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Category: E-Tailing

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest E-Commerce & Etail news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Indonesia Enforces 0.5% Tax Collection on Domestic E-Commerce Sales

    Indonesia Enforces 0.5% Tax Collection on Domestic E-Commerce Sales

    Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara confirmed on Friday that collecting income tax from merchants selling through online platforms is necessary to create fairer competition between digital sellers and conventional brick-and-mortar retailers.

    The policy applies an Article 22 income tax rate of 0.5% on domestic merchants’ sales turnover, governed by Finance Minister Regulation No. 37 of 2025. The Finance Ministry began consolidating transaction revenue data in November 2026, with the first figures scheduled for release in December.

    Under the framework, the government designated four major e-commerce platforms, Shopee, Tokopedia, Lazada and Blibli, to collect, remit and report the levy on behalf of sellers operating across their digital marketplaces.

    Marketplace Tax Collection

    The measure introduces no new levy, shifting collection instead to marketplace operators for income tax that merchants previously handled independently. Individual merchants generating annual turnover of up to Rp 500 million ($27,400) are exempt from marketplace tax collection, provided they fulfill formal criteria, including submitting a declaration of their turnover.

    Suahasil stressed that commercial enterprises across differing distribution channels require comparable treatment under fiscal rules, whether trading across digital storefronts or physical premises.

    “The taxation of e-commerce is intended to improve the level playing field, even though the tax rate for online merchants is lower,” Suahasil told a press conference in Jakarta.

    “The new e-commerce tax policy is beginning to be reflected in consolidated data this November, and the figures will be reported next month,” Suahasil said.

    Separate Tax on Foreign Digital Services

    Suahasil noted that income tax withheld from domestic online traders remains distinct from value-added tax levied on offshore digital goods and services. Cross-border digital transactions, including video streaming platform subscriptions, have yielded Rp 14 trillion ($768.7 million) in VAT revenue.

    Both tax collection tracks reflect state initiatives aimed at strengthening fiscal compliance across the digital economy, encompassing internal merchant sales and cross-border digital services.

  • Amazon EU Faces Italian Trial over Alleged €3.52M Unpaid Import VAT

    Amazon EU Faces Italian Trial over Alleged €3.52M Unpaid Import VAT

    Amazon’s European unit and two senior managers could face trial in Italy over more than 1.5 million Chinese products sold without proper payment of import value added tax and customs duties.

    Milan prosecutors concluded their investigation following police raids conducted in November last year on Amazon’s Italian headquarters in Milan and a logistics hub near Bergamo. Formal legal notices under Italy’s corporate liability framework were served on Luxembourg-based Amazon EU and the two executives, a step that typically precedes a formal request for trial.

    Authorities put the unpaid import VAT at more than €3.52m ($3.9m), while customs officials continue to calculate the total evaded duties. A total of 70 suspects received the notice, including online store operators accused of moving non-EU merchandise through Amazon’s domestic logistics network while evading border declarations.

    Automated Systems and Missing Seller Data

    Prosecutors allege Amazon failed to implement organisational measures capable of preventing customs offences and allowed non-EU goods to circulate through its logistics network despite alleged customs compliance irregularities.

    They also allege Amazon knew, or should reasonably have known, that around 80% of goods handled through its Italian logistics system came from China, yet did not adequately check sellers, customs documentation or warehouse movements.

    The legal notice claims Amazon knew or should have known about the supply chain flaws. By leaving those gaps open, prosecutors argue, the marketplace functioned as an entry pipeline that allowed Asian goods to sidestep European borders without fiscal checks.

    Shifting Pressures on Cross-Border Chinese Merchants

    For manufacturers and direct-to-consumer exporters, the Milan inquiry shows that relying on Western e-commerce platforms no longer shields sellers from local fiscal enforcement. European tax authorities have moved past sending notices to remote offshore store entities, targeting the physical warehouses where goods actually sit.

    Direct-selling Asian brands operating on thin operating margins face immediate exposure. If marketplaces demand validated tax identification numbers and upfront proof of cleared duties before receiving stock, merchant inventory turnaround times will slow down and operating fees will climb.

    Amazon told the publication that it was “committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations in every country where we operate and we require all sellers on our marketplace to do the same”.

    “We will vigorously defend our position in this ungrounded proceeding,” the US company said.

    It also said “unpredictable regulatory environments, disproportionate penalties, and protracted legal proceedings are increasingly affecting Italy’s attractiveness as an investment destination”.

    Raids and Cross-Border European Probes

    The formal notice follows police raids carried out in November last year across Amazon’s corporate headquarters in Milan and a regional fulfilment depot near Bergamo. Those operations initiated an inquiry into Asian import evasion that quickly expanded beyond Italian borders.

    Milan prosecutors later briefed judicial counterparts across multiple European jurisdictions through Eurojust to examine similar logistics networks across the continent. Investigators described the distribution mechanism as a setup that let offshore merchants bypass standard import filings on an industrial scale.

    Under Italian law, recipients can submit arguments, documents and evidence before prosecutors decide whether to seek a trial. Italian customs authorities are working to complete their calculation of unpaid duties, which will determine the final financial penalty sought in court.

  • South Korea Fines Coupang Won300.8bn over Delivery App Rules

    South Korea Fines Coupang Won300.8bn over Delivery App Rules

    South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission hit Coupang with a provisional Won300.8bn ($222.8m) administrative fine for forcing restaurant merchants into parity agreements on its food delivery platform.

    The penalty lands alongside a provisional Won331.1bn fine on market leader Woowa Brothers, operator of Baedal Minjok, bringing combined regulatory penalties across the country’s two dominant food delivery services to Won631.9bn.

    Regulators found that Coupang abused its dominant market position by forcing restaurants to offer commercial terms equal to or better than those listed on rival platforms. The company monitored six operating areas, including menu pricing and operating hours, between July 2023 and January 2026. Restaurants that failed to comply lost their status as designated WOW Stores.

