A.P. Moller – Maersk Saudi Arabia (Maersk) and Saudi Post Company (SPL) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost eCommerce logistics in Saudi Arabia and the broader GCC region.

The partnership merges Saudi Post’s nationwide logistics network with Maersk’s global supply chain expertise, offering end-to-end solutions for international eCommerce players.

Aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, this collaboration aims to streamline cross-border operations and elevate service quality for customers entering or expanding in the region.

Under the agreement, Saudi Post will handle in-Kingdom operations, while Maersk manages international transport and origin services.

Maersk’s new Integrated Logistics Park in Jeddah will serve as the partnership’s key hub.

READ: Maersk, Castlery forge freight and logistics partnership

Ahmed Al Olaby, Director, Maersk Saudi Arabia, said: “We are excited to partner with Saudi Post, who operate an unparalleled distribution network in Saudi Arabia, to create an integrated logistics solution that addresses the growing demand for efficient eCommerce fulfilment in the country.

“Our extensive, global ocean network, along with the newly opened Integrated Logistics Park, would combine with Saudi Post’s extensive domestic network, positioning us to deliver world-class logistics services that support businesses looking to enter or expand in the Saudi market.”

Rouni Saad, The International Business Sales Director, SPL Group, stated: “The strategic collaboration between SPL and Maersk is pivotal in streamlining cross-border e-commerce flows to and from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, enhancing connectivity, reliability, and growth opportunities across the region.”

In April, Maersk opened a new warehouse in Senegal, marking a key step in its strategy to strengthen logistics infrastructure across West Africa.

Author Credits- Dom Magli
PORT TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL

The African ecommerce company could be acquired by the telecommunications company, which has been progressively increasing its stake in recent months and raised $600 million just this week.

New chapter for African e-commerce. Jumia could be close to being acquired by Axian Telecom. The telecommunications company has raised $600 million this week, to refinance its debt and aim for a possible acquisition of the African ecommerce giant, Bloomberg news agency has advanced.

Axian Telecom has been progressively increasing its stake in Jumia, and revealed in May that it already owned 8% of its shares. The deal would aim to contribute to the expansion of both companies on the African continent.

Headquartered in Mauritius, Axian mainly offers telecommunications services in Africa. Jumia, also known as the African Amazon, has a market valuation of approximately $500 million. It was one of the first African companies to achieve unicorn status, reserved for those with a valuation of more than $1 billion.

Jumia is known as the African Amazon and has a valuation of $500 million

If the deal is formalized, Jumia could be delisted from the stock market, where its shares have fallen significantly since its IPO. However, the rumored buyout has propelled them up 6% on the trading floor. Representatives of both companies have declined to comment on the matter.

Jumia was founded in 2012 in Nigeria by Jérémy Hodara and Sacha Poignonnec, two young Frenchmen who worked at the McKinsey consulting firm. According to the latest published data, in 2024 it had 5.4 million active consumers in Africa and received 22.3 million orders, through which it delivered more than 117 million products.

News Credits- Modaes

India’s Reliance Retail said Thursday that it has strengthened its presence in beauty with a “strategic minority investment” in UK business Facegym, which it called “a global innovator” in facial fitness and skincare.

It means it will be bringing Facegym’s “signature facial workouts” to India through standalone studios and via select stores in Reliance’s Tira chain.

The investment has been made through Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) and we’re told it “marks a pivotal step in RRVL’s continued expansion in the high-growth beauty and wellness space”.

Facegym was founded by beauty and wellness entrepreneur Inge Theron and combines “non-invasive facial workouts with advanced skincare formulations”. Its first studio opened in 2014 as a concession in Selfridges. Since then, it has opened locations in key cities including London, New York and Los Angeles.

Reliance talked of its “cult following across several global markets” and the recognition it has gained for “creating a new category at the intersection of beauty, wellness, and fitness”.

As mentioned, the Indian giant’s Tira stores will spearhead Facegym’s foray there, “leading its local operations and market development”.

Boosting its beauty and personal care business, anchored by Tira, is a key part of Reliance’s strategy with Tira being “India’s fastest-growing omnichannel beauty destination”.

Commenting on the partnership, Bhakti Modi, Co-founder & CEO of Tira, said: “Our commitment is to introduce world-class brands and innovative concepts and experiences to the Indian consumer. FaceGym sits at the unique intersection of beauty, wellness, and fitness – creating a category of its own. This aligns perfectly with the discerning beauty consumer in India who is experience-oriented, and increasingly drawn to science-backed, innovative concepts.”

