E-commerce Technology Trends

Vietnam’s food delivery market just hit a massive $2.1$ billion dollars in GMV, growing at 19% year-on-year. While that makes it the second fastest-growing market in SEA, the market remains brutal. 🛵 In just 2 years, we’ve seen heavyweights like BAEMIN and Gojek pull out, alongside local player Loship. Today, a staggering 92% of the market is controlled by just two names: ShopeeFood and GrabFood. 🟠ShopeeFood has effectively "captured" the younger demographic. By leveraging the Shopee ecosystem, they’ve made bubble tea and low-value snacks a daily ritual. 🟢On the other side, GrabFood has moved "upmarket." They are the go-to for the high-income professional. Their focus is on full meals, group orders, and a smoother user interface. 📉The Loyalty Gap Despite the massive GMV, there is a growing tension in the air: Price Gap: Meals on apps are now significantly more expensive than eating on-site. The "Order Batching” Problem: Drivers often carry multiple orders at once to stay profitable. For the customer, this means watching your "cơm văn phòng" go on a city tour while it slowly turns cold. 🛵The New Challenger This is exactly where Xanh SM Ngon is trying to disrupt the duopoly. By using an all-electric fleet and a strict "no-batching" policy, they want to prove that speed and temperature are the new moats. Such intense competition in Food Delivery will only increase the pace of innovation. In such a hyper mobile society, blue prints for FMCG & new technologies are being developed that will have impact, far beyond Vietnam's borders. Source: Momentum Works, IPOS, NielsenIQ, Decision Lab, VnExpress, B-company, The Investor *While information from Asia Circles is publicly accessible and derived from third-party sources, its verification and validity are not guaranteed. #FoodTech #MarketInsights #ConsumerInsight #ShopeeFood #GrabFood

In retail, many chase the next big thing—a new style, a new way to reach consumers—triggering a frantic race to adopt. But most trends fade as fast as they appear. The real game-changers are curated habits that prove they can stand the test of time. I’ve championed social commerce as the future of retail for over a decade. In hindsight, that barely scratches the surface. It’s now a deeply ingrained consumer behavior. The imperative isn’t just to adopt it, but to evolve with it—constantly and intentionally. At HSN, social commerce was core to our strategy. We pioneered the blend of shopping and entertainment. That’s the essence: finding the sweet spot where entertainment, connection, and commerce converge. Soon after, platforms like Twitch began enabling users to both game and shop in real time, blending entertainment with commerce. Fanatics has successfully leaned into this model as well, immersing fans in live experiences while showcasing gear in action, often worn by their favorite athletes and community, turning fandom into a powerful trust signal. More recently, TikTok Shop collapsed the purchase funnel into a single scroll. It's no longer discover, then buy. Now, it’s see it, want it, buy it—seamlessly, in-platform. So, as we look ahead, how do I see this "social commerce habit" evolving? Here's what I expect: 🔹 Creator Integration is Non-Negotiable. For Gen Z, in particular, TikTok Shop has become a primary discovery engine. They trust their favorite creators to genuinely try products and offer honest feedback. The more brands lean into authentic partnerships with creators, the more trust they build in this integrated shopping experience. It’s about relationship-driven commerce. 🔹 Embrace a Zero-Click World. Speed and simplicity are paramount. Consumers need to be able to see, buy, and receive as fast as humanly possible. This means minimal clicks, minimal friction, and no moments for reconsideration. It's about instant gratification and removing all barriers between desire and ownership. 🔹 Elevate Live Shopping. This is a powerful return to the personal connection and real-time interaction that defined the best of traditional retail. Shoppable videos and live sessions transform social media into a personalized shopping aisle. Imagine experts demonstrating products, showing how they fit or can be styled, all in real-time, tailored to your interests. It brings humanity back to digital retail. 🔹 Unlock the Power of Virtual Try-Ons. A longstanding hurdle in e-commerce is "try before you buy." AI-enabled virtual try-on features solves that, making online shopping more immersive and convenient. This translates directly into higher conversion rates, deeper engagement, and customers spending more valuable time interacting with your brand digitally. It’s time to stop treating social commerce like a trend. This is commerce, full stop. It’s a fundamental consumer behavior that belongs at the center of every modern retail strategy.