    The WOW Store Squeeze

    Losing that designation carried direct commercial consequences. Coupang had restricted delivery perks for paying WOW Membership subscribers exclusively to transactions completed at WOW Stores starting in April 2023.

    The commission reported that 57,907 merchants were stripped of their WOW Store status at least once for non-compliance. The pressure worked swiftly. The share of compliant WOW Stores surged from 13.49 per cent in July 2023 to 93.78 per cent by October 2025.

    Investigators concluded that these most-favoured-nation clauses breached the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act by stifling commission competition between delivery apps. Platforms could raise take rates without fearing that restaurants would offer lower prices elsewhere to steer diners toward cheaper channels.

    Commission Calculations Under Fire

    The regulator also took aim at how Coupang calculated platform fees. Under the Coupang Eats Merchant Pricing Policy, the service calculated order amounts using pre-discount retail prices. That formula forced food vendors to pay platform commissions on price cuts they funded out of their own pockets.

    The watchdog ordered Coupang to revise the fee calculation clause within 60 days of receiving the corrective order. Additional corrective remedies cover strict prohibition of parity demands, public notification, record deletion, regular compliance reporting, and mandatory staff education.

    The watchdog also ordered a re-examination into coercive transaction conduct allegations. Differing interpretations in the examiner’s report regarding principal and secondary products had constrained deliberations during the initial hearings.

    A Duopoly Under Regulatory Siege

    Coupang and Woowa Brothers control more than 90 per cent of South Korea’s food delivery sector. The regulator argued that both operators abused their bargaining power by imposing abnormal operational terms that squeezed vendor margins and elevated consumer dining costs.

    Woowa Brothers faced penalties for similar parity demands enforced between May 2024 and October 2025, alongside sanctions for deceptively advertising estimated delivery times and coercing vendors onto its proprietary delivery fleet. For restaurant brands and food operators, the crackdown provides immediate use to differentiate pricing strategies across digital storefronts without risking algorithmic demotion.

    The antitrust action reflects a broader campaign by Seoul against platform lock-in tactics. Coupang entered the delivery sector in May 2019, initially offsetting higher commission rates against faster fulfillment before deploying membership bundling to capture market share from Baemin.

    Legal Battles Loom

    The sanction arrives while Coupang remains locked in legal battles over domestic regulatory scrutiny. Earlier this year, the US-listed firm received a record Won624.68bn fine over a customer data leak, a ruling it continues to challenge in court.

    Coupang disputed the delivery findings immediately. The company maintained that its entry into delivery had injected competition into a market where an entrenched incumbent once held an 80 per cent share, asserting that its business practices aimed to lower consumer friction.

    Coupang Eats will carefully review the final ruling and fully present its position through appropriate legal procedures.

    The Fair Trade Commission will fix the final fine amounts before issuing its written decision, while Coupang prepares its courtroom challenge and faces the 60-day deadline to overhaul merchant discount fee calculations.

  • Lazada Adds on Flagships in Thailand and the Philippines

    Lazada Adds on Flagships in Thailand and the Philippines

    Lazada opened official storefronts for Swiss athletic shoe maker On on its LazMall platform in Thailand and the Philippines on November 9, 2026. The deployment gives On its first direct marketplace presence anywhere in Southeast Asia.

    Shoppers in both markets gain direct access to genuine inventory across performance and everyday models. The roll-out includes the Cloudmonster, Cloudrunner, and Cloudsurfer running lines, alongside general gym footwear.

    Footwear assortment across Southeast Asia

    Lazada acts as the first online marketplace operator in the region to secure an official On flagship. Customers previously depended on independent resellers, multi-brand sporting goods merchants, or regional parallel importers to secure the footwear.

    The initial inventory focuses on core road running and recovery footwear before broadening. Catalog additions will continue across both national storefronts throughout 2027 to incorporate a wider selection of road racing, trail, and lifestyle products.

    Marketplace control and sportswear margins

    For high-ticket sports brands, open regional marketplaces often present pricing friction and gray-market dilution. Running an official storefront on LazMall allows On to set manufacturer pricing, manage channel allocations, and control inventory authenticity directly across two high-volume developing markets.

    Southeast Asian e-commerce marketplaces compete aggressively for premium brand exclusivity. By securing On as a direct merchant, Lazada strengthens LazMall against regional rivals such as Shopee, relying on athletic footwear buyers who spend above average order values rather than chasing mass-market discount volume.

    Premium athletic expansion in Asia

    The marketplace agreement builds on the Swiss company’s physical and direct retail expansions across East and Southeast Asia, including dedicated standalone flagships opened in South Korea. Reaching buyers in Thailand and the Philippines through digital storefronts provides brand presence without the immediate capital expenditure required for company-operated flagship retail leases.

    Regional e-commerce trade continues to shift toward authenticated brand channels as middle-class consumers demand verifiable inventory. The LazMall storefronts operate immediately, with further product additions expected throughout 2027.

  • Thailand Approves up to 30% Import Duties on Cross-Border E-Commerce

    Thailand Approves up to 30% Import Duties on Cross-Border E-Commerce

    Thailand’s cabinet approved import tariffs reaching up to 30 percent on goods ordered through cross-border e-commerce platforms, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas confirmed on Tuesday.

    The policy targets small postal consignments entering through international mail and express freight networks, with tax collections projected to yield 6.3 billion baht.

    Customs Director-General Phantong Loykulnanta confirmed the higher tariff schedules will take effect early next year across all standard customs categories. Under the new rules, the government will override an existing Customs Department notification that previously granted duty cuts or blanket exemptions for commercial goods shipped in small parcel form.

    Reverting to Standard Tariff Classifications

    The revised regime brings direct-to-consumer parcels back under standard national tariff lines. Duty on imported plastic goods rises from 20 percent to 30 percent. Tariffs on imported headphones, microphones, and fitness gear increase from 10 percent to 30 percent. Duties on women’s handbags jump from 20 percent to 30 percent, sunglasses climb from 5 percent to 30 percent, and imported jewellery faces a 30 percent tariff, up from zero. Clothing import duties remain fixed at 30 percent.

