NEW DELHI, March 6 (Reuters) – Indian consumer products distributors have filed an antitrust case against big fast-delivery businesses of Zomato, Swiggy and Zepto, calling for an investigation into alleged deep discounting practices, legal papers show.
India’s e-commerce sector has faced intense scrutiny over how products are priced online. An antitrust investigation last year found Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart favour select sellers and resorted to “predatory pricing”, which hurts smaller retailers. The companies have denied the allegations.

Quick commerce, in which companies deliver consumer products within 10 minutes from neighbourhood warehouses, is popular with customers but has upset smaller retailers as shoppers use apps to order everything from milk to pulses. Bernstein estimates India’s quick commerce sector will reach $35 billion in 2030, from $200 million in 2021.

The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF), in a case filing with the Competition Commission of India, has asked for an investigation into many business practices of Zomato’s (ZOMT.NS)

“An alarming trend of predatory pricing and deep discounting practices by Q-commerce platforms resulted in unfair pricing models,” said the group’s filing, which is not public but was reviewed by Reuters.

Zomato and Swiggy did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Zepto declined comment. The CCI did not respond.

The filing could increase headaches for Zomato and Swiggy. A separate CCI investigation last year found their food delivery businesses breached competition laws. The case is ongoing.

Zepto is preparing for an IPO after raising funds at a valuation of $5 billion last year.

The watchdog will review the case filing and can order its investigation unit to look at the matter closely. This can take several months and may require companies to explain their businesses. It can dismiss the case if it finds no merit in it.

AICPDF has 400,000 distributors as members, who supply products of brands such as Nestle (NEST.NS), opens new tab, Unilever (ULVR.L) and Tata to 13 million retail shops across India.

A recent Datum Intelligence survey of 3,000 Indian quick commerce shoppers showed 36% had reduced shopping at supermarkets and 46% cut back purchases from small independent stores.

In its filing, AICPDF said local brick-and-mortar stores “cannot match” the quick commerce giants’ discounts. It compared online and offline pricing of 25 products, including of Nestle and Hindustan Unilever (HLL.NS)

A variant of a Nescafe coffee jar which a small independent Indian retailer receives from companies for about 622 rupees ($7.14) is offered for 514 rupees on Zepto, 577 rupees on Swiggy Instamart and 625 rupees on Blinkit, according to the filing.

News Credit: https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/fast-delivery-companies-zomato-swiggy-zepto-face-india-antitrust-case-over-2025-03-06/

Bumper crowds at the Australian Open tennis and summer of cricket lifted retail spending in January.

Retail turnover rose by 0.3 per cent in January 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, as Aussies looked for a day out at their favourite sporting events.

This followed a volatile Black Friday and Cyber Monday period where November retail sales soared 0.7 per cent but December retail sales fell 0.1 percent.

ABS head of business statistics Robert Ewing says the pick up in retail spending since mid-year has largely been discretionary, with January being the exception and the rise mostly driven by food-related spending.

“Bumper crowds across large-scale events, including record attendance at the Australian Tennis Open and cricket events, lifted spending in catering services,” Mr Ewing said.

“Food retailing also rebounded in January, particularly in Victoria where supply chain disruptions negatively impacted December supermarket spending.”

Overall, food-related spending bounced back in January following falls last month, with rises in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (up 1.1 per cent), while food retailing rose 0.7 per cent.

Oxford Economics Australia head of macroeconomic forecasting Sean Langcake said while spending overall was subdued for January, the outlook going forward remained positive.

“The labour market is in a strong position, and inflation has fallen materially, leaving real incomes in good shape,” he said.

“Cost-of-living subsidies are providing a transitory boost to spending, while February’s interest rate cut helps shore up the outlook.”

Commonwealth Bank economist Harry Ottley said while consumer spending increased in January, it could be due to heavy discounting.

“It is also worth nothing the recent improvement in spending growth is coming from a weak base,” he said.

“This is especially true when considering high population growth and the weakness in the volume of spending.

“For context, the average annual growth rate for trend nominal retail trade from 2000‑2019 was 4.7 per cent, higher than the current rate of 4.1 per cent.”

KPMG chief economist Brendan Rynne said Tuesday’s data provided evidence of a stronger economy, which could be bad news for mortgage holders.

