Marketplace Pulse

TikTok Shop is rapidly expanding into Europe while facing existential uncertainty in the United States. The platform is now hiring for nearly 100 TikTok Shop-specific roles across Europe. When compared to GMV, European recruitment is approaching the growth levels of TikTok’s fastest growing market, the U.S., and far outpacing its biggest market, Asia. The focus is on four core countries—Germany, France, Spain, and Italy—the same markets Amazon first targeted in its European expansion beyond the UK. Key roles include logistics managers in Munich and Madrid in preparation for FBT—Fulfilled By TikTok—services to roll out across Europe. Some form of compromise will probably emerge in the U.S., whether through ownership changes, data handling adjustments, or other concessions. However, TikTok isn't waiting for a resolution—it's pursuing aggressive growth globally while negotiations continue. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gSCMGhXn

The aggregator model isn’t dead; it’s just evolving. Carbon6 – an aggregator of Amazon seller tools, rather than Amazon brands – recently finalized its 9-figure exit to SPS Commerce. Brand aggregators, on the other hand, continue to struggle – SellerX just announced plans to lay off 20% of its staff. Yet e-commerce’s share of total retail has once again matched the dizzy highs of the pandemic-influenced 2020. The concept of aggregation is sound, the outworking of it altogether more complex. Full article: https://lnkd.in/dwB6435F

In 2024, Chinese sellers made up nearly half of the new sellers added to Walmart’s marketplace, accelerating the platform’s transformation into yet another channel dominated by Chinese merchants. Walmart’s marketplace is following Amazon’s path – where Chinese sellers already represent more than 50% of sellers. According to Marketplace Pulse data, 41% of new sellers joining Walmart in 2024 were based in China, up from just 16% of new additions in 2023. As a result, Chinese sellers now represent 28% of all active sellers on Walmart, up from 20% at the end of 2023 and less than 1% at the start of 2021. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ewd3DMKg

A record-high 62% of units sold on Amazon in Q4 were by third-party sellers, who now dominate the marketplace more than ever. But this isn't their victory — it's Amazon's strategy. It's a systematic shift from high-risk retail operations to high-margin fee revenue. Amazon's market share makes it impossible for sellers to ignore, and sellers' dependence makes it impossible not to exploit. The marketplace started twenty-five years ago as an experiment in selection. It's becoming an exercise in extraction. With Amazon's fee and ad revenue set to overtake its retail revenue in the coming years, the need for sellers to diversify has never been more apparent. Link to full article in the comments. #amazon #ecommerce #retail #marketplace #amazonsellers

In 1938, U.S. Congress created the $1 de minimis rule for convenience. In 2016, the Obama administration increased the threshold to $800 for growth. In 2024, U.S. Customs processed 1 billion de minimis parcels. In 2025, the Trump administration officially suspended de minimis for Chinese imports. For years, low-cost platforms like Temu and Shein have been exploiting the de minimis loophole to fuel explosive growth in the U.S., making up 60% of qualifying imports. Under this new suspension, every package must be processed and taxed. The options for these platforms are limited. Absorbing the cost is one, and increasing their prices is another. Another option is to double down on recent efforts to establish a logistics presence in the U.S. This won’t help avoid tariffs, but it could help improve delivery times and further threaten domestic players like Amazon. With counter-tariffs already announced by China, the de minimis ripple will continue for some time. What do you think happens next? #amazon #temu #shein #deminimis #tariffs

Amazon Haul is offering its deepest discounts yet, with some items reaching up to 90% off through layered promotions, as Amazon continues aggressive subsidization despite the looming changes to the de minimis import threshold.

In 2024 — again — nearly a million new sellers joined the Amazon marketplace. There is no shortage of interest despite Amazon’s slower growth, increasing competition, and more complex rules to achieve profitability.

In 2024, China-based sellers increased their market share to more than 50% on Amazon.

In 2024, Amazon again had a record-breaking year despite growing criticism from workers, sellers, governments, and shoppers.

TikTok Shop will sell roughly $8 billion in goods this year. It is set to get banned in January, along with the rest of TikTok. With it, social commerce will disappear, too.