li Yapeng Tops Douyin Charts with Rapid-Fire Livestream Sales as Charity Dispute Simmers
Li Yapeng’s January 23 livestream on Douyin drew millions of viewers and generated over ¥50 million in sales within 90 minutes, topping the platform’s commerce charts. The event came amid scrutiny over property and financial questions tied to a children’s hospital and the celebrity-backed Yanran Angel charity, provoking calls for more professional management and greater transparency.
Temu's Turkish Office Reportedly Targeted in Early-Morning Raid — A Test of Cross‑Border E‑commerce Rules
A NetEase headline reported a dawn raid on Temu's Turkish office, though details and official confirmation remain scarce. The incident highlights growing regulatory scrutiny of cross‑border e‑commerce platforms and poses operational and reputational risks for Temu as it expands into complex national markets.
China’s Consumer Recovery Remains Tepid in 2025 — Auto Weakness Caps Growth While E‑commerce Fuels Gains
China’s retail sales expanded modestly in 2025, with full‑year growth of 3.7% and December up 0.9%. A weak auto market held back headline figures even as e‑commerce — particularly online groceries — and convenience formats drove better performance.
From Snowfields to Screens: How a Young Xinjiang Official Turned Social Media into Rural Revival
He Jiaolong, a Xinjiang county official who became well known for using short videos and livestreaming to promote local tourism and agricultural products, has died, prompting national mourning. Her approach — combining formal education, digital marketing and grassroots commitment — exemplifies a broader Chinese strategy to use technology and returning talent for rural revitalization, while exposing risks of personality-driven development.