And FaceGym CEO Angelo Castello added that “with our current strategic partnerships, we are in a powerful position to turn FaceGym into one of the only beauty services that exists with this size of global footprint – launching in new markets, and sculpting more people than ever before with our unique approach to facial fitness and skin health. This partnership with a leading conglomerate like Reliance will serve as a catalyst for our global expansion by establishing our presence in the dynamic Indian market”.

Author Credits- Sandra Halliday
FASHION NETWORK

Industry experts note that high prices and hidden charges have limited order volumes, and these new models aim to expand the market by targeting customers hesitant to order due to costs

India’s food delivery sector is seeing a renewed focus on value amid intensifying competition, slowing discretionary spends, and pressure to expand beyond premium urban users, signalling the onset of a new price-led battle in the food delivery ecosystem.

Food and delivery major Swiggy has launched a ₹99 Store on its app to offer affordable meals as food delivery platforms look to reignite demand in a market where order volumes have largely plateaued. The move comes at a time when food delivery firms are under pressure to expand beyond premium users and increase the frequency of orders.

“What is happening in food delivery is because of the pricing. The pricing is much higher than the restaurant’s pricing. Second, there are add-on charges and all of this combined together is not allowing customers to order more. That’s why your food delivery orders are not growing in terms of volume,” noted Satish Meena, adviser at Datum Intelligence.

Meanwhile, bike taxi platform Rapido has begun piloting its food delivery service, Ownly, in Bengaluru, positioning itself as a low-cost, restaurant-friendly alternative to incumbents like Swiggy and Zomato. Rapido is not charging commissions and has adopted a transparent delivery fee model.

Orders exceeding ₹400 incur a delivery charge of ₹50 plus 18% GST (₹59), which is fully borne by the restaurants. For orders between ₹100 and ₹400, restaurants again pay the full delivery fee of ₹29.50. For orders under ₹100, the fee is shared—customers pay ₹23.60 while restaurants pay ₹11.80, resulting in total delivery revenue of ₹35.40 for Rapido on low-value orders.

“Their entry could shake up the current food delivery landscape. The zero-commission model, along with pricing transparency, is something restaurants have been asking for,” said Pranav Rungta, Vice President, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). “What they’re trying to do is grow the market by targeting customers who haven’t yet ordered online regularly due to high prices and hidden charges.”

On Swiggy’s part, the ₹99 Store is seen as a strategic response to this changing dynamic. Instead of discounting existing dishes, the company is asking partners to create specific low-price SKUs by tweaking portions and packaging.

“Swiggy is targeting the same customer segment as Rapido—value-conscious users—but it’s also looking to create a separate category without disturbing its core pricing,” Rungta said. “It’s a way to protect margins while still expanding reach.”

Both platforms appear to be focusing on volume rather than margins, hoping that affordability will attract new users and drive repeat orders. Whether this recalibration leads to sustained growth or further strain on unit economics remains to be seen.

Author Credits- Jyoti Banthia
THE HINDU business line

Bike-taxi platform Rapido is set to enter India’s food delivery space with a pilot launch of its new offering, Ownly, in select Bengaluru neighborhoods including Koramangala, HSR Layout, and Sarjapur over the next 8–10 days. The company plans to gradually expand to 10 cities by July 2025, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Backed by investors like Prosus, Nexus Venture Partners, and WestBridge Capital, Rapido is aiming to disrupt the food delivery sector — just as it did with ride-hailing — by offering restaurants a significantly lower commission structure (8-15%), compared to the 16-30% typically charged by industry incumbents Zomato and Swiggy.

A Partnership-First Approach

In a bid to differentiate itself, Rapido is in the process of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with restaurant associations to set clear expectations from the start. As part of this partnership model, Rapido is reportedly open to sharing customer data with restaurants — a long-standing demand in the industry that Zomato and Swiggy have largely resisted.

Restaurants, in return, have been asked to maintain lowest cart-level pricing on Ownly across all platforms and avoid excessive packaging charges. Rapido has also requested that restaurants offer 4-5 menu items under ₹150, aligning with its vision of creating a budget-friendly, sub-₹150 meal segment.

