Amazon: Navigating the holiday season and expanding services
Holiday Return Policy Sparks Mixed Reactions: Amazon US has unveiled its return policy for the 2023 holiday season. Purchases made between November 1 and December 31, 2023, can be returned until January 31, 2024, while Apple products have a deadline of January 15, 2024. While this policy eases the return window for sellers, some argue it’s unfair, especially for high-value items.
Amazon SEND Launches in the US and Australia: Amazon’s cross-border carrier solution, Amazon SEND, is now live in the US and Australia. This service, which facilitates shipments from China to Amazon warehouses in destination countries, offers promotional benefits for new US sellers, including a $200 logistics discount.
Shopify: Tapping into the B2B market
Shopify Markets Pro Welcomes B2B Merchants: Shopify has enhanced its Markets Pro feature, enabling B2B sellers to efficiently manage orders, including shipping and returns. However, it’s worth noting that Markets Pro still doesn’t support B2B orders directly, requiring merchants to handle such orders independently.
Others: Innovations and market shifts
YouTube Introduces Shopping Enhancements: YouTube is rolling out new shopping features, including time-stamped product links in longer videos. Early tests in the US showed that viewers clicked on time-stamped product links twice as often as non-time-stamped ones. Additionally, creators can now bulk-add product links across their video library.
Digital Freight Company Convoy Ceases Operations: Convoy, a major US digital freight platform, announced its shutdown on October 19, canceling all orders and laying off most of its staff. Despite the halt in operations, bankruptcy hasn’t been declared, and the company is exploring strategic alternatives.
TikTok Ranks Second in Global App Downloads: In Q3 2023, TikTok was surpassed by Threads, a new social media app by Meta, in global app downloads. Despite this, TikTok continues to lead in user spending and maintains steady growth in monthly active users.
Wish Highlights Power Buyers: Wish released data on its “Power Buyers” – users who are highly active and spend more on the platform. Most of these users hail from Europe (26%) and the US (23%), with American Power Buyers contributing the most to Wish’s Gross Merchandise Value (GMV).
