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Otto’s GMV Reached 7.5 Billion Euros

Otto

Germany-based e-commerce giant Otto grew its gross merchandise value (GMV) by 6% in the 2025/26 fiscal year, reaching approximately 7.5 billion euros. With this performance, the company delivered growth above the online retail market in Germany. According to industry data, e-commerce spending in Germany increased by only 3.2% during the same period.

The marketplace model played the most critical role in Otto’s growth. While the total number of business partners on the platform reached 6,100, marketplace GMV recorded a 9% increase. In contrast, growth in Otto’s own retail operations remained at 3%. The number of products offered on the platform rose to 19 million, demonstrating the impact of its broad product variety strategy.

Otto’s Strongest Growth Came in the Fashion and Sports Segment

On a category basis, the strongest performance was seen in the fashion and sports segment with 9% growth, while the home and living category also drew attention with a 7% increase. This indicates that consumer demand is shifting toward lifestyle and personal-use products.

Growth also continued on the customer side. Ot to’s number of active customers increased by 4% to reach 12.6 million. The company attributes this increase to improvements in user experience and optimizations made in logistics processes. Given the competitive structure of e-commerce across Europe, this growth on the customer side carries strategic importance.

Advertising Revenue Increased by 49%

Another notable area was retail media revenues. Revenue generated through Otto’s own advertising platform, Otto Advertising, increased by 49%, making it one of the company’s fastest-growing business lines. This trend shows that the “retail media” model, also adopted by players such as Amazon and Zalando, is rapidly becoming widespread in Europe.

The company’s CEO, Dr. Boris Ewenstein, stated that the results achieved not only preserved Otto’s leading position in Germany, but also strengthened its potential to increase market share.

A Target of 10 Billion Euros in Revenue by 2028

Artificial intelligence and international expansion hold an important place in Otto’s growth strategy. The company is targeting 10 billion euros in revenue by the 2028 fiscal year. In line with this goal, hyper-personalization, AI-supported shopping assistants, and data-driven recommendation systems will be implemented.

In addition, the marketplace model is being opened to international sellers. Following the inclusion of sellers from the Netherlands on the platform, sellers from Poland, Austria, France, and Spain are also planned to join the system. As of 2027, Danish retailers are also expected to take part on the platform.

As competition in the European e-commerce market continues to intensify, Otto’s growth strategy focused on data, marketplace development, and artificial intelligence may position the company more strongly in the coming period.

Otto to Close 480 Customer Service Positions

Grab Expands Beyond Southeast Asia with $600 Million Foodpanda Deal in Taiwan

Grab Expands Beyond Southeast Asia with $600 Million Foodpanda Deal in Taiwan

Grab is making its most significant international move yet with the acquisition of Foodpanda’s Taiwan business from Delivery Hero for $600 million. The deal marks Grab’s first expansion outside Southeast Asia, signaling a new phase in its regional growth strategy.

Taiwan represents a highly attractive market, with strong demand for mobile-first services and a well-established food delivery ecosystem. Foodpanda’s operations already span 21 cities and generated around $1.8 billion in gross merchandise value in 2025, making it a valuable entry point for Grab.

Why This Deal Matters for Grab’s Growth Strategy

This acquisition is more than geographic expansion – it reflects Grab’s broader strategy of scaling through targeted, value-driven deals. Following profitability, the company has accelerated its M&A activity, committing over $1 billion across multiple deals in recent months.

By entering Taiwan, Grab adds a high-income, densely populated market that closely resembles the urban environments it already operates in. The company plans to leverage its AI-powered logistics, mapping systems, and data tools to improve delivery efficiency and merchant performance.

The deal also positions Grab to compete more directly with global players while diversifying its revenue streams beyond its core Southeast Asian markets.

A Turning Point for Asia’s Delivery Landscape

The transaction highlights a broader shift in Asia’s delivery and platform economy. As competition intensifies, companies are increasingly focusing on consolidation, profitability, and strategic market selection.

For Delivery Hero, the sale is part of a wider restructuring effort aimed at optimising capital allocation and reducing debt.

For Grab, however, it represents a long-term bet on expanding its ecosystem – from food delivery to fintech and mobility – across new markets.

