Temu to Open Doors to Third-Party Sellers as Early as March; Chewy Opens Doors to Chinese Sellers
Latest news and analysis on China’s global e-sellers
Here’s our pick for last week’s news:
Temu to Open Doors to Third-Party Sellers as Early as March
TikTok Shop Rolls Out in Mexico
SHEIN Doubles Down on Supply Chain and Traffic to Fuel Global Expansion
AliExpress and Temu Projected to Reach $2.98B in South Korea for 2024
TikTok CEO Pushes for Restructuring Amid U.S. Challenges
Temu Tops Global E-Commerce App Growth Chart in 2024
Chewy Opens Doors to Chinese Sellers
JD.com in Early Talks to Acquire European Retail Giant Ceconomy
Buddy Buzzy Eyes Global Markets with 100M RMB in New Funding
Temu to Open Doors to Third-Party Sellers as Early as March
In response to shifting U.S. tax policies, Temu is advancing its semi-managed services, prominently featuring these offerings on its platform. Sources reveal that the company is becoming more flexible with white-label product pricing, moving away from the strict Amazon-based 60-70% discount model. Additionally, Temu is exploring the possibility of opening its platform to third-party sellers, giving merchants more control while still providing support. There are rumors that this could be launched as soon as March this year.
TikTok Shop Rolls Out in Mexico
TikTok Shop officially launched in Mexico on February 13, 2025, after inviting local sellers to set up stores in January. Eligible merchants will benefit from a 90-day commission-free period, a strong incentive for joining the platform. Mexico becomes the first country in Latin America to roll out TikTok Shop. However, certain product categories—such as jewelry, health items, and maternity goods—will be more tightly regulated as the platform expands.
SHEIN Doubles Down on Supply Chain and Traffic to Fuel Global Expansion
SHEIN is investing over 10 billion RMB (1.38 billion USD) to strengthen its domestic supply chain. The Smart Industrial Park in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, has completed its handover and will begin operations later this year. The company has also launched the "Sales Surge Plan," offering cross-border sellers billions in traffic support across all product categories. This follows last year's "500 Cities Industrial Belt Plan" and the introduction of a semi-managed model. With ongoing investments in both supply chains and traffic, SHEIN is pushing more merchants, brands, and industry clusters onto the global stage.
AliExpress and Temu Projected to Reach $2.98B in South Korea for 2024
Data from WiseApp and Retail reveals strong growth for Chinese cross-border e-commerce in South Korea. In 2024, the combined payment volume for AliExpress and Temu is projected to hit 4.3 trillion KRW ($2.98 billion USD), an 85% surge from 2023. AliExpress is expected to capture 3.7 trillion KRW ($2.57 billion USD), while Temu's share is forecasted at 600.2 billion KRW ($416 million USD).
TikTok CEO Pushes for Restructuring Amid U.S. Challenges
ByteDance's apps, including TikTok, Lemon8, and Lark, have resumed normal downloads in U.S. app stores. But behind the scenes, the company's growing overstaffing issue has become a point of focus for executives. In a recent all-hands meeting, TikTok CEO Zhou Shouzi revealed he's in talks with the Trump administration to determine TikTok's future in the U.S. He also stressed the need to streamline operations and eliminate redundant positions. Over the past two years, TikTok has undergone significant restructuring, resulting in senior leadership changes and shifts in management. ByteDance now employs over 150,000 people globally, with 7,000 in the U.S.
Temu Tops Global E-Commerce App Growth Chart in 2024
Global e-commerce app downloads continue to climb, rising from 4.3 billion in 2019 to 6.5 billion in 2024, a 5.6% annual increase, according to Sensor Tower data. Google Play accounted for 63% of these downloads, with Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Japan seeing the most significant growth. Among the top performers, Temu leads with 550 million downloads in 2024, a 69% jump from the previous year. By year's end, Temu's total global downloads are projected to near 900 million, making it the global leader in both volume and growth. India's Zepto saw a remarkable 432% increase in downloads, ranking second in growth.
Chewy Opens Doors to Chinese Sellers
Chewy, the leading U.S. pet e-commerce platform, has opened its doors to Chinese sellers for the first time, offering three collaboration models: Dropship, Chewy procurement, and Chewy import. The Dropship model targets sellers with cross-border experience and U.S. warehouse stock, while the procurement model suits those aiming to build a U.S. brand. And the import model is for factory sellers. As the U.S. market leader, Chewy holds nearly 50% market share. In the latest earnings report, Chewy posted $8.614 billion USD in net sales for the first three quarters in 2024, a 3.51% YoY increase, and an astounding 4,708.24% surge in net profit to $370 million USD. The platform now offers over 75,000 products from more than 3,500 brands.
JD.com in Early Talks to Acquire European Retail Giant Ceconomy
JD.com is reigniting talks to acquire German electronics retailer Ceconomy AG, sources say. The Chinese e-commerce giant has approached Ceconomy to gauge interest among its key shareholders, though discussions remain in the early stages. Ceconomy operates roughly 1,000 MediaMarkt and Saturn stores across Europe and is valued at around €1.5 billion. Its stock has surged more than 16% since the beginning of the year.
Buddy Buzzy Eyes Global Markets with 100M RMB in New Funding
Buddy Buzzy, a Chinese high-end baby tech brand, has raised over 100 million RMB (13.79 million USD) in its Series B funding, with plans to channel the funds into product development, IoT ecosystem growth, brand investments, and smart factory construction. Launched in 2020, the company made its mark with child safety seats, selling over 300,000 units. In early 2024, Buddy Buzzy began expanding globally, targeting offline retail in markets like Sweden, Italy, South Korea, and the Middle East before venturing online.