E-commerce

PDD Holdings, the operator of Pinduoduo and Temu, reported an 11% drop in quarterly profit to 24.5 billion yuan on Wednesday, despite higher sales, as it shifts toward greater reinvestment. Full-year net profit fell 12% to 99.3 billion yuan, while revenue rose 10% to 431.8 billion yuan.

March 11, 2026 Ti AI ṣe iroyin

A San Francisco federal court has granted Amazon a temporary injunction against Perplexity, ordering the AI company to halt its Comet browser's use for making purchases on Amazon's platform. The ruling addresses concerns over unauthorized access to user accounts. Perplexity has one week to appeal the decision.

eBay has updated its User Agreement to prohibit third-party AI agents and chatbots from making purchases on its platform without permission. The policy, effective February 20, 2026, addresses the growing trend of 'agentic commerce' tools that automate shopping. This move allows eBay to pursue legal action against violators while leaving room for its own AI developments.

January 20, 2026 Ti AI ṣe iroyin

Swedish home-furnishing giant IKEA is launching its services in Tamil Nadu through an online-first approach, eight years after opening its first store in India. Deliveries will begin on January 22 in major cities including Chennai and Coimbatore. Physical stores are planned for the future as part of a broader expansion.

South Africa's retail sector is entering the 2025 festive season with cautious resilience amid structural shifts. Sales in textiles, furniture, and online channels are rising, but households remain budget-conscious due to inflation and value concerns. This transition highlights a blend of seasonal spikes and long-term changes in consumer behavior.

December 25, 2025 Ti AI ṣe iroyin

South Korean police have started forensic examination of a suspect's laptop, recovered by Coupang in the data breach affecting 33 million customers. The e-commerce firm claims a former employee accessed and saved data from 3,000 accounts but deleted it without external transfer—a statement dismissed by authorities as unverified.