The EU has passed new regulations aimed at combating cross-border VAT fraud, granting broader VAT information access to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). The regulation will take effect in August 2026 and aims to enhance the fight against tax violations in the e-commerce sector through multinational data sharing and joint investigation mechanisms.
Amazon's Q2 earnings report was impressive, with revenue reaching $200.6 billion, exceeding market expectations. The core driver came from AWS cloud services, which saw a significant increase in operating profit, indicating a return on the company's investment in AI infrastructure. Although massive capital expenditure related to AI has temporarily pressured free cash flow, overall profitability remains robust.
eBay has reached a civil settlement for a serious workplace harassment and cyberstalking case, agreeing to pay approximately $55.7 million. The case involved extreme intimidation tactics by a former employee against a couple of bloggers, including sending live insects and threatening items. This marks the conclusion of a multi-year legal dispute as the company seeks to restore its reputation through compliance reforms.
TikTok Shop continues to expand in the UK market, with over 300,000 small businesses joining. Live shopping has become the core growth engine, with sales increasing significantly by 55% year-on-year, and daily live sessions exceeding 6,000. Data shows that live interactions have become a key channel for brands to acquire new customers and enhance conversions.
Despite the rapid GMV growth of TikTok Shop, analysis shows that only a few well-resourced leading brands are achieving profitability. Most brands face high marketing costs and weak profit margins on the platform, where solely relying on viral growth is no longer sufficient for sustained growth.
Walmart and its foundation have announced a $500,000 donation to support flood relief efforts in West Virginia. This move reflects Walmart's ongoing commitment to community responsibility and disaster response, highlighting its influence as a major retailer in regional markets.
Newegg has officially kicked off its 12th Annual FantasTech Sale, offering various technology product discounts to consumers in the US and Canada. The event aims to boost summer sales through promotions and attract PC building and electronics enthusiasts.
TikTok Shop is testing a membership subscription plan called 'TikTok Shop Plus' in the U.S. market. The plan aims to enhance user engagement by providing benefits such as free shipping and exclusive discounts, directly competing with Amazon Prime to retain more consumers completing purchases on the platform.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently ruled that TikTok is no longer restricted by the government device ban. With TikTok's U.S. operations restructured as an independent entity controlled by American investors and Oracle managing data security, compliance risks of the platform operating in the U.S. have significantly decreased, providing a more stable environment for brand advertising.
In 2026, TikTok Shop has tightened its compliance policies, focusing on combating false advertising and misleading marketing. The platform has implemented stricter qualification reviews for live commerce and has set clear disclosure requirements for AI-generated content, asserting that brand content must closely align with actual product conditions.
The U.S. House recently introduced the 'Online Sellers' Bill of Rights Act of 2026' aimed at regulating e-commerce platforms' enforcement actions against sellers. The bill requires platforms to provide due process in operations like account freezes and inventory seizures, and sets clear appeal timelines to prevent unjustified freezing of sellers' funds and inventory.
Amazon will reopen its FBA New Selection program on July 30, offering substantial fee discounts, storage fee waivers, and reduced referral fees for eligible new brand ASINs. Registered sellers need to verify the eligibility of related ASINs to enjoy these benefits.
Starting from July 27, Amazon is implementing stricter limits on product title lengths, with most categories capped at 75 characters. To compensate for information display space, the platform has added an 'Item Highlights' field allowing sellers to provide up to 125 characters of additional description.
Walmart officially launched the negative keyword targeting function to all Sponsored Products advertisers on July 29. Sellers can now more accurately exclude irrelevant search terms, optimizing ad spend and improving the return on investment (ROI) of marketing campaigns.
Walmart is deepening its operational integration with Sam's Club, including shared supply chains and unifying the e-commerce front-end experience, aimed at enhancing overall operational efficiency.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) showed strong performance in Q2 2026, with revenue growth far exceeding market expectations. This growth is driven by continuous investments in AI, showcasing Amazon's effectiveness in AI infrastructure.
Recent research shows the start of the holiday shopping season is moving earlier, raising demands on brands to launch marketing strategies sooner to capture consumer attention.
Health-E Commerce expands its business from e-commerce retail to virtual healthcare services with the launch of the Patiently telehealth platform, which supports FSA/HSA account payment.
Adidas showed strong performance in Q2 2026, with revenue reaching a historical high, particularly notable growth in the DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) channel, prompting the company to raise its full-year performance outlook.
DTC brand marketing platform Maestra.io saw significant growth in Q2, reflecting strong market demand for personalized marketing tools and the trend of using data to enhance average order value.