“This figure, together with the hotter-than-expected inflation figures last week, supports our forecast that the RBA will not follow up its recent rate cut with another in May,” Mr Rynne said.

“The data also support the RBA’s guidance to the market to be cautious about the scope for further rate cuts in the near term.”

Last week’s CPI data showed headline inflation remained steady in the month of January, at 2.5 per cent, but the all important trimmed mean inflation rate that the RBA uses went up from 2.7 to 2.8 per cent.

Spending in most non-food industries rose January, led by other retailing, up 2.4 per cent, and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing, which grew 2.0 per cent.

This was partly offset by a large fall in household goods retailing, which dropped 4.4 per cent as retailers stopped discounting items.

“The fall in household goods follows four straight rises driven by widespread discounting activity around Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events,”

Retail turnover rose in six of the eight states and territories. The only exceptions being NSW, were spending fell 0.3 per cent in the month of January, and the Northern Territory where sales were flat.

Victoria drove the biggest contribution to national growth, up 0.6 per cent, largely on the back of the Australian Open.

In annual terms, WA came in first, with Victoria retail spending growth coming in second.

News Credit: https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/retail-sales-strong-on-the-back-of-major-sporting-events/news-story/121a6f197f80d3ecc303af3be9c07e44

E-commerce has become a very large industry in the market today, especially for apparel. The Indian apparel industry has recognised this platform as a good way to increase reach and get their products into the hands of customers. Similarly, global conglomerates like Amazon have recognised this platform as a great way to export goods globally.

In order to give sellers a platform to enter foreign markets, Amazon hosted a conference on Export Connect 2025 in Coimbatore on 7th March 2025.

K. M. Subramanian, President of the Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA), who was among the attendees, said cross-border e-commerce is currently worth US $ 800 billion a year and is predicted to grow to US $ 2 trillion by 2030.

He also emphasised that, with an annual export value of over US $ 350 billion (2024), China is the undisputed leader, followed by the US at US $ 200 billion. India is currently ranked eighth in the world, with rapidly increasing e-commerce exports valued at US $ 3–4 billion. The Indian government has acknowledged e-commerce exports as a sunrise sector, and programs like Digital India and the newly announced Foreign Trade Policy 2023 are giving this sector a big boost.

He also underlined that although there are advantages, there are drawbacks, like insufficient infrastructure and obstacles to digital adoption. Many MSMEs and SMEs in India lack the resources and digital adoption needed to take full advantage of e-commerce platforms.

Honorary TEA Chairman Dr. A. Sakthivel, Joint Director General of Foreign Trade Anand Mohan Mishra, Business Head Srinidhi Kalvapudi, Marketing & Partnership Head Atul Bansal, and Sejal Ganpule, Advertising Manager, Amazon Global Selling, were also present at the event.

News Credit: https://apparelresources.com/events-news/indian-sellers-encouraged-expand-international-markets-via-e-commerce

Together, we’re poised to not only elevate the Takealot brand but also redefine the e-commerce landscape with campaigns that resonate with South Africans

Takealot has joined Joe Public on a new journey to grow their business in the rapidly evolving and exciting e-commerce sector.

Takealot, ranked 27 in the Kantar BrandZ South Africa Report 2024, is a proudly South African brand and a leader in the country’s online retail market. Joe Public is both honoured and excited about this opportunity to assist in strengthening Takealot’s brand as it continues to shape the future of e-commerce.

“We’re thrilled to partner with this innovative brand,” says Mpume Ngobese, co-managing director atJoe Public. “We look forward to creating impactful, results-driven advertising that resonates with the everyday Joe on the South African streets.”

Julie-Anne Walsh, chief marketing officer of Takealot, adds: “We’re excited to embark on this new journey with Joe Public. Their creativity and understanding of our dynamic South African market make them the ideal partner. Together, we’re poised to not only elevate the Takealot brand but also redefine the e-commerce landscape with campaigns that resonate with South Africans.”

News Credit: https://www.zawya.com/en/business/south-africa-takealot-partners-with-joe-public-to-deliver-growth-in-e-commerce-lq4s9811

Retail giant Temu had a meteoric rise to become the most downloaded shopping app worldwide in 2024, but despite that success the platform’s expansion plans hit roadblocks in some South-East Asian countries.

