Why Beijing has put e-commerce sector’s ‘refund-only’ policy and PDD under scrutiny

Why Beijing has put e-commerce sector’s ‘refund-only’ policy and PDD under scrutiny

The “refund-only” policy in China’s e-commerce sector – where consumers can get back money for goods bought from merchants, without returning the products – is now under scrutiny, as analysts point to how the practice has been abused in the local market. China’s market regulator has directed PDD Holdings, operator of popular budget-shopping platforms Pinduoduo … Read more

Alibaba to sponsor Lunar Year Spring Festival Gala to reach China’s thrifty consumers

Alibaba to sponsor Lunar Year Spring Festival Gala to reach China’s thrifty consumers

Alibaba Group Holding has won the sponsorship for the 2025 Spring Festival Gala show, China’s most-watched event of the year, as the e-commerce giant reaches out to consumers to regain growth momentum. The Hangzhou-based company signed a deal with China Media Group (CMG), which owns state broadcaster China Central Television, to be the “exclusive e-commerce … Read more

Chinese retailer Miniso’s founder slams ByteDance-owned Douyin for exorbitant fees

Chinese retailer Miniso’s founder slams ByteDance-owned Douyin for exorbitant fees

Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok with domestic e-commerce operations, has been slammed for charging exorbitant promotion fees amid insufficient sales by the head of Chinese budget retailer Miniso Group, which runs multiple stores on the ByteDance-owned platform. Miniso founder and chief executive Ye Guofu, 47, levelled his criticism of Douyin via his WeChat post … Read more

Alibaba bets on retailing chief Jiang Fan to bolster e-commerce momentum

Alibaba bets on retailing chief Jiang Fan to bolster e-commerce momentum

Jiang, 39, who has been serving as chief executive of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group (AIDC), was appointed by the Hangzhou-based tech conglomerate on Thursday to lead the newly formed Alibaba E-commerce Business Group. The new unit will integrate Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG), AIDC, 1688 Marketplace, Idle Fish and the other e-commerce operations of … Read more

Temu owner PDD sees 10% plunge in pre-market trading despite 44% revenue growth

Temu owner PDD sees 10% plunge in pre-market trading despite 44% revenue growth

PDD Holdings shares plunged by more than 10 per cent in pre-market trading, despite a 44 per cent rise in third-quarter revenue, as concerns around China’s economic slowdown and fierce e-commerce competition weigh on investor sentiment. The owner of the budget-focused shopping app Pinduoduo and its overseas sibling Temu on Thursday reported 99.35 billion yuan … Read more

Alibaba, JD.com claim big win in Singles’ Day sales as consumer spending bounces back

Alibaba, JD.com claim big win in Singles’ Day sales as consumer spending bounces back

Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com wrapped up their respective Singles’ Day promotions this year, with both Chinese e-commerce giants claiming strong results that signify a rebound in domestic consumer spending during the world’s largest annual shopping festival. Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG), Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce business unit, on Tuesday said its Singles’ Day campaign had … Read more

Alibaba sees Singles’ Day campaign pay off with strong sales in 4 popular categories

Alibaba sees Singles’ Day campaign pay off with strong sales in 4 popular categories

Alibaba Group Holding says this year’s Singles’ Day campaign has seen strong demand in four product categories – home appliances, consumer electronics, beauty and apparel – in a sign of consumer-spending recovery on the mainland, as the world’s largest online shopping festival drew to a close on Monday. Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG), Alibaba’s domestic … Read more

Alibaba sellers are getting a sweeter deal this Singles’ Day as new policies bear fruit

Alibaba sellers are getting a sweeter deal this Singles’ Day as new policies bear fruit

When Alibaba Group Holding held its eleventh Singles’ Day shopping festival in 2019, it culminated in Shanghai that November with a performance by American pop sensation Taylor Swift to help get consumers in a cheerful mood. Five years later, China’s largest e-commerce company decided a party for the world’s largest online shopping festival was no … Read more

TikTok owner ByteDance faces flagging growth as e-commerce rivals, geopolitics take toll

TikTok owner ByteDance faces flagging growth as e-commerce rivals, geopolitics take toll

TikTok owner ByteDance has been losing momentum in 2024, with slower revenue growth and narrower profit margins for the first three quarters compared with last year, according to local media. Revenue growth “significantly” slowed for the first nine months of the year, while profit margins slimmed for the first time since 2022, Chinese tech media … Read more

Apple’s iPhone 16 sees price cuts on Chinese online platforms for Singles’ Day promotions

Apple’s iPhone 16 sees price cuts on Chinese online platforms for Singles’ Day promotions

Under its Singles’ Day promotion, Apple’s Tmall store started offering a 500-yuan voucher for all iPhone 16 models from 8pm on Monday, according to a Tmall announcement on Sunday. Prices for the basic iPhone 16 model and the premium iPhone 16 Pro Max start from 5,499 yuan and 9,499 yuan, respectively. Tmall has also offered … Read more