What This Mean

Grab’s entry into Taiwan signals that the next phase of platform growth in Asia will be driven by selective expansion, AI-driven efficiency, and ecosystem integration.

As regional leaders move beyond their home markets, competition is shifting from local dominance to cross-border scale.

Source: Asia Tech Review

Amazon Acquires Humanoid Robotics Startup Fauna Robotics

Fauna Robotics

Amazon has acquired New York-based Fauna Robotics to strengthen its presence in the humanoid robot market. While the financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, it was reported that the company’s founding team and employees will join Amazon. This move shows that Amazon is expanding the robotics infrastructure it has built over the years in warehouse automation toward a new generation of robots that interact directly with humans.

At the center of the acquisition is the humanoid robot called “Sprout,” which Fauna Robotics introduced recently. Standing at approximately 3.5 feet tall, the robot was designed to establish safe and friendly interaction in human-dense environments such as homes, schools, and social spaces. Its soft exterior and size, which allows it to communicate at eye level with children, are cited among the main features that distinguish Sprout from conventional industrial robots.

Fauna Robotics Is Used in Research, Education, and Social Robotics

Fauna Robotics had developed Sprout not for carrying heavy loads, but rather for research, education, and social robotics applications. The presence of brands such as Disney among its early users also points to the product’s potential for entertainment- and experience-focused use. It is stated that Sprout is positioned as an open platform for developers and offers a testing ground for consumer-facing robotics applications.

For Amazon, this acquisition means more than simply adding a new product. Until now, the company had stood out mainly with robot systems used in logistics centers and had announced that it had deployed more than 1 million robots in its warehouse operations.

Amazon Opens a New Chapter in Consumer Robotics

The Fauna Robotics move indicates that Amazon now wants to bring robotics into areas such as customer experience, in-home use, and human-robot interaction. In this sense, the acquisition can also be interpreted as Amazon’s effort to open a new chapter in consumer robotics after Alexa and the unsuccessful iRobot attempt. This final assessment is an inference drawn from the strategic connection between the company’s existing robotics background and the new acquisition.

At a time when Tesla, Figure AI, and other robotics startups are accelerating the humanoid robot race in global technology competition, this acquisition shows that e-commerce giants are also beginning to take more aggressive steps in the field of physical automation. It is not yet clear what kind of product roadmap Amazon will follow with Fauna Robotics; however, it is already evident that Sprout will play an important role in the company’s robotics vision.

Paris Court of Appeal Rules on Shein; Government’s Shutdown Request Rejected

Shein

The Paris Court of Appeal rejected the French state’s request to suspend Shein’s marketplace. The case was filed after child-like sex dolls and prohibited products were identified on the platform in November 2025. The French state initially sought a harsher intervention targeting the entire site, then revised its request to the suspension of the marketplace; however, the court also upheld on appeal the rejection decision issued in December 2025.

Although the court ruling represents a significant legal victory for Shein, it does not bring the pressure on the company to an end. The court emphasized that the platform cannot operate without adequate age-verification measures against the resale of similar products. In its statement following the ruling, Shein said that it had strengthened product and seller controls for third-party sellers, banned sex dolls across all markets, and had gradually started implementing age-verification measures.

The French Government Will Closely Monitor Shein

Immediately after the ruling, the French government did not step back either. Authorities stated that they would monitor “extremely carefully” whether Shein fully complies with the conditions set by the court. France’s Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Serge Papin, had previously said that 2026 would be a “year of resistance” against Shein and similar platforms, arguing that these companies create unfair competition against French retailers. According to the same report, France introduced a 2-euro tax on small parcels as of March 1; the European Union is also planning a similar 3-euro tax for the summer months.

France Is Shein’s Largest Market in Europe

Despite all regulatory pressure, Shein’s user base in Europe continues to grow. According to the company’s EU transparency report, its average monthly active users in the European Union reached 155.7 million in the period from August 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026; this means an increase of more than 10 million compared with the previous period and growth of 6.9%. France stands as Shein’s largest user market in Europe with 28.2 million average monthly users, while Germany follows with 22.2 million users. Shein also operates its marketplace model in 11 countries across Europe and says it works with more than 600 sales partners in Germany alone.

