The pandemic-driven two-year ecommerce boom of 2020 is set to decelerate considerably this year. Brick-and-mortar retail, meanwhile, returned with a vengeance last year and is in better shape than expected going into 2022.

Beijing’s zero-COVID policy wreaks havoc on the global supply chain: Lockdowns in Shenzhen and Dongguan make it harder and more expensive for retailers like Amazon and Walmart to deliver goods to overseas shoppers.

Shopify works with ecommerce giant JD.com to help its merchants sell in China: The deal marks a major push into China for Shopify and broadens JD.com’s international reach.

Indonesia-based Koinworks might follow the lead of larger global players and pursue a one-stop-shop model to drive revenue growth.

The pandemic was disastrous for many retailers; we estimate that total retail sales worldwide plunged 2.8% in 2020. Though, while many physical stores were shuttered, digital retail sales soared by over 25% in a single year.

Internet users worldwide plan on shopping both in-store and online this season.