    Customs authorities will collect duties directly at digital checkout or upon physical parcel entry through technical links with postal carriers and e-commerce platforms. Officials maintained that resetting small parcel duty rates to standard tariff schedules complies fully with regional trade commitments under the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement.

    Pressure Mounts on Cross-Border Marketplaces

    For regional marketplaces relying on cross-border merchant corridors, the end of parcel exemptions dismantles their core pricing advantage. Sellers operating on platforms will see landing costs jump overnight, forcing merchants to absorb the margin hit or pass increases directly to Thai shoppers. Local logistics partners handling final-mile distribution must prepare for higher cart abandonment rates as retail sticker prices climb across key consumer tech and lifestyle categories.

    Domestic retail conglomerates and brand distributors, by contrast, gain immediate breathing room against unregulated grey-market parcel flows. Importers with physical warehousing inside Thailand have long absorbed full commercial import duties, storage overhead, and inspection clearance fees. Forcing low-value consumer parcels into identical duty brackets eliminates the structural loophole that penalised formal supply chains.

    Closing the Low-Value Tax Loophole

    This tariff revision follows an earlier tax adjustment introduced at the start of the year. On January 1, the government began collecting 7 percent value-added tax alongside standard duties on small parcels valued below 1,500 baht, ending a long-standing de minimis exemption.

    Ekniti stated that the surge in cross-border e-commerce volumes had saturated local distribution channels with low-cost imported products, undermining pricing power for domestic small and medium-sized manufacturers. By closing parcel-level tariff breaks, the finance ministry intends to equalise terms between cross-border digital sellers and domestic physical businesses.

    Thai customs authorities are now finalising technical integration protocols with international courier networks ahead of the formal enforcement date early next year.

  • Macau Police Uncover 33,000 Fake Sites as Android Trojans Hit Wallets

    Macau Police Uncover 33,000 Fake Sites as Android Trojans Hit Wallets

    Malware syndicates across Southeast Asia are deploying fraudulent gambling applications to intercept digital wallet transactions, targeting systems run by Malaysian payment networks Touch ‘n Go and DuitNow. Instead of processing transactions through secure banking rails, malicious overlays draw counterfeit payment interfaces directly over mobile screens to capture personal identification numbers.

    The scale of the threat infrastructure emerged when INTERPOL concluded Operation Synergia III in March, taking down 45,000 malicious IP addresses and servers worldwide. Within that total, police in Macau alone uncovered more than 33,000 fraudulent websites operating as fake casino platforms and spoofed portals designed to harvest personal and financial credentials.

    Recent security investigations demonstrate how threat groups use localized mobile tools to penetrate devices across the region. In October, cybersecurity firm ThreatFabric documented Hirudo, an Android trojan that triggers a purchase before projecting an interface carrying counterfeit Malaysian bank and wallet branding.

    Spoofing Local Checkout Interfaces

    ThreatFabric documented a trojan called Hirudo, which operates by initiating a transaction and generating a transparent graphical overlay across the phone screen. The counterfeit screen replicates the checkout branding of major Malaysian banks and electronic wallet providers, intercepting the user’s personal identification number before presenting a falsified success notification.

    The mechanics exploit payment habits developed in regional commerce. Malaysian shoppers expect deposit screens to show Touch ‘n Go or DuitNow interfaces, rather than standard payment cards. In a review of PIN-approved e-wallet casino payments, a Malaysian comparison site that deposited with two local wallets at each operator found Touch ‘n Go accepted at all ten it listed and DuitNow at eight. Genuine transactions process verification inside the standalone payment app, with the merchant receiving merely a reference code.

    Hirudo alters that structure entirely. The malicious package renders the credential entry form within the host program itself. When a transaction completes, the software sends a forged confirmation notice back to the lure interface, even though no legitimate funds transfer occurred through the wallet system.

    Surveillance Disguised as Consumer Tools

    Technical analyses reveal identical delivery models elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Security firm PT ITSEC Asia dissected an Android application named Gacor Max, distributed across Indonesia via direct messaging campaigns that routed users to spoofed Google Play storefronts. The name borrows Indonesian slang for a slot machine paying out cash.

    The code requested immediate access to phone states, cameras, and local media storage before reaching any interactive interface. Devices running the package maintained persistent background wake locks, keeping the malware operational while freezing on an emulator loading screen. Similarly, threat monitors at Infoblox traced a fraudulent program named Universe Browser, circulated across regional gaming sites by a group tracked as Vault Viper. While marketed as a privacy platform, the software redirects web traffic through external servers in China and executes background payloads.

    The Proliferation of Interface Overlays

    Interface overlays have become standard infrastructure for financial malware operating across regional digital ecosystems. Group-IB documented RemControl, an Android banking threat that projects full-screen replicas of legitimate banking apps over consumer software. Related tracking of ToxicPanda revealed fake login interfaces designed for 349 financial institutions operating in 16 markets.

    For mobile commerce operators, these intrusions undermine user confidence at checkout. Digital wallets rely on end-to-end user confirmation, directing customers never to share one-time passwords or input credentials outside designated application boundaries. When third-party apps simulate checkout dialogues, the security perimeter established between merchants and payment gateways breaks down on the local client device.

    The current malware expansion builds on structural distribution networks uncovered during INTERPOL’s Operation Synergia III, which dismantled cross-border cyber infrastructure earlier this year. As regional mobile wallet adoption accelerates across consumer services, threat groups continue shifting away from general phishing links toward targeted, localized mobile payloads disguised as consumer entertainment software.

  • Zepto Delivers 14,000 Gold and Silver Coins an Hour in Festive Shift

    Zepto Delivers 14,000 Gold and Silver Coins an Hour in Festive Shift

    Indian quick-commerce platform Zepto delivered more than 14,000 gold and silver coins per hour at peak demand during Dhanteras, signalling a rapid move away from traditional physical markets.