Shein Is Battling Regulations in Europe

The case in France is part of the broader regulatory challenges Shein is facing in Europe. Last month, the European Commission launched a formal investigation into Shein under the Digital Services Act over allegations related to illegal products and platform design. Therefore, although the rejection ruling by the Paris Court of Appeal has protected Shein’s operations in France, it does not mean that the company has emerged from regulatory pressure in Europe.

French Court Rejects Request to Suspend Shein Over Illicit Products

Amazon Becomes the Largest Carrier in the U.S., Delivering 6.7 Billion Packages in 2025

Amazon

Amazon became the largest carrier in the United States by parcel delivery volume in 2025. According to ShipMatrix data, the company narrowly surpassed the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), delivering 6.7 billion packages in 2025, compared with USPS’s 6.6 billion. During the same period, UPS handled 4.4 billion packages, while FedEx delivered 3.6 billion. This picture shows that Amazon is no longer only an e-commerce giant, but also one of the country’s most powerful last-mile logistics players.

Dependence on USPS Has Declined

Three main factors stand out behind Amazon’s rise: growth in online sales volume, the expansion of its rural delivery network, and reduced dependence on UPS. As Reuters previously reported, Amazon plans to invest more than $4 billion by the end of 2026 to expand its rural coverage. This is helping the company scale its own network while relying less on external carriers.

The U.S. Domestic Parcel Market Reached 23.9 Billion Shipments

Across the market as a whole, growth remained limited. According to ShipMatrix, the U.S. domestic parcel market reached a total of 23.9 billion shipments in 2025, with annual volume growth of only 0.4%. Revenues, however, rose by 4.1%. A major reason for this was that large carriers supported their revenues through price increases. The projected compound annual growth rate for the next three years stands at 3.9%.

The Balance of Power in the U.S. Logistics Market Has Shifted Permanently

Another notable development is that traditional carriers are moving away from low-margin e-commerce deliveries. UPS and FedEx are shifting toward healthcare, data centers, and higher-yield enterprise segments instead of low-value B2C shipments to homes. This is opening space not only for Amazon, but also for Walmart, Target, and smaller parcel carriers. According to ShipMatrix data, the volume of carriers outside the top four increased by 13% year over year in 2025.

Amazon’s overtaking of USPS signals that the balance of power in the U.S. logistics market has changed permanently. Pitney Bowes had previously projected that Amazon would not take the lead until 2028. The company has crossed that threshold earlier than expected.

Amazon to Reduce USPS Package Volume

Meanwhile, Amazon is reportedly planning to reduce the number of packages it ships through the U.S. Postal Service by at least two-thirds by this fall. This shift is expected to accelerate as the current contract expires in the September–October 2026 period. Amazon is not expected to sever ties with USPS completely; however, the company is said to be preparing for a smaller-scale partnership while shifting delivery volume to its own network and alternative carriers.

The most critical impact of this decision may be felt on the USPS side. USPS currently handles about 1.7 billion Amazon packages annually, and the agency has already warned Congress that it could face a cash squeeze in the fall of 2026. It is reported that the Postal Service’s accumulated net losses since 2007 have exceeded $118 billion, while new Postmaster General David Steiner has said the system is not sustainable in its current form.

Amazon to Invest More Than $4 Billion to Expand Rural Delivery Capacity

The picture looks different from Amazon’s side. The company has aggressively expanded its own logistics network in recent years. Amazon plans to invest more than $4 billion by the end of 2026 to increase its rural delivery capacity. In doing so, it aims to reduce its dependence on USPS, especially in rural areas.

For USPS, the issue is not only the loss of Amazon volume; if that volume declines, part of the delivery infrastructure expanded in recent years could also be left underutilized. For that reason, the agency has reportedly launched a competitive bidding process for its last-mile delivery network and has received offers from more than 20 companies. However, Amazon’s decision to reduce volume shows that the center of gravity in U.S. e-commerce logistics is now shifting more clearly toward in-house networks.

Amazon Accelerates Against Walmart; Launches 1- and 3-Hour Fast Delivery in the U.S.

Alibaba Introduced Its New AI Platform, Wukong

Alibaba

Alibaba announced Wukong, its new platform aimed at placing artificial intelligence directly at the center of corporate business processes and operations.

