Temu and Shein: 2026 is the year the bill finally lands
The US killed de minimis, the EU is following, and safety rules are tightening. The cheap-parcel arbitrage behind Temu and Shein is running out of road.
E-commerce
Coverage of global e-commerce marketplaces, online shopping platforms, and cross-border selling.
Why TikTok Shop’s next European market wave is likely before holiday 2026: 3 launch-cadence signals
TikTok Shop opened four new EU markets on 15 June 2026 alongside a cross-border selling tool that slashes the cost of each launch. Three signals point to another European market wave, likely the Nordics or Central Europe, before the 2026 holiday peak.
Alibaba bids $1.5bn for Pupu: instant-retail war with Meituan escalates
Alibaba has offered about $1.5 billion for Chinese on-demand grocery platform Pupu, more than double a rival bid. The move escalates its instant-retail fight with Meituan and JD.com.
Why TikTok Shop will turn Europe into one cross-border market before the holidays: 3 signals
Three signals from late May 2026 point to TikTok Shop converting its ten European markets into a single cross-border marketplace. The shift looks likely to land before the 2026 holiday quarter, even as the US business stays ring-fenced.
Pentagon adds Alibaba to military blacklist: e-commerce giant vows fight
The US Department of Defense has named Alibaba, Baidu and BYD on its updated Section 1260H list of Chinese military companies. The label carries no automatic sanctions but deepens US-China decoupling for one of the worlds largest e-commerce and cloud firms.
Amazon pledges €10bn for European robotics: 25,000 jobs, faster delivery
Amazon used its London Delivering the Future event to pledge more than 10 billion euros to modernise its European fulfilment network, adding 25,000 jobs and a new generation of warehouse robots. The package also widens ultra-fast Amazon Now delivery to more UK cities, including Manchester and Birmingham.
Selling on Temu as a US brand: the early seller experience
How US brands sell on Temu in 2026: picking the local-to-local model, surviving the pricing-approval floor, the payout hold cycle, and the mistakes that sink early sellers.
Do retail brands still need a shopping app in 2026
A dedicated shopping app is no longer a default. Here is the concrete economics, retention math, and decision framework for whether a retail brand should build one in 2026.
How Mercado Libre fulfillment compares to Amazon FBA
E-commerce deep dive: How Mercado Libre fulfillment compares to Amazon FBA.
Selling cross-border into Brazil through Mercado Libre
E-commerce deep dive: Selling cross-border into Brazil through Mercado Libre.