    Co-founder and chief executive Aadit Palicha revealed that purchases reached nearly 298 precious metal coins in a single minute, demonstrating how instant logistics networks are capturing high-ticket holiday retail alongside everyday staples.

    Competitor Swiggy Instamart witnessed a parallel surge in consumer spending throughout the festive week, logging a 23-fold increase in gold coin orders and a sevenfold increase in silver purchases ahead of Dhanteras.

    Surging Volumes Across Traditional festive Goods

    The rush extended far beyond precious metals into household items tied to Hindu festive rituals. Broom sales climbed 38.6 times compared to an ordinary day, while steel utensil orders rose 20 times and decorative light volumes multiplied by 18.2 times.

    Shoppers also turned to instant delivery for ritual accessories and apparel. Zepto moved roughly 6,000 units of rangoli colours and cotton wicks per hour during peak windows, while men’s kurta orders increased 5.4 times.

    Rival Platforms See High-Ticket Dhanteras Orders

    Rival operator Swiggy Instamart recorded a parallel spike in consumer spending during the festive week. Orders for gold coins surged 23 times in the seven days leading up to Dhanteras, while silver coin transactions expanded sevenfold.

    Basket values reflected immense consumer trust in delivery riders carrying high-ticket goods across Indian metros. One customer spent Rs 1.73 lakh on gold coins in a single checkout, while a shopper in Noida completed nine separate orders totalling nearly Rs 5 lakh.

    Instant Delivery Rewires Indian Festive Commerce

    For neighborhood jewellers and bazaar merchants, the Dhanteras numbers point to an immediate structural challenge. Indian families traditionally visited neighborhood jewellery stores to examine hallmarked coins and purchase brass or steel kitchenware in person, treating the outing as an essential holiday ritual.

    Dark store networks have broken that habit by delivering physical commodities to doorsteps in ten minutes flat. Quick commerce operators now hold high-value inventory in temperature-controlled suburban micro-warehouses, bypassing traditional showroom overheads while offering rapid doorstep fulfilment.

    Dark Store Economics Expand Beyond Groceries

    Grocery orders historically gave quick commerce operators low gross margins, forcing platforms to search for higher-margin merchandise to offset courier fuel and warehouse labour. Precious metals, fashion apparel, and kitchen appliances generate higher basket values that improve order economics instantly.

    The logistical risk shifts squarely to shrink control and rider security. Couriers transporting lakhs worth of bullion through crowded holiday traffic create distinct operational liabilities that ordinary milk and snack deliveries never presented.

    The Trajectory of Ultrafast Retail Diversification

    The pivot into seasonal bullion follows months of aggressive category expansion by quick commerce operators like Zepto and Swiggy Instamart. Platforms initially tested electronics, beauty, and small home appliances before attempting high-security precious metals.

    As platforms compile final order volumes from the broader Diwali shopping window, the key metric remains return rates and inventory turnover across non-grocery categories as dark store operators prepare their merchandise mix for the upcoming wedding season.

  • Temu Joins Philippine Anti-Counterfeiting Pact Across 90 Markets

    Temu Joins Philippine Anti-Counterfeiting Pact Across 90 Markets

    Chinese e-commerce platform Temu has agreed to cooperate with the Philippine government to eliminate counterfeit goods from online marketplaces, signing a memorandum of understanding with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

    The voluntary agreement creates a direct mechanism for intellectual property rights holders to report potentially infringing listings and coordinate removals with participating operators.

    Temu, which operates in more than 90 markets globally after entering the Philippines in 2023, joins regional competitors Lazada, Shopee, Zalora and TikTok Shop under the IPOPHL framework following preliminary talks in June.

    How the Takedown System Works

    Under the voluntary framework, rights holders submit suspected knockoffs directly to participating operators. Temu will then coordinate with the regulator and brand owners to verify complaints and take down listings.

    The company enters an arrangement that already binds Lazada, Shopee, Zalora and TikTok Shop. Together, those platforms account for the vast majority of cross-border consumer marketplace volume in the Philippines.

    “E-commerce platforms are a significant driver of consumer activity in the Philippines, making them important partners in protecting buyers and legitimate businesses from counterfeit goods,” IPOPHL Deputy Director General Nathaniel Arevalo said.

    Screening Database and Brand Protection

    Temu built out internal intellectual property controls ahead of the Manila agreement. The platform set up an IP Protection Portal in 2023 and rolled out its Brand Guardian Initiative in 2024, logging regular communication with more than 3,000 rights holders.

    Its backend screening database tracks more than 15,000 brands. That system uses 47 million reference images and 9.5 million keywords to catch infringements before or after products go live.

    Shifting Regulatory Pressure on Low-Cost Marketplaces

    Voluntary pacts give regulators faster takedown use without tying up cases in local courts. For discount platforms relying on direct-from-factory Chinese merchants, policing millions of bargain listings is the price of keeping local market access.

    Signing on brings Temu level with established Southeast Asian rivals on paper. The operational friction sits in enforcement: automatic keyword and image filters often miss rebadged consumer goods, leaving the burden of discovery on local brand owners.

    Timeline Behind the Manila Agreement

    Temu entered the Philippine retail market in 2023, competing directly with regional incumbents on cut-rate apparel, electronics and home goods. Talks with Manila officials gained traction in June during a World Intellectual Property Organization session on digital commerce.

    The next metric to monitor is the volume of formal takedown notices brand owners file through the IPOPHL portal once Temu integrates its notice-and-takedown workflow.

  • Coupang Swings to $501 Million Loss as Warehouse Fire Offsets Revenue Beat

    Coupang Swings to $501 Million Loss as Warehouse Fire Offsets Revenue Beat

    Coupang plunged to a $501 million net loss in the third quarter after absorbing $248 million in costs from a logistics centre fire in Incheon.

    Total net revenue rose 7 per cent year-on-year to $10 billion for the three months ended September 30, beating Wall Street consensus projections of $9.76 billion.