According to Alibaba’s statement, the platform, which is currently in an invitation-only testing phase, will be available as a standalone application and will later be integrated into Ali baba’s corporate communication and collaboration app, DingTalk. According to Reuters, DingTalk currently serves more than 20 million organizational users and a total of 800 million users.

Wukong Is Not Just an Assistant That Produces Content

The key distinction highlighted by Ali baba is that Wukong is not merely an assistant that generates content. The company states that DingTalk’s infrastructure has been rewritten from the ground up, allowing AI agents to perform tasks directly across thousands of enterprise functions within the system, rather than imitating users through an interface. This structure targets use cases such as document editing, meeting note generation, research, spreadsheet updates, and managing task flows through a single screen.

AI Teams Are Being Gathered Under Alibaba Token Hub

The new platform is also part of Ali baba’s broader AI restructuring, which has accelerated in recent days. The company has begun bringing together Qwen, Wukong, and other artificial intelligence teams under a new umbrella called “Alibaba Token Hub.” The fact that CEO Eddie Wu has directly taken charge of this unit indicates that Alibaba now sees artificial intelligence not only as a product area, but as one of the main axes of growth.

Wukong’s launch comes right in the middle of the accelerating “AI agent” race in China and the global market. Ali baba made this move at a time when rivals such as ByteDance, Tencent, Baidu, and Zhipu are also developing similar enterprise agent systems. Baidu’s announcement this week of a new agent package capable of performing multi-step tasks also shows how intense the competition has become.

Wukong Supports Alibaba’s Claim of Becoming an AI-Powered Business Platform

Alibaba says Wukong was designed for enterprise use with features such as security, access control, and cost tracking. The company’s approach is to transform artificial intelligence from a personal productivity tool for employees into a manageable business layer within company budgets and audit processes. In this respect, Wukong is seen not only as a new product in the enterprise software market, but also as the most concrete step in Alibaba’s ambition to become an AI-powered business platform.

Amazon Accelerates Against Walmart; Launches 1- and 3-Hour Fast Delivery in the U.S.

Fast Delivery

Amazon has taken a new step that redefines delivery speed in the United States. By introducing 1-hour and 3-hour delivery options across many markets, including major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and Chicago, the company has taken its competition with Walmart in fast delivery to a new stage.

According to information shared by Amazon, the new model was built on top of its same-day delivery infrastructure. Under the new service, customers can order more than 90,000 products, ranging from daily essentials to electronics, in a much shorter time. Amazon states that 1-hour delivery is available in hundreds of cities and towns, while the 3-hour delivery option is accessible in more than 2,000 locations.

Fast Delivery Is Now a New Growth Tool

For Amazon, this move is not only about logistics, but also a commercial strategy aimed at increasing basket size and shopping frequency. The company had previously launched a model called “Amazon Now” in certain parts of Seattle and Philadelphia, offering grocery and everyday essentials delivery in 30 minutes or less.

A New Operational Order Has Been Established

In order to manage these short delivery windows, the company created dedicated workstations within its existing same-day delivery centers. Yellow labels began to be used for the rapid sorting of packages, and on-site signage was also updated to guide delivery partners. Amazon also launched a new “get it fast” page to help users find eligible products more easily.

Prime Has an Advantage, but It Is Not Free

The new fast delivery model is offered for an additional fee. Prime members pay $9.99 for 1-hour fast delivery and $4.99 for 3-hour delivery. For customers without a Prime membership, the fees stand at $19.99 and $14.99, respectively. This shows that while Amazon is strongly playing the speed card, it is also trying to preserve profitability.

Walmart Pressure Was the Decisive Factor

Amazon’s timing is not a coincidence. According to the AP, Walmart says it can provide same-day fast delivery in under 3 hours to approximately 95 percent of the U.S. population. The company is also expanding its drone delivery network. This picture shows that in U.S. retail, competition measured in minutes for delivery has now been added to price competition.

A New Era in Retail: The Cost of Speed

The latest development reveals that customer expectations in e-commerce have now reached the point of delivery not only “the next day,” but “the same day or even within a few hours.” However, the expansion of this model will also bring new debates, including logistics costs, the burden of urban operations, and pressure on small retailers. Amazon’s latest move clearly shows that in U.S. retail, speed is no longer a privilege, but has become an area of strategic competition.