No Platform Fees — At Least for Now

While Rapido currently does not plan to levy platform fees, discussions are ongoing about setting an upper cap if such fees are introduced in the future. The goal, according to a restaurateur familiar with the discussions, is to build a more collaborative and sustainable ecosystem than the one that evolved around existing players.

Industry Reaction & Challenges Ahead

The pilot comes at a time when growth in India’s food delivery space is showing signs of plateauing. A recent BNP Paribas research note expressed skepticism, stating Rapido’s low commissions could be “below the variable cost per delivery”, raising concerns about long-term sustainability.

The note also questioned whether Rapido’s existing fleet of drivers — primarily serving taxi and bike-hailing needs — can effectively double as food delivery partners, given the distinct logistics, bags, and operational models involved.

Interestingly, Swiggy, a direct competitor, is also an investor in Rapido. Swiggy CEO Sriharsha Majety recently remarked that surviving and scaling in the food delivery space has historically proven challenging, even for giants like Uber, Ola, and Amazon, all of whom eventually exited or scaled back their ambitions.

“There were a dozen players in food delivery in 2015… It’s not easy to get an opening that you can take a home run with,” Majety said, while adding that innovation and agility will continue to be key.

Looking Ahead

Rapido’s Ownly is still in its early stages, but its low-cost, restaurant-first approach, coupled with lessons from its ride-hailing journey, could present an interesting alternative in India’s crowded food delivery space.

The next few months — particularly in Bengaluru — will be critical in determining whether this model can be scaled sustainably and meaningfully challenge the Zomato-Swiggy duopoly.

News Credits- Startup STORY

Shares of Nike and other apparel makers rose on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had struck a trade deal with Vietnam that would impose a lower-than-expected tariff rate on many imports from the Southeast Asian country.

After months of negotiations, Trump’s trade deal with Vietnam includes a 20% tariff on imports from Vietnam, lower than the initial 46% rate he had announced in April.

Apparel makers have been diversifying production away from China to Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia, as Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on imports from these countries proposed in April raised concerns over supply chain costs and higher product prices.

“Investors may be looking at this as a sign that many of the threatened tariffs (on Vietnam and other countries) will be rescinded,” Morningstar Research analyst David Swartz said.

The deal also includes a 40% levy on transshipments from third countries. Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Vietnam would provide the U.S. with greater market access, with no tariffs on U.S. exports into Vietnam.

Nike’s shares were up nearly 3.6%, Under Armour rose 2.3%, and Levi Strauss gained 1.6%. Shares in Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch were up less than 1%.

According to the company’s annual filing, Vietnam manufactured about 50% of the total Nike brand footwear in fiscal 2024. North America is Nike’s largest market in terms of revenue.

Tariffs could add about $1 billion to its costs, but Nike expects to fully mitigate the impact over time, it said last week.

Shares of electronics retailer Best Buy were up marginally. The company had factored in Trump’s base tariff rate of 10% in its annual forecast in May.

“The transshipping aspect is an important wrinkle, but I’d expect suppliers will quickly move to adjust supply chains to avoid paying that hefty duty,” said Matthew McCartney, analyst at Wedbush Securities.

“Bigger picture, this deal brings clarity to the industry for a critical consumer electronics hub and eliminates some downside risk to Best Buy’s outlook.”

The companies — including Nike, Adidas, Puma and Levi Strauss — did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

News Credits- FASHION NETWORK

A shareholder in India’s Nykaa (FSNE.NS) Hong Kong-based investor Harindarpal Singh Banga and his family, plan to sell stake worth 12.84 billion rupees ($149.93 million) in the beauty products retailer through a block deal, news portal NDTV Profit reported on Wednesday.

The sale will likely be at a 4% discount to Nykaa’s current market price, the report said, citing people aware of the development.

Nykaa’s shares closed 2.2% higher at 211.59 rupees. The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Banga, who invested in Nykaa before it went public, owned 4.97% stake in the company as of March 2025, exchange data showed. He pared some of his stake in August last year, selling 40.9 million shares via a bulk deal.

The Indian market logged $5.5 billion worth of secondary market sales by large shareholders of listed companies last month, according to LSEG data. These include Reliance Industries’ (RELI.NS) stake sale in Asian Paints (ASPN.NS) and British American Tobacco’s $1.5 billion stake sale in ITC (ITC.NS).

($1 = 85.6420 Indian rupees)

News Credits- Reuters