NewsWrap '20 – Select 10: Ecommerce

The covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital shopping by about five years since March, according to IBM’s annual US Retail Index Study, which found the pandemic has spurred more people to purchase products online to a level that probably would not have been seen until 2025. While consumers have gradually increased their digital shopping over the past few years, as the novel coronavirus rippled across the United States near the end of the first quarter, consumers shifted their purchases online, and ecommerce sales accelerated from plus 13 per cent growth in the first quarter to plus 26 per cent growth in the second.

India’s social com sector may grow to $16-20 bn in 5 yrs

France to impose ‘digital tax’ on big online tech companies

Alibaba Singles’ Day sales create new record

EU opens 2nd probe into Amazon’s ecommerce business practices

New EU rules for a fairer online economy apply

The European Commission published a set of resources to help traders, online platforms and search engines get the most out of the new Platform to Business rules, which applied from July 12. In addition, three progress reports prepared by the expert group for the Observatory on the Online Platform Economy have been published for feedback. The reports will inform the broader work of the Commission on online platforms, and in particular, on the upcoming Digital Services Act package. The Platform to Business Regulation entered into force in July 2019.

COVID-19 resulted in rise in B2B, B2C ecommerce: WTO

China formalises 15 new ecommerce demonstration bases

US ecom shopping during COVID-19 tops 2019 holiday levels

Google betters search to make online apparel buying easier

Google has updated its search function to make searches on apparel and accessories easier, according to a recent blog post by the company, which said irrespective of the apparel type searched, it is always helpful to see a number of options at different stores. However, it is not always easy to know where to search, how to compare and decide where to buy. “Search has always let you find links to different products and stores, but starting today and rolling out this week, you’ll begin to see clothes, shoes and accessories from across the web in one place on Search on your mobile device, so you can easily browse lots of different stores and brands at once,” the company said.

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Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RKS)