Breaking News
Amazon launches bulk storage for sellers in Europe
Amazon launched its bulk storage program Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD) on August 20 in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK. Sellers can now store larger inventories with Amazon long-term, which then get automatically distributed to FBA warehouses as needed. For brands, this is a tempting cost advantage over running their own multi-country warehouses – just one that increasingly ties their logistics strategy to a single ecosystem. See more on Ecommerce News
More News
Shein eyes significantly lower IPO valuation
Shein is reportedly targeting a valuation of around $25 billion for its planned Hong Kong IPO – well below the $30 to $40 billion previously discussed. Weak growth, new tariffs, and a slide into losses in the first quarter are putting pressure on its low-cost model. Find out more on Handelsblatt
Ikea takes on Vinted and eBay
After trials in Spain and Norway, Ikea is launching its own secondhand platform in the UK this year, where Ikea Family members can buy and sell used furniture directly with each other. This turns Ikea from a manufacturer into an operator of its own secondhand market, keeping products, customers, and transactions within its own ecosystem. See more on ChannelX
Swiss online retail grows sharply in H1
Swiss retail grew 2.6 percent nominally in the first half of 2026, while online retail rose far more sharply, by 8 to 11 percent – driven mainly by leisure, sports, home & living, and consumer electronics. Notably, online fashion sales dropped 16.1 percent, which, against an otherwise stable overall market, points to a shift back toward brick-and-mortar retailers. Read more on Carpathia
JD.com: revenue decline and geopolitical headwinds
JD.com reported its first revenue decline since its 2014 IPO, while net profit rose nearly 15 percent at the same time. The drop is attributed to the expiration of state consumer subsidies. Meanwhile, China is blocking support for the EU’s review of the planned Ceconomy acquisition, a move likely to significantly complicate the process for the European Commission. See the full story on Financial Times (Revenue) and Reuters (Blockage)
Airborne News
Amazon takes off: Prime Air arrives in the UK
Amazon has officially brought its Prime Air drone delivery service to the UK – its first expansion outside the US. In parallel, Amazon plans to expand the service to 500 US cities by the end of 2026, six times more than today, with delivery times of up to 30 minutes. This turns Prime Air from a tech experiment into a serious logistics building block – and the next battle in e-commerce could increasingly be fought over delivery speed rather than price alone. Find out more on ChannelX (UK) and Amazon (USA)
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