Amazon Tests New Shopping Feature Showing Products From Brand Websites

Code Error at Amazon Causes Disruption in E-Commerce Infrastructure

Amazon

During a meeting held by Amazon engineers, code written for testing purposes accidentally affected the live system and caused disruptions in some e-commerce services.

It was stated that some of the outages were linked to Amazon’s artificial intelligence coding assistant Q. Following the outage, a 90-day code security reset was initiated across critical engineering systems. The disruption was detected and resolved in a short time. However, the incident once again demonstrated that even a small code change on large-scale e-commerce platforms can affect millions of users.

Amazon is preparing to launch a comprehensive internal review regarding artificial intelligence–assisted software development processes and potential system outages that have recently come to the agenda. The company’s engineering teams and senior executives are planning a series of meetings, particularly to address the impact of AI-assisted code generation on system security and operational continuity.

Code Generation Tools Are Increasing at Amazon

In recent years, Amazon has rapidly increased the use of artificial intelligence–based code generation tools in its software development processes. While these tools help developers write code more quickly, some experts point out that automatically generated code could pose risks if it is integrated into live systems without sufficient testing.

At the center of the discussions are certain technical outages experienced within Amazon’s infrastructure and the question of whether these outages are related to AI-assisted development processes. During internal meetings, engineers are expected to examine the possible causes of system disruptions in detail and conduct evaluations particularly on testing processes, code verification mechanisms, and the security of automation tools.

Millions of Sellers and Hundreds of Millions of Customers in the E-Commerce Infrastructure

Amazon’s technology infrastructure supports a massive e-commerce ecosystem that serves millions of sellers and hundreds of millions of customers. For this reason, even a small software error can create impacts on a global scale. Therefore, the company aims to establish stronger control mechanisms and security layers in artificial intelligence–assisted software development processes.

According to experts, although code generation with artificial intelligence accelerates software development processes, human oversight, comprehensive testing procedures, and secure deployment policies remain critically important. It is stated that the evaluation process initiated by Amazon could serve as an important reference for how AI-assisted software development practices should be managed across the technology sector.

Amazon: It Was Not Caused by Code Written by AI

Amazon stated that some claims reported in the media do not fully reflect the reality and said that the comments suggesting the outages were caused by code written by artificial intelligence are not correct. The company emphasized that it continuously improves infrastructure security and system resilience and that its engineering teams regularly review system performance.

German Competition Authority Banned Amazon’s Price Controls Over Sellers

Germany’s competition authority ruled that Amazon would no longer be allowed to influence the prices of third-party sellers on its local marketplace and stated that this practice distorted competition. Bundeskartellamt also decided that approximately 59 million euros in economic benefits linked to the practice would be clawed back from Amazon.

Germany’s national competition authority Bundeskartellamt announced that it had decided that the methods long used by Amazon to steer the prices of third-party sellers on its German marketplace were unlawful. The decision, taken in coordination with the European Commission, required the U.S.-based e-commerce giant to change its policies and refrain from interfering with prices except in limited exceptions.

Amazon operates a marketplace on Amazon.de that hosts both its own retail business and hundreds of thousands of independent sellers. According to the competition authority, these sellers account for approximately 60 percent of sales on the platform; they set their own prices and also bear the financial risk of their activities.

Amazon Restricted the Visibility of Offers With Prices That Did Not Meet Its Own Expectations

Bundeskartellamt President Andreas Mundt said that the investigation found that Amazon used mechanisms that restricted the visibility of offers with prices that did not meet its own expectations. These practices included excluding such offers from the Buy Box, which was presented to customers as the default purchasing option, or removing them entirely from the platform.

Mundt stated that this approach could distort competition and lead to the “manipulation of the price level on the platform,” adding that Amazon could gain an unfair advantage over other online retailers in this way. He emphasized that restricting the visibility of legitimate sellers solely because their prices were considered “high” was unacceptable.

59 Million Euros to Be Recovered

According to the decision, Amazon would be required to revise its system and would only be allowed to intervene in seller pricing in exceptional cases such as clear price gouging. Such interventions would need to comply with detailed rules set by Bundeskartellamt.

