The partnership lets JPMorgan increase revenues and processing volume through Alibaba’s vast business—helping the bank further build out its wholesale payments unit.

Regulators are finalizing rules that would limit the amount of data firms collect on Chinese users and require them to obtain prior consent. Though expansive, the rules won’t apply equally to government data abuse, and could ultimately be used to bring firms more in line with long-term government tech strategies.

The top 10 P2P payment apps worldwide

Alibaba’s quarterly earnings: The ecommerce giant posted strong growth in its retail and global businesses, even though we expect its share of China’s total ecommerce sales to dip slightly this year.

Alibaba’s quarterly earnings: The ecommerce giant posted strong growth in its retail and global businesses, even though we expect its share of China’s total ecommerce sales to dip slightly this year.

US retail mcommerce sales grew 41.4% during the pandemic year of 2020 and are set to double from this elevated base by 2025. This report looks at what’s driving this growth and how sellers should respond.

Three of the four largest ecommerce companies in the world are based in China—Alibaba, JD.com, and Pinduoduo (PDD)—and they are all still delivering impressive annual sales increases.

Sustainability is increasingly top of mind for consumers in China. Many are making lifestyle changes to address the issue, spurred by the country’s many environmental catastrophes, as well as the government’s recent pledge to reduce emissions. And more than ever, shoppers expect brands to offer products and services with eco-friendliness in mind—and for the right price.

This report explores the pandemic’s impact on total retail, ecommerce, and mcommerce sales in Latin America, with breakouts for Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. It also examines key drivers fueling regional market movements in 2021 and beyond.

China continues to lead the world in all things ecommerce, including innovation. Social commerce livestreaming is just one of many new stories for 2021 and beyond.

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.

Though virtually unknown outside of China, a new crop of local direct-to-consumer brands are making a name for themselves at home—and even outperforming some of the major foreign players.

Like many regions around the world, Southeast Asia experienced an ecommerce boom in 2020, as various pandemic-driven social lockdowns encouraged more shopping from home. According to our estimates, ecommerce grew by 35.2% collectively in the region last year, and our newest forecast projects 14.3% growth this year. However, traditional retail is still overwhelmingly dominant.

Livestreaming ecommerce—a market-like online shopping experience that feels like an amalgamation of the Home Shopping Network (HSN), game shows, talk shows, and auctions—has taken China by storm. The phenomenon was in part fueled by the pandemic, as brick-and-mortar stores temporarily closed down and consumers sheltered in place. Yet, a year later, livestream shopping is still going strong in the country.

Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to redefine how brands engage with consumers, and companies in China are investing heavily in this emerging technology. But adoption there has hit a wall, meaning the industry must overcome technical challenges, and other pain points, for VR to become a game changer for consumer marketing.

The duopoly of Facebook and Google still dominates digital ad revenues worldwide, but a collective rival from the ecommerce industry is showing momentum.

In-store shopping will remain a crucial part of the retail sales funnel in China, even as ecommerce players continue to rack up record gross merchandise value (GMV). Pre-pandemic, ecommerce was already disrupting brick-and-mortar retail, but over the past year, retailers began to innovate more offline, leveraging new and existing technology.

In April 2016, WeCom launched as WeChat Work in China, to only moderate success. The pandemic has turbocharged its user growth, however. The app’s integration with WeChat and arsenal of business features will make it a valuable asset for marketers even after offices reopen.

Last year, China was the only market to see overall ad spending growth, although digital ad spending performed well almost everywhere. This year, every country will see growth in almost every category.