Last year, investor sentiment suggested that South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang would come to parallel the success of Amazon or the Alibaba Group. But since then, optimism has fallen. In this article, Investing Columnist Aditi Somayajula explains how, in the absence of a sustainable profitability model, Coupang might fare in the long term.Continue Reading
MercadoLibre is commonly referred to as the ‘Amazon of Latin America.’ Both an online marketplace and a payments platform, the company operates in a region with tremendous potential, one that has yet to undergo a digital transformation of retail. In this article, Community columnist Aditi Somayajula explains why MercadoLibre is one to watch.Continue Reading
Over the past year, COVID 19 has impacted buying decisions and seller practices. As cases continue to rise across the world, how have businesses been impacted by closures and online commerce? Continue Reading
So what is a Flex Format store? They’re smaller Target stores carrying just a fraction of the products of full-line locations, with selections individually tailored to fit the specific needs of the surrounding community. Most include a CVS-branded pharmacy, an order pickup area, customer service, and a Starbucks-branded cafe. Clocking in at just 12,000 square feet, the Berkeley Shattuck location in particular is just 8% of the size of your average 145,000-square-foot Target store. The Shattuck location is one of the smallest in the chain, with typical Flex Format locations ranging from 25,000 to 40,000 square feet. Target seems to be heavily leaning into the Flex Format idea, as nearly all of its store openings planned for the next few years fall within the concept parameters. Continue Reading
On February 17th 2020, the richest man alive announced that he will donate about 8% of his fortune to fighting climate change. Jeff Bezos, the founder and one of the current shareholders of Amazon, made this announcement through his Instagram account saying that he will donate 10 billion USD to fund “scientists, activists, NGOs — any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world.” After seeing that post, many people had the same question in their mind: Where exactly will this money go?Continue Reading