Owned by Chinese multinational PPD Holdings and founded by billionaire Colin Huang, Temu operates in more than 80 countries including Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Australia.

Temu is a shopping website and app that sells a huge range of products like clothing, household items, and electronics at extremely low prices.

Its marketing strategies include gamification and advertising heavily on social media.

Temu’s largest market is the United States, where it aired commercials at the 2024 Super Bowl urging consumers to “shop like a billionaire”.

But that same year the retail giant’s plan to enter an e-commerce market worth billions of dollars stalled.

Temu was blocked in Indonesia, South-East Asia’s largest and most lucrative e-commerce market, valued at $US82 billion ($128 billion), according to data company Statista.

The ban was intended to protect small business from cheap products flooding the country and to capture import revenue.

Similar concerns have been raised in Vietnam, where Temu’s operations were suspended in December after the trade ministry voiced concerns over product quality and the impact the online retailer might have on Vietnamese manufacturers.

Temu tried multiple times to register a trademark in Indonesia last year and each time the Trade Ministry rejected the applications.

In October, the ministry ordered Apple and Google to block the Temu app so it could not be downloaded in Indonesia.

But with a population of 280 million people, e-commerce analyst Simon Torring thinks Temu might make another bid to access Indonesia.

“Temu is in a stage where they just want to serve the world,” said Mr Torring, co-founder of e-commerce data firm Cube.

“Being the fourth-most populous country in the world, it is not tenable to ignore [Indonesia] or not be there.”

While Temu is blocked — and fast fashion competitor Shein doesn’t sell clothes into Indonesia — other e-commerce retailers are flourishing.

Trade rules halt Temu

Indonesia’s Trade Ministry said it rejected Temu’s trademark applications because of the country’s trade regulations.

Those regulations require goods to be imported into Indonesia by a third party — like a local wholesaler or retailer — if the goods are sent from countries that do not have an import-related trade agreement with Indonesia.

Temu connects manufacturers — which the company refers to as “sellers” who are mostly based in China — directly with consumers, cutting out these intermediaries.

It’s one of the ways Temu keeps products cheap, in a business model that also makes manufacturers compete to offer the lowest product price.

Having a third party import goods into Indonesia is important to the country’s government because it guarantees that normal import duties and taxes are paid when the goods enter Indonesia, Mr Torring explained.

More of the final retail price is captured as domestic spending, he added.

Businesses cannot compete

The Temu ban is supported by Nandi Herdiaman, chairperson of the Bandung Garment Entrepreneurs Association that represents 8,000 home textile industry businesses across Indonesia.

Mr Herdiaman said Indonesians making clothing or other textiles for small businesses could not keep costs and product prices as low as items mass manufactured in China.

“We’ll definitely lose,” Mr Herdiaman said.

Other local industries, such as those making household items and electronics manufacturers would also be unable to “compete on cost” if Temu was allowed in Indonesia, said Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, director of the China-Indonesia desk at the Jakarta-based Centre of Economic and Law Studies.

“They cannot match Temu’s pricing without sacrificing profit margins,” Dr Rakhmat said.

“Over time, this could lead to reduced market share and even closures for some businesses.”

Indonesia’s Trade Minister and Vice Trade Minister declined to comment.

While Temu is blocked, other e-commerce platforms like Shopee, owned by Singapore’s Sea Limited, and TikTok Shop and Lazada, owned by Chinese companies, are allowed to operate in Indonesia.

The key difference between these platforms and Temu is that the Chinese goods sold on those sites are imported into Indonesia by a trader or wholesale importer, Mr Torring said.

“Indonesia is very welcoming to foreign e-commerce players … it’s just that cross-border model that they don’t want,” he said.

“Local and foreign e-commerce platforms are allowed to operate if they are registered and if they are following business models that are legal.”

Mr Torring pointed out that many of the same items made in China are sold by the other online retailers in Indonesia, but the prices are higher because they use intermediaries in their supply chain.

He said Temu was now taking “serious steps” to change the platform’s cross-border model.

“In most of the western European countries and the US, most of the orders are actually fulfilled from local warehouses now.”

Temu declined to comment on the issues covered in this this story.

‘Nothing I can do’

Clothing business owner Dudi Gumilar is not concerned with which online retailers are allowed to operate in Indonesia.