As a notable step, the competition authority exercised its power to recover economic benefits obtained from practices that violated competition law. Since the infringement was found to be ongoing, the amount to be recovered was initially set at approximately 59 million euros. Amazon has one month to appeal the decision.

Mundt also stated that Amazon did not have to control prices in order to offer low prices. He said that reducing the fees and commissions paid by sellers to Amazon could encourage retailers to offer more competitive pricing.

Total Sales Volume on Amazon.de Exceeded 50 Billion Euros

Amazon.de is by far the clear leader in Germany’s e-commerce market. According to sector data, e-commerce revenues in the country reached approximately 40 billion euros in 2024, partly driven by strong growth in online advertising. Figures for 2025 had not yet been published at the time the decision was announced.

Bundeskartellamt stated that total sales volume on Amazon.de had exceeded 50 billion euros and that the majority of this volume was generated by third-party sellers.

Drawing attention to the fact that approximately 60 percent of all online sales in Germany were conducted through this platform, the authority emphasized that Amazon’s impact extended beyond digital commerce and was also felt in the physical retail sector. The decision showed that scrutiny of pricing practices by dominant platforms was increasing and that competition authorities were prepared to take stronger action against practices they believed undermined fair competition.

German Court Strikes Down Amazon’s Unilateral Prime Price Rise

Amazon Reports Record Q4 Sales; Forecasts $200 Billion Capital Expenditure for 2026

Amazon has released its fourth-quarter (Q4) earnings report for 2025. The e-commerce giant set a record with $213.4 billion in revenue, surpassing Wall Street expectations. However, the company’s shares declined after it announced that it expects to increase its capital expenditures by 50% to $200 billion in 2026 as it seeks to ramp up its competition in the AI space.

Amazon closed the final quarter of the year with a strong 14% increase in net sales. The company’s net income for the quarter was $21.2 billion, reflecting a 5.9% year-over-year increase and translating to $1.95 per share. Despite these positive figures, earnings slightly missed analyst expectations.

The e-commerce giant’s advertising revenues grew by 23% in the quarter, reaching $21.32 billion, slightly exceeding projections. This revenue includes ads on Prime Video and various other digital advertising products. Additionally, Amazon’s subscription services, including Prime memberships and digital content offerings, grew by 14%, reaching $13.12 billion for the quarter.

Amazon’s Capital Expenditure Increase and Layoffs

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that the company plans to significantly increase its capital expenditures for 2026, forecasting a 50% increase to $200 billion. A large portion of this investment will be directed toward Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company’s cloud computing division, to expand in AI, robotics, and other high-tech innovations.

“We expect to invest $200 billion in capital expenditures across Amazon in 2026 and anticipate strong long-term returns on these investments,” Jassy stated. In 2025, Amazon reported a total capital expenditure of $131.82 billion, with a significant portion allocated toward expanding its AI infrastructure.

However, this ambitious expansion plan comes after major layoffs. A week ago, Amazon announced it had laid off 16,000 corporate employees following a previous round of 14,000 job cuts. These 30,000 layoffs represent nearly 10% of Amazon’s previous corporate workforce.

Prime Video, NFL, and Delivery Milestones

Amid these changes, Amazon continues to make significant investments in content and services. The company highlighted that Prime Video now reaches 315 million monthly viewers globally, up from 200 million in mid-2024. Ads on Prime Video are now active in 16 countries.

In the world of sports, Amazon announced that its fourth season of NFL streaming on Prime Video has achieved the highest viewership to date. The Packers-Bears wildcard playoff game became the most-watched NFL game on Prime Video, reaching 31 million viewers.

Additionally, Amazon reported that its delivery times for Prime members reached their fastest levels ever in 2025. This marks the third consecutive year of improvements in delivery speed. In the U.S., over 8 billion items were delivered to Prime members the same or next day in 2025, showing a 30% increase compared to 2024.

Focusing on AI, robotics, and satellite technologies, Amazon continues to pursue growth and innovation despite challenges in its workforce and market expectations.

Amazon Q3 2025 Revenue Up 13% as AWS and AI Drive Profit Growth