    On a constant currency basis, revenue climbed 11 per cent, clearing management’s guidance of 8 to 9 per cent growth. That top-line momentum failed to protect the bottom line against sudden operational shocks and aggressive promotional spending. The business posted an operating loss of $450 million for the quarter, compared to a $202 million operating loss when backing out the direct fallout of the warehouse blaze.

    The Balance Sheet Cost of the Incheon Blaze

    The July fire at the Incheon fulfilment facility tore through both cost of sales and administrative budgets. Direct fire expenses hit $248 million, split between $95 million in cost of sales and $153 million recorded across operating, general and administrative lines. Consolidated gross profit fell 6 per cent to $2.6 billion, contracting the group gross margin by 364 basis points to 25.7 per cent. Stripping out the $95 million inventory and fulfilment write-down left an adjusted gross margin of 26.7 per cent, which still deteriorated 270 basis points from the same period a year earlier.

    Diluted loss per share touched $0.28, or roughly $0.18 when excluding the fire impact. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA slid to $116 million, leaving a margin of just 1.2 per cent. Selling goods faster did not cushion profitability because the underlying delivery apparatus had to route around disrupted infrastructure.

    Core Commerce Margin Compression in South Korea

    Product Commerce, the core domestic marketplace in South Korea, delivered $8.4 billion in quarterly revenue. The unit grew 5 per cent on a reported basis and 8 per cent in constant currency. Adjusting for the calendar shift of the Chuseok holiday, constant-currency revenue growth reached roughly 9 per cent, an acceleration from the second quarter, extending the 4 per cent total net revenue increase posted in the second quarter. Active customers using the flagship apps inched up 2 per cent year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter to 25.2 million.

    Profit margins inside the home market took a heavy beating. Product Commerce gross profit stood at $2.4 billion, yielding a reported gross margin of 28.4 per cent. Excluding disaster costs, the division generated a 29.5 per cent margin, down 260 basis points from the prior year and 100 basis points from the preceding quarter. Product Commerce adjusted EBITDA excluding the fire came to $385 million, a 4.6 per cent margin down 420 basis points from the third quarter of last year. Chief financial officer Gaurav Anand pinned the deterioration on supply-chain bottlenecks, heavy promotional spending to win back shoppers, fixed-cost deleveraging, and a 40-basis-point margin drag caused by the Chuseok shift.

    Market Share Defences and Supplier Levers

    Domestic rivals have spent the past year slashing commission rates and subsidising shipping to chip away at Coupang’s dominance, forcing the group to buy customer loyalty at the expense of its own margins. Chief executive Bom Kim acknowledged that customer growth carried the scars of an earlier data incident, where an unreturned cohort continued to hold back domestic volumes. Returning customers are spending at historical levels, but reacquiring lapsed shoppers required sustained discount campaigns that weighed on quarterly returns. To anchor its 25.2 million users, the company rolled out a Try Now, Pay Later feature for its paid WOW subscription tier, allowing shoppers to test apparel for seven days before paying.

    The financial pressure travels down the supply chain. E-commerce platforms across North Asia face rising warehouse automation overheads alongside tighter seller economics. Coupang’s need to rebuild margins will inevitably force tougher terms on third-party merchants and brands that rely on Rocket Delivery to reach urban households. If the platform cuts promotional subsidies as planned, consumer brands will have to fund their own discounts or accept slower inventory turns.

    Taiwan Outpacing Domestic Momentum

    International and new ventures provided the top-line bright spot. The Developing Offerings division, which houses the rapid expansion into Taiwan, generated $1.6 billion in revenue during the quarter. That represented a 23 per cent reported jump and a 27 per cent surge in constant currency. Over the trailing twelve months, Developing Offerings brought in $5.8 billion, running 26 per cent ahead of the previous year.

    Building a second logistics network outside South Korea carries a familiar burn rate. The company is replicating its capital-intensive Rocket Delivery infrastructure, taking on upfront lease commitments and delivery fleet costs in an overseas market contested by established regional players. While the revenue contribution of overseas bets climbs, it dilutes consolidated margins just as the cash engine at home stutters.

    Mid-2027 Margin Recovery Target

    Operational repair now hinges on a strict deadline. Management has started trimming marketing budgets earmarked for win-back campaigns, projecting that customer acquisition costs will drop through the first half of the coming year. The company expects Product Commerce adjusted EBITDA margins to climb back toward pre-incident trajectories by mid-2027, with performance fluctuating across seasonal shopping peaks.

    RetailNews Asia will track Coupang’s fourth-quarter filings to verify whether customer retention holds as fashion try-out benefits scale up and promotional discounts wind down.

  • Kakao Swings to Net Profit of KRW 526 Billion

    Kakao Swings to Net Profit of KRW 526 Billion

    Kakao Corp lifted annual operating profit by 48 per cent to KRW 732 billion in 2025 as full-year revenue reached KRW 8.1 trillion, pulling the company out of a previous net loss.

    The platform operator closed the year with a net profit of KRW 526 billion, recovering from a KRW 162 billion deficit in 2024.

    Core messaging network KakaoTalk held 49 million monthly active users in South Korea at the close of the period, securing 97 per cent market share among domestic chat applications and reaching roughly 95 per cent of the national population. Total platform segment revenue rose 17 per cent to KRW 1.22 trillion. Within that unit, business messaging and advertising layer Talk Biz delivered KRW 627 billion, up 13 per cent year-on-year. Commerce operations brought in KRW 253 billion, an 8 per cent rise, supported by KRW 10 trillion in annual commerce gross merchandise value recorded in 2024.

    Offline checkout growth drives fintech gains

    Kakao Pay accumulated more than 42 million registered users and 23 million monthly active users through late 2025. Total payment volume climbed 12 per cent year-on-year to KRW 47 trillion in the third quarter of 2025, driven by a 46 per cent jump in offline checkout volume across physical retail merchants. Quarterly revenue at the payments arm rose 28 per cent, while average transaction frequency reached 75 transactions per user in the third quarter, representing a 43 per cent gain.

