Breaking News
Amazon turns Alexa into a shopping agent
Amazon is moving another step closer to agentic shopping: The platform is combining Rufus and Alexa+ into Alexa for Shopping, bringing an AI shopping assistant to the Amazon Shopping App, the website and Echo Show devices. The assistant is designed to search for and compare products, track prices, manage shopping baskets and, in future, trigger purchases at a desired target price. At the same time, Amazon is currently putting together a team of specialists tasked with developing an API for AI agents – to enable controlled access for external bots. Read more on ChannelX (Alexa+) and LinkedIn (API)
More News
JD.com grows despite headwinds in China
JD.com beat expectations in the first quarter and reported revenue of $46.47 billion. Net profit came in above analyst expectations, but declined significantly year-on-year. At the same time, JD.com is increasing its appeal to premium and beauty brands. Chanel opened an official beauty flagship store for fragrances, make-up and skincare on the platform on 11 May. Find out more on RetailNewsAsia figures) and Retail Gazette (Chanel)
Ceconomy grows ahead of planned JD.com takeover
Ceconomy, the parent company of MediaMarktSaturn, increased revenue to €13.1 billion in the first half of 2025/26. Adjusted EBIT rose to €347 million, while the online share reached 28.5 %. The marketplace also continues to grow dynamically, now with more than 2,600 sellers and around 4 million products. And all this in the very phase in which JD.com is pushing ahead with its takeover of Ceconomy. See more on Ceconomy
Allegro raises international targets and partners with OpenAI
After a strong start to the year, Allegro is raising its targets for the international business. GMV on its international marketplaces rose by 46.3 % to zł804 million in the first quarter, and for 2026 Allegro now expects 40 to 45 % GMV growth outside Poland. At the same time, the Polish marketplace is starting a partnership with OpenAI. The aim is to develop new AI applications for commerce, marketing and seller support. Read more on FashionNetwork (forecast) and Ecommercenews (OpenAI)
Douglas loses more than expected
Douglas reported a higher adjusted net loss than expected in the second quarter. The loss came in at €10 million, while analysts had expected only €5 million. Revenue rose slightly by 1.1 % to €949.7 million, while adjusted EBITDA declined by 5.1 %. Douglas now plans to invest more selectively in omnichannel services, assortment and technology. More on FashionNetwork
Blackstone acquires majority stake in Skroutz
Blackstone is acquiring a majority stake in Greek e-commerce market leader Skroutz from CVC Capital Partners. The founders will remain involved in the business. The deal shows that local marketplace champions remain strategically interesting for international investors. Read more on Ecommercenews
Hertz sells used cars through eBay shop
Hertz Car Sales is expanding its online presence and opening its own shop on eBay. It gives buyers access to more than 8,000 Hertz-certified vehicles. The inventory mainly consists of vehicles from its own rental fleet. Following the launch on Amazon Autos in 2025 and its own online sales platform, Hertz is further expanding its digital sales offensive. See the full story on Digital Commerce 360
Unsurprising News
eBay rejects GameStop offer
eBay has rejected GameStop’s surprising $55.5 billion takeover offer, as expected, calling it “neither credible nor attractive”. GameStop had offered $125 per share and argued that eBay could become a stronger Amazon competitor under Ryan Cohen. See more on Retail Gazette
Don’t want to miss any news? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!