In The Checkout this week, we look at Shein's plans in the region and round up our most-read ecommerce stories of the year. [Read from your browser]( The Checkout ð --------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to The Checkout! Delivered every Thursday, this free newsletter breaks down the biggest stories and trends in ecommerce. You can find past issues [here]( or [sign up here]( to receive future newsletters. Also, If youâre not a subscriber, get access by [registering here](. Written by Putra Muskita
Journalist Hello {NAME} When it comes to clothes, my wife and I have completely different habits. I do my shopping once a year, and about 80% of my wardrobe consists of clothes from Uniqlo, while the rest is made up of other mall brands. My wife, on the other hand, shops all year round (or so it seems to me) - sometimes from Uniqlo or Zara, but often local brands on Shopee and Tokopedia or from thrift shops in Jakarta. But the one place we both donât shop from is Shein - even before it left Indonesia in 2021. In this weekâs Big Story, my colleague, Melissa, unpacks Sheinâs ambitions in Southeast Asia, albeit its biggest market wonât be part of those plans. As it does in the US, the companyâs ultrafast fashion approach would complicate things for competitors, but there are hurdles unique to Southeast Asia - especially on the logistics front. Meanwhile, in lieu of the Hot Take, weâve rounded up some of our most popular ecommerce stories during what has been a very eventful year. From TikTokâs rise as an ecommerce player to Shopeeâs troubles and Lazadaâs quiet resurgence, find them all below. Thank you for all of your support in the past year! This will be the final newsletter for 2022 - The Checkout will return on January 12. Till then, happy holidays to you and yours! â Putra
Â
--------------------------------------------------------------- THE BIG STORY [Sheinâs rapid rise in Southeast Asia could topple ecommerce giants](
The ultra-fast fashion firm is reportedly evolving into a full-fledged marketplace. But it has struggled in Indonesia, and logistics remain a problem. Â
Â
---------------------------------------------------------------
Â
2022'S TOP 10 These were our most read ecommerce stories of the year. 1ï¸â£Â [Making sense of Grabâs Jaya Grocer acquisition]( The deal marks a seismic shift in Grabâs ecommerce push, but its foray into the grocery space may not be a smooth ride. 2ï¸â£Â [Explaining TikTokâs ecommerce bet in Southeast Asia]( Users in the region are already addicted to TikTok. Will TikTok Shop be as big of a hit? 3ï¸â£Â [Alibaba U-turns on Jack Maâs prophecy]( Alibaba ramps up its direct retailing initiative to compete with JD as its marketplace business becomes saturated and market competition intensifies. 4ï¸â£Â [Can Shopee win in India?]( Regulatory hurdles, counterfeit items, and âChina-relatedâ issues are not stopping Shopee from snapping up millions of followers in India. 5ï¸â£Â [Making sense of Shopeeâs layoffs]( The layoffs primarily affected newer and more experimental strategies. But the road ahead may be a complicated one. 6ï¸â£Â [After $1.5b IPO, Bukalapak explores new frontier: gaming]( While much of the spotlight has been on its investments in banking and retail, Bukalapak is preparing for a serious venture into gaming. 7ï¸â£Â [Org Chart: The people helming Sea Group]( We look at the captains leading Sea Group as the firm makes major moves in digital banking and in markets like Latin America and Europe. 8ï¸â£Â [In Indonesia, e-fulfillment rises as an ecommerce niche]( While ecommerce marketplaces in Indonesia already offer e-fulfillment as an in-house service, a rising crop of third-party players look to stir the pot. 9ï¸â£Â [Lazada eyes Europe in first expansion beyond SEA]( The potential move could counter heightened competition in Southeast Asia and mitigate the Ukraine war's impact on Alibaba's international ecommerce business. 1ï¸â£0ï¸â£Â [How Bukalapak is betting on rolling up brands in pursuit of profits]( Through its US$100 million ecommerce roll-up play, Bukalapak may be building a venture that could nudge it toward the path of âproperâ profitability. Â
---------------------------------------------------------------
Â
NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW Check out Tech in Asiaâs coverage of the ecommerce scene [here](. 1ï¸â£Â [Amazon faces $280m suit from Vietnamese manufacturer]( The US tech giant reportedly scaled back on orders after Gilimex had invested in manufacturing facilities in Ho Chi Minh City, Bloomberg reported. 2ï¸â£Â [Capital Aâs logistics arm nets $50m funding]( The fresh funds will be used to expand the companyâs cross-border delivery capabilities in key Southeast Asian markets. 3ï¸â£Â [Ex-Grab, Traveloka execâs social commerce firm bags seed funding]( Indonesia-based Bakool has raised âseveral millionâ US dollars from Kleiner Perkins, Goodwater Capital, Insignia Ventures Partners, and Global Brain. 4ï¸â£Â [Touchstone backs Vietnamese B2B startupâs $1m seed round]( Quqo connects suppliers, manufacturers, and neighborhood stores in the fast-moving consumer goods space. 5ï¸â£Â [Indiaâs Delhivery to acquire enterprise supply chain SaaS firm]( The deal size wasnât disclosed, but Mint reported that Delhivery paid 149 million rupees (US$1.8 million) in cash for Algorhythm.
Â
---------------------------------------------------------------
Â
FYI 1ï¸â£Â [Amazon is ubiquitous. But it isn't invincible anymore]( The firm has written the rules of modern retail. After a disappointing year, it may not be able to keep winning at its own game.
Â
--------------------------------------------------------------- Thatâs it for this edition - we hope you liked it! Do also check out previous issues of the newsletter [here](. Not your cup of tea? You can unsubscribe from this newsletter by going to your âedit profileâ page and choosing that option in our preference center. See you next year! [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( | [HIRE]( | [FIND JOBS]( P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Too many emails?
Switch to a different frequency or get new content through our [preference center]( or [unsubscribe](. You can also break our hearts and remove yourself from all Tech in Asia emails over [here](
 Copyright © 2022 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved.
63 Robinson Road, Singapore 068894