    Other operating units retained domestic dominance while pruning unprofitable digital ventures. Kakao Mobility maintained a 90 per cent share of the local ride-hailing sector with 9.2 million monthly active users on Kakao T, while rolling out cross-border transit booking service k.ride across 12 overseas markets. Banking arm Kakao Bank counted more than 24 million customers across its digital-only system, with the parent holding a 27 per cent stake. Kakao Entertainment closed its overseas web novel site Radish in late 2025 to focus resources on its primary platform Tapas and its controlling stake in K-pop label SM Entertainment, which Kakao acquired in 2023.

    Rivals challenge core local dominance

    Competition across consumer touchpoints in Seoul is intensifying from cross-town rival Naver and international players. Naver built its base on web search and e-commerce shopping directories, matching Kakao Pay directly in checkout processing while both groups target cross-border retail expenditure from outbound Korean travellers. Naver also paired with Uber to challenge the transport sector. That joint offensive lifted Uber’s share of ride bookings in Seoul to between 7 and 8 per cent, up from 3 to 4 per cent within a single year.

    Global search providers pose an additional threat to domestic retail footfall mapping. South Korean regulators cleared Google to roll out direct navigation features, dismantling historical data localisation curbs that previously shielded Kakao Map and Naver Map from overseas platforms. This shift exposes an interface that Korean retailers and food service outlets have used as a primary customer discovery channel.

    Legal clearances protect neobank stake

    The financial turnaround follows a disruptive corporate crisis that peaked in July 2024 with the arrest of company founder Kim Beom-su. State prosecutors charged Kim with manipulating SM Entertainment stock prices during a competitive bidding contest against entertainment agency HYBE, keeping him in custody for 100 days. A conviction risked triggering South Korean banking regulations that could have forced Kakao to sell down its 27 per cent holding in Kakao Bank.

    The Seoul Southern District Court acquitted Kim, Kakao Corp, and Kakao Entertainment of all charges in October 2025, ruling that the transaction did not constitute market manipulation. The decision removed the immediate operational threat to the digital banking unit, though prosecutors have filed an appeal to contest the ruling.

    Regulatory pressure remains elevated as antitrust officials examine concentration rules across digital marketplaces, transport, and app store ecosystems. To defend engagement, Kakao scheduled the consumer rollout of its proactive artificial intelligence assistant Kanana on iOS and Android devices, integrating conversational task management and commercial bookings straight into KakaoTalk chat threads.

  • Peppermint Bizmoto Partners with HaveIt to Power Transport Payments

    Peppermint Bizmoto Partners with HaveIt to Power Transport Payments

    Peppermint Bizmoto, the company operating the bizmoto e-wallet, has agreed to provide the payment processing infrastructure for HaveIt’s transport and consumer services ecosystem. Announced in November 2026, the deal links Peppermint directly to HaveIt’s passenger-matching mobility arm, Ride It.

    Peppermint secured its electronic money issuer licence from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in 2022, enabling it to issue digital wallets through the bizmoto app. Integrating its payment rails allows HaveIt to support passenger transactions while directing resources toward scaling its transport services.

    Neither party revealed a launch timeline or confirmed the specific payment methods passenger accounts will support. Integration will route consumer payments and transport bookings through the bizmoto infrastructure, letting HaveIt offload payment compliance while scaling its passenger fleet.

    Rider Economics and Transport Competition

    For HaveIt, running a transport network company without proprietary payment plumbing removes a heavy regulatory burden. Building an in-house clearing engine in the Philippines requires dedicated central bank clearances, capital reserves and continuous anti-money laundering compliance. Outsourcing the settlement layer to Peppermint hands HaveIt a ready-made digital wallet architecture without the overhead of maintaining an e-money issuer licence.

    Ride-hailing margins in Southeast Asia hinge on transaction friction. Platforms that force drivers and riders to jump through disconnected payment channels bleed market share to unified operators. Supplying direct digital payment rails across Ride It gives HaveIt a fighting chance to retain drivers who demand fast daily fare settlements.

    Merchant Rails and Sari-Sari Integration

    Peppermint brings more than consumer wallets to the arrangement. Its parent company, Peppermint Innovation, trades on the Australian Securities Exchange, while Peppermint Bizmoto received an electronic money issuer licence from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in 2022. By 2025, the operator established direct connectivity to InstaPay for real-time fund transfers across domestic commercial banks and competing digital wallets.

    Crucially for transport networks operating in dense urban centres, Peppermint also holds a central bank merchant acquisition licence. That clearance allows it to sign up neighborhood sari-sari stores to take QR Ph payments through bizmoto. Tying driver payouts into that neighborhood network creates an immediate cash-in, cash-out ecosystem on the ground.

    Building Transaction Scale Against Market Giants

    Independent e-wallets in the Philippines face extreme consolidation pressures. Dominant players control the vast majority of consumer wallet volume and consumer lending books across the archipelago. Smaller balance sheets cannot easily outspend those market leaders on consumer acquisition incentives.

    Peppermint’s play relies on embedded utility rather than standalone consumer marketing. Securing closed-loop transport platforms like HaveIt generates recurring transaction flow from daily commuters. Every daily ride booked through Ride It represents repeatable transaction volume running over Peppermint’s processing rails.

    What Operators Are Watching Next

    The immediate operational challenge sits in fare settlement mechanics. Transport network operators must settle cash balances with thousands of independent riders while managing digital transaction disputes and platform commissions. Speed of driver cashouts often decides which platform drivers keep switched on during peak commuting hours.

    Neither partner has released a firm launch date for the live wallet integration on the Ride It application, which will reveal the supported payment instruments and whether riders can tap QR Ph rails on day one.

  • Zhang Yiming Tops China Wealth List with Nearly $100 Billion Fortune

    Zhang Yiming Tops China Wealth List with Nearly $100 Billion Fortune

    ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has regained the top spot on China’s wealth ranking with a fortune of nearly US$100 billion, driven by artificial intelligence deployment across his consumer technology empire.