“I don’t care whether Shopee, Temu, whatever, operate in Indonesia, I couldn’t care less,” he said.

For Mr Gumilar, the key issue is that Indonesian consumers still preferred to buy imported products over locally-made items.

It’s a well-known trend in Indonesia, which frustrated former president Joko Widodo who repeatedly urged consumers to buy items made in the country.

“Without the spirit of nationalism, the local small-medium businesses are doomed,”

Mr Gumilar said.

Mr Gumilar, who has run his company for two decades, said small to medium textile businesses needed more protection from the onslaught of imported goods.

“Nobody hears us even when we scream. There’s nothing I can do other than just working.”

Indonesia’s low de minimis

Indonesia was one of the first in South-East Asia to significantly reduce the country’s tax-free threshold for small or low-value packages.

Under the “de minimis” rule, parcels aren’t taxed if they’re valued under a certain amount — for example, in Australia that amount is $1,000.

Daniella Jacobs-Herd faces a decade of skin grafts after suffering severe burns from a Temu jumper purchased online, which failed to comply with Australian safety standards.

But in 2020, Indonesia reduced its threshold to a very low value, from $US75 to $US3 ($117 to $4.70).

Mr Torring said this low tax-free threshold prompted fast fashion brand Shein to leave Indonesia.

“It was no longer possible to be Shein in Indonesia. Shein is fast and cheap. Now it would be slow and not cheap,” he said.

“I would say that marked the start of when Indonesia’s e-commerce market was kind of closed to cross border e-commerce.”

Shein was contacted for comment but did not respond.

News Credit: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-28/why-temu-is-blocked-from-indonesia-s-lucrative-e-commerce-market/104979374

DHL eCommerce and AJEX partner to capitalise on anticipated double-digit growth rate in Saudi Arabia’s parcel market.

DHL eCommerce and AJEX Logistics Services have entered into an agreement in which DHL will acquire a minority stake in the Saudi Arabian parcel logistics company. “For DHL eCommerce, whose core business is domestic parcel transport in selected European countries, the United States, and certain key Asian countries, this agreement represents an expansion into the rapidly growing Saudi Arabian e-commerce parcel market. Although AJEX only began its operations in 2021, it has already established itself as a leading parcel service provider in the rapidly evolving domestic market, with robust growth and an extensive distribution network,” says an official release from DHL.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by Pablo Ciano, CEO, DHL eCommerce, Yin Zou, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, DHL Group, Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Al Ajlan, Deputy Chairman, Ajlan & Bros Holding and Ajlan Bin Mohammed Al Ajlan, Group Managing Director, Ajlan & Bros Holding.

“As a key component of our corporate Strategy 2030 Accelerate Sustainable Growth, we are focusing on markets like Saudi Arabia that exhibit significant growth dynamics and strong economic development,” says Ciano. “We are confident that AJEX, with its commitment to quality and strong customer focus, supported by a highly motivated team and backed by Ajlan & Bros Holding, is the perfect partner to help us expand our e-commerce-focused parcel business into this booming market. Together, leveraging our international expertise in parcel operations, we will deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable delivery solutions.”

With 1,500 team members, AJEX provides domestic parcel processing and delivery through an extensive network that includes over 50 facilities and a fleet of more than 900 vehicles.

Ajlan Bin Mohammed Al Ajlan adds: “Saudi Arabia is dedicated to fostering economic growth and diversifying its industries under Vision 2030 with logistics serving as one of the key pillars. In this context, we are also witnessing strong growth in e-commerce, which in turn is driving expansion in the domestic parcel sector. The demand for a parcel service provider with local expertise and a global network is steadily rising. By partnering with DHL eCommerce, a globally trusted e-commerce specialist, we will be well-positioned to meet this demand in the future.”

With DHL eCommerce, all four international divisions of DHL Group will be represented and actively engaged in the market. DHL first established its presence in Saudi Arabia in the 1970s with its DHL Express business unit. The other divisions have also been operating in the country for several years, providing specialised services such as contract logistics and freight forwarding solutions, the release added.

News Credit: https://www.stattimes.com/ecommerce/dhl-ecommerce-enters-saudi-arabia-by-acquiring-equity-stake-in-ajex-1354562