The global advertising market landscape has dramatically changed, with retail media advertising becoming the core of growth. Amazon and Chinese giants such as Alibaba, ByteDance (TikTok), Pinduoduo (Temu), and JD.com occupy half of the top ten global advertising platforms, with retail media advertising emerging as a critical battleground for merchants to acquire traffic.
This year's Amazon Prime Day saw lackluster performance, with most sellers reporting traffic and sales below expectations. Consumer decision-making has become more rational, favoring essential items at lower price points, which led to a slowdown in sales of high-priced items, putting sellers under significant inventory and profit pressure.
The EU will implement new customs regulations on July 1, aimed at enhancing oversight of non-EU imported goods. This is an important transitional step towards comprehensive customs reform by 2028, and cross-border sellers need to evaluate compliance costs and logistics impacts in advance.
Temu has significantly raised the seller verification standards, shifting from simple identity verification to comprehensive authenticity checks. Sellers are required to provide VAT declarations, purchase invoices, and social security payment proof to demonstrate their operational capabilities.
TikTok Shop in Japan marks its first anniversary with nearly 50 million monthly active users. The platform successfully shifted local consumption habits from 'search to buy' to 'discover to buy,' providing a new content e-commerce growth point for brands entering Japan.
The global e-commerce market continues to grow, with sales projected to reach $6.88 trillion by 2026, and online retail's share is expected to increase to 20%. Mobile shopping has become a core driving force for market growth, prompting brands to adopt mobile-first strategies.
TikTok Shop has released a new after-sales policy requiring sellers to handle disputes within 24 hours, or the platform will support buyer refunds. The platform has also outlined strict penalties for product quality issues, false descriptions, and safety compliance issues, including deducting violation points, delisting products, and mandatory refunds.
During Amazon’s Prime Day event in 2026, consumer spending exceeded $26 billion, a year-on-year increase of 9.3%. Electronics, toys, and home appliances were the top-selling categories, with average discounts ranging from 20% to 24%, reflecting strong consumer demand for high-value products amid inflation.
Due to a risk of salmonella contamination, Total Nutrition Inc. has announced a recall for its organic moringa capsules and powders sold on Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop, and other platforms. The FDA advises consumers to stop using the products immediately to avoid infection.
Europe is currently experiencing extreme heat waves, leading to a three-digit increase in sales of air conditioners, fans, and sunscreen products on cross-border platforms such as AliExpress. Germany, Spain, and Italy show particularly strong market demand, with stock running low.
Several brands are successfully entering the UK, Ireland, and Japan markets through TikTok Shop. Core strategies include customized marketing campaigns, collaboration with local creators, and leveraging the platform’s innovative tools to create a closed loop from content to sales.
eBay's market attention significantly increased and its stock price rose after GameStop reiterated its non-binding acquisition intent. Despite eBay previously rejecting the proposal, the capital market expressed strong interest in the potential strategic synergy between the two.
A recent incident on the eBay platform where an order was cancelled after shipment has raised concerns within the seller community regarding the platform's after-sales mechanisms. Sellers face the risk of funds being withheld while goods have already been shipped.
Amazon officially implements a new handling time policy for seller-fulfilled orders today. Sellers must ensure that the handling time set for their SKUs matches their actual shipping performance, or Amazon will take over the settings. Sellers are advised to enable 'Automatic Handling Time (AHT)' to mitigate compliance risks.
Walmart announces the acquisition of Vibe.co, a connected TV (CTV) advertising platform, aiming to provide third-party sellers on its platform with easier television advertising tools and enhance ad conversion rates through data integration, further challenging Amazon's dominance in retail media.
The Hainan cross-border e-commerce outbound industry base is unveiled in the Longhua District of Haikou, aiming to leverage the advantages of free trade port policies, integrate Shenzhen's supply chain and digital operation resources, and provide one-stop support for cross-border e-commerce enterprises, including landing subsidies, tax incentives, and customs facilitation.
Due to high temperatures in Europe, demand for summer appliances on the AliExpress platform has exploded. Portable air conditioners have sold out in multiple countries, with ice makers and fans seeing significant week-on-week sales growth, prompting relevant sellers to urgently restock.
During the Northeast Asia International Consumer Goods Expo, Liaoning Province released multiple supporting policies for cross-border e-commerce, including exclusive loan products and export credit insurance, aiming to empower local enterprises in expanding markets and securing orders through financial and credit insurance services.
Amazon announced that starting July 27, all product titles, except for media categories, will be limited to 75 characters (including spaces). This move aims to enhance the mobile shopping experience and align with standards of major e-commerce platforms.
The TikTok Shop US mid-year sale began on June 17. The platform advises sellers to create short videos combined with live broadcasts, use the TikTok Symphony creative tool to optimize content, and prepare inventory in advance for peak traffic.