    His net worth surged 43 percent over the past year, displacing bottled water magnate Zhong Shanshan after consumer goods company Nongfu Spring saw its founder’s valuation drop 23 percent to $61 billion.

    The annual Hurun China Rich List, published Tuesday by the Shanghai-based Hurun Research Institute, tracked 1,529 individuals holding fortunes above 5 billion yuan ($750 million) as of Sept. 1. Mainland real estate operators dropped entirely out of the top 100 ranks, completing a decadelong transformation in the engines driving Chinese capital.

    Artificial Intelligence Reshapes Top Ranks

    About 160 individuals on the roster, roughly 10 percent of the total cohort, generated their primary wealth through artificial intelligence applications and foundational hardware. ByteDance accelerated that momentum through consumer-facing tools, deploying the Doubao chatbot into China’s most active automated assistant alongside video-generation software Seedance.

    Newer entrants took immediate command of the top ten. DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, 41, entered the ranking at seventh position with $41.7 billion. Chen Tianshi of semiconductor designer Cambricon Technologies broke into the top 10 for the first time with $30.5 billion, climbing 14 percent.

    Both men now share the distinction of being the youngest self-made entrepreneurs inside the top tier. Zhang, 43, previously held that position.

    Consumer Tech and Hardware Displace Real Estate

    Traditional manufacturing and tech heavyweights shuffled positions behind the top two. Contemporary Amperex Technology founder Robin Zeng Yuqun took third place at $57.3 billion, advancing 17 percent as energy storage demand expanded. Tencent founder Pony Ma Huateng slipped to fourth after his holdings dropped 26 percent to $51.5 billion.

    Appliance manufacturer Midea lifted co-founder He Xiangjian into fifth place. He displaced Xiaomi founder Lei Jun, whose personal valuation dropped by roughly half following market volatility across consumer device lines.

    Hurun Report chairman and chief researcher Rupert Hoogewerf documented the disappearance of residential real estate developers, who accounted for one-third of the top 100 a decade ago. Mainland property names vacated the elite threshold, leaving traditional landlord representation almost solely to established Hong Kong dynasties.

    Today, for the first time ever, not a single mainland property developer remains in the Top 100, the only property names left at the top are the Hong Kong landlord families

    Shifting Capital for Retail and Commercial Operators

    For Asian retail brands and commercial operators, the complete exit of mainland developers marks an irreversible shift in balance-sheet power. Shopping mall construction and commercial master leases across top-tier Chinese cities no longer lean on aggressive land-banking syndicates. Capital flows instead follow software ecosystems, high-efficiency appliances, and hardware components.

    Retail brands across Asia-Pacific face direct exposure to this realigned influence. ByteDance, Tencent, and hardware players dictate consumer acquisition costs and social commerce funnels, leaving commercial landlords with diminishing use over brand tenants. Commercial real estate in Greater China now answers to digital platform power rather than physical site scarcity.

    Hong Kong real estate magnate Li Ka Shing, 98, alongside his son Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, retained a presence in the upper tier with $37.6 billion, up 8 percent. Their persistence reflects mature, diversified infrastructure holding models that survived the residential developer debt unraveling on the mainland.

    The Long Unwind of Property Fortunes

    The transition began after regulatory tightening dismantled debt-fueled expansion strategies among mainland developers. Wealth figures tumbled over multiple assessment cycles, dragging property founders off the boards as credit channels dried up and homebuyer transactions slumped.

    Zhang last held the top position in 2024 before brief market contractions reordered the roster. ByteDance expanded its global digital commerce revenue alongside domestic video and messaging traffic throughout the intervening period, shielding its equity value from regional property fallout.

    Commercial landlords and retail chains will watch ByteDance’s commercial monetization pacing across Doubao and enterprise AI tools in the coming quarters, alongside Nongfu Spring’s ability to protect core beverage shelf pricing against domestic discounters.

  • Pakistan Accelerates Alibaba Projects Under $1 Billion AI Strategy

    Pakistan Accelerates Alibaba Projects Under $1 Billion AI Strategy

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed federal ministries to accelerate joint projects with Alibaba Group to drive agricultural exports and digital trade, tying the initiative to the country’s plan to invest $1 billion in artificial intelligence by 2030.

    Chairing a progress review in Islamabad, Sharif instructed relevant ministries to complete all necessary measures by November following a memorandum of understanding signed at Alibaba’s Hangzhou headquarters in May.

    Under the trade measures, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority is rolling out a two-year programme with Alibaba to grant local businesses access to international buyers and training. Trade documentation is now handled through the operational Pakistan Single Window digital verification system, alongside a dedicated Pakistan pavilion established on Alibaba’s platform to market domestic products internationally.

    Automating Fresh Produce Shipments

    For fresh produce exporters, the collaboration introduces artificial intelligence tools designed to monitor crop quality and streamline clearance. State bodies are rolling out digital export platforms specifically for citrus fruits and olives. The system uses automated track-and-trace technology alongside crop modeling, aiming to cut border clearance delays that frequently spoil perishable shipments.

    Automation is also extending into domestic commodity oversight. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority received Alibaba analytics tools to monitor the movement of petroleum products, while tobacco supply chains are adopting similar tracking systems to curb undocumented trade.

    Alibaba’s Frontier Market Play

    Alibaba’s deepening presence in South Asia demonstrates how the Chinese marketplace operator uses sovereign agreements to secure wholesale merchant bases. Rather than competing directly in localized consumer app delivery, the Hangzhou company is anchoring its cloud and trade rails directly into national export architecture. This mirrors business-to-business models Alibaba deployed across Southeast Asia, locking regional manufacturing and farming cohorts onto its international marketplaces.

    For local exporters and suppliers, the state-backed setup reduces the costs of entering overseas marketplaces. The real vulnerability rests on compliance and infrastructure readiness inside Pakistan. Previous government e-commerce portals struggled with shipment delays, clearing snags, and fragmented digital banking channels that deter foreign wholesale purchasers.

    Hangzhou Pacts Take Concrete Shape

    The operational review follows a memorandum of understanding signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s four-day visit to China in May. That agreement pledged closer cooperation across artificial intelligence, enterprise software, and international commerce, coinciding with Pakistan’s backing of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar signed the formal charter establishing that multilateral body in Shanghai in July.

    Ministries face a November deadline to submit verifiable progress reports to the Prime Minister’s Office detailing SME enrolments, pipeline analytics deployments, and farm export shipments moving through the new trade corridor.

  • AnyMind and Meta Partner to Bring Live Commerce Ads to Asia Pacific

    AnyMind and Meta Partner to Bring Live Commerce Ads to Asia Pacific

    Tokyo commerce technology firm AnyMind Group has teamed up with Meta to funnel social network users from video ads directly into live selling broadcasts across the Asia-Pacific region.

    The integration routes traffic away from social feeds into checkouts hosted on brand websites, proprietary mobile apps, and direct business messaging channels.

    Activations start on Facebook Live video ads in the fourth quarter of 2026, AnyMind said. Instagram rollouts follow in early 2027.

    External Checkouts Replace Native Tools

    Participating merchants will simulcast broadcasts across multiple owned channels simultaneously. Broadcast infrastructure supports human presenters, artificial intelligence avatars, or hybrid presentations featuring both.

    Crucially, the partnership routes consumers out of the social application to finish transactions. Rather than processing payments inside Meta’s walls, the ad format relies on off-platform conversion points.

    Instagram removed its native live shopping features in 2023. By sending shoppers to independent web stores and chat apps, Meta secures advertising spend without taking on inventory management, merchant support, or local payment settlement.

    Rival Pressures in Asian Livestreaming

    For brands and e-commerce merchants across Southeast Asia and East Asia, the partnership offers a direct alternative to closed marketplaces.

    AnyMind gives enterprise brands a way to tap Meta’s massive audience data while retaining ownership of buyer records, customer contact information, and final cart margins. The commercial risk rests squarely on merchant web conversion. Redirecting a mobile user to an external browser or chat app introduces friction that native in-app shops avoid, leaving sellers vulnerable to drop-offs before payment completes.

    Automating Digital Broadcasters

    The push also accelerates AnyMind’s investment in automated retail software across Asia. The company previously moved to integrate Alibaba’s Qwen artificial intelligence models into its live selling tools, giving merchants the ability to run automated multilingual broadcasts without hiring live presenters around the clock.

    Pairing algorithmic hosts with paid Meta ad delivery lets regional retailers test product demand across multiple Asian markets quickly. It lowers the production overhead typically required for live studio broadcasts in regional hubs like Tokyo.

  • TikTok Shop Targets 13.2% Share Across Southeast Asia E-Commerce

    TikTok Shop Targets 13.2% Share Across Southeast Asia E-Commerce

    TikTok Shop is projected to take a 13.2 per cent share of Southeast Asia’s e-commerce market in 2023, upending the hierarchy established by regional incumbents. The platform is tracking toward a gross merchandise value target of US$15 billion this year, according to data from venture builder Momentum Works.

    That volume represents more than a threefold jump from the US$4.4 billion recorded across the region in 2022. The rapid expansion pulls the ByteDance unit into direct parity with Indonesian market leader Tokopedia, which holds an estimated 13.9 per cent share, while closing the gap on Lazada at 17.7 per cent.

    Beauty Baskets Drive Volume Growth

    Personal care and beauty products form the engine of the platform’s regional expansion. The category accounts for 84 per cent of all products sold on TikTok Shop and generates 70 per cent of its total gross merchandise value.

    Merchants and cosmetics brands rely heavily on product bundling strategies across their livestreams to push average order values higher. By pairing skin creams, lip tints and cleansers into discounted kits, sellers generate bulk purchases from viewers watching real-time product demonstrations.

    The concentration in beauty mirrors the early development of social commerce in mainland China, where low-ticket impulse buys established initial buying habits before consumers shifted toward consumer electronics and household goods.

    Shopee Steps Up Indonesian Livestream Battle

    Market leader Shopee still retains the dominant regional footprint with a projected 46.5 per cent market share for 2023. Sea Group is responding directly by diverting resources into its own live shopping features to defend its merchant base in major markets like Indonesia.

    During its 7.7 campaign in Indonesia, Shopee logged a 12-fold increase in transaction volumes through livestreaming channels compared to a standard trading day, Sea Group chief executive Forrest Li told analysts on an earnings call. That spending shift demonstrates how legacy marketplace operators must now pay to defend engagement formats they once treated as optional add-ons.

    For consumer brands and multi-channel retailers across Southeast Asia, the fragmentation of platform market share alters commercial use. Sellers no longer rely entirely on Shopee search placements or Lazada campaign days to clear inventory. Instead, marketing budgets are flowing toward video creator networks, changing merchant acquisition costs and logistics routing across Jakarta.

    Disruption Tests Traditional Network Effects

    Established marketplaces long operated under the assumption that vast merchant catalogs and established logistics routes created insurmountable defenses. The surge of video-led buying breaks that pattern by pulling purchasing directly into entertainment feeds.

    “The bigger narrative is that in ecommerce, where leading players seem to have a network effect and structural advantage, disruption can still happen, and the incumbents should always remain focused and vigilant,” Chen said in a statement.

    Weihan Chen, insights lead at Momentum Works, noted that incumbents face structural pressure regardless of whether TikTok Shop operates as an isolated social platform or a full-scale marketplace operator.

    The threat is particularly sharp in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest retail economy, where ByteDance has staged extensive offline merchant recruitment drives and creator summits. Having reached scale in beauty, the platform now faces the harder operational test of building delivery networks and merchant infrastructure capable of handling bulkier, higher-value consumer goods without margin erosion.

    Momentum Works is scheduled to release the complete market share dataset across Southeast Asia’s digital commerce sector in an upcoming research report, outlining full-year regional gross merchandise volume tallies.