Amazon has recently unveiled a partnership with TikTok (TikTok for Business) which will allow users of the social platform to purchase products from the ecommerce titan directly within the TikTok app, without having to click through to Amazon’s app or website. The integration will allow user to buy products recommendations from Amazon straight from their For You feed on TikTok. It’s a savvy move from Amazon, and one that will allow the online marketplace to assert its ecommerce prowess as shoppers’ habits around product discovery and buying evolve. And a win for TikTok which is turning out to be a powerful engine fueling the discovery of new products and brands. As outlined in our 'Power of Social Commerce report' Retail Economics produced in partnership with TikTok, we know that shoppers are increasingly relying on social platforms to inform and drive their purchasing decisions. Our research shows that social and entertainment platforms are the most popular method for consumers to discover brands and products, outperforming search engines, marketplaces, and brand websites. Here’s a few stats from our report, produced in partnership with TikTok: ➡ Social commerce contributes £7.3 billion to UK retail sales, around 6% of total online sales – and is set to rise to £15.7bn, or 11% of total online sales, by 2028. ➡ Over half (54%) of online shoppers now find browsing for products on social and entertainment platforms more satisfying than shopping retail websites or physical stores. ➡ 88% of social users have discovered products they are interested in purchasing from on TikTok – higher than any other social platform TikTok also leads in social commerce penetration, with 44% of users having made a purchase directly through the platform, and 29% within the last 12 months. Have a look at the below chart to see how other social platforms compare: Amazon has long since established itself as a behemoth of online retail, so this partnership with TikTok is demonstrative of the shifting dynamics influencing how and where people are buying. To find out more about how social platforms are impacting how your customers are finding and purchasing products, as well as case studies of how other retailers are using platforms like TikTok to drive online growth, click here to download our report in full. https://lnkd.in/eaVyzq_R #SocialCommerce #TikTokShop #RetailEconomics #Consumer #eCommerce

🚨 New Elevation Capital thesis: Quick Commerce x Food! Indians today have come to instinctively check Instamart or Blinkit before Amazon for daily needs. Capitalising on this shift, quick commerce has expanded from a few thousand SKUs to 20,000+ in dark stores, with megapods offering 50,000 SKUs across multiple categories including apparel, electronics, and long-tail items. Despite horizontal expansion, 80% of GMV for quick commerce companies remains grocery-driven, leaving significant room for vertical specialization in other categories. These new vertical quick commerce models are bridging the offline-online experience gap, where quick is one axis of innovation, not the sole focus. One such vertical is food. It's creating new consumption by capturing offline and packaged food consumption rather than cannibalizing existing delivery. For instance, Swish has been at the forefront of innovation in selecting demand occasions and building consumer habits in this space. Some highlights: > Hot beverages unlock entirely new demand - traditional 30+ minute delivery made ordering coffee/tea impractical due to temperature and taste degradation > Quick food platforms reduce cognitive load by curating options vs. endless restaurant scrolling on traditional food delivery apps > Snacking and beverages drive initial adoption, creating opportunity to expand into main meals > Full-stack approach required - companies must control sourcing, cooking, technology, and logistics end-to-end > Food prep technologies include deep frozen, cook-and-chill, and fresh preparation > Current models primarily use partially prepared bases with final cooking steps completed at point of dispatch - similar to QSR > Key challenges: variety expansion beyond core dishes, price competitiveness and solving for trust/perception gap > Main meals (lunch/dinner) emerging for low-cognitive decision occasions like rice bowls or salads where brand matters less than quick, fresh delivery

Marketing Automation & Customer Service is no longer just about sending emails or filling out contact forms. With AI these flows can become journeys: interactive and truly personalized - unlocking new levels of engagement and conversion in Whatsapp or Chat. But where to start? Here’s a breakdown of the top journeys most e-commerce brands have implemented and how I rank their AI potential and impact: 1️⃣ Product Recommendations | AI Potential: High Helping your customer to make a choice and find the product that fits their needs. > Move beyond static scripts! AI can find best fitting products with LLM powered semantic search, resolve blockers, compare products and provide tailored suggestions. 2️⃣ Welcome Flow | High You offer an incentive, collect and opt-in and further into > With AI, this flow can become interactive: No form like answering all extrated from a normal informal conversation. Enrich their profiles for future personalization (email, birthday, ...) 3️⃣ Customer Service | High Taking care when your customers have a problem: > AI Agents will provide 24/7 multilingual support. Collect the info you need before handing over to a human if the certain problems still need the human insight, access, or touch. Save costs while enhancing customer experience. 4️⃣ FAQ Automation | Medium Make it easy for customers to find answers. > AI ensures responses are nuanced and personalized. 5️⃣ Abandoned Cart | Medium Customer is (almost) ready to buy, but got interrupted or needs a little nudge > Send a(i) personalized message based on the exact product they have in their cart. Highlight how it fits their preferences or past purchases. 6️⃣ Cross-Sell / Up-Sell | Medium Encourage customers to buy complementary products. > AI can craft compelling arguments for upgrades, bundles or next product to buy. 7️⃣ Birthday or Special Day Campaigns | Medium Send wishes and a little gift > Let AI create a personalized message, image, or video and send it via WhatsApp. 8️⃣ Winback / Replenishment | Low Remind customers to repurchase or return. > Personalization helps, but the core is timing. 9️⃣ Review Collection | Low Gather feedback and build trust with REVIEWS.io or alike > AI can personalize requests and handle negative feedback gracefully avoiding bad reviews. 🔟 Back-In-Stock | Low Notify customers when the product they wanted to buy is available again. > AI can add a personalized touch to the reminder [don't want to get out of stock? Talk to VOIDS] 1️⃣1️⃣Referral Programs | Low Encourage word-of-mouth with incentives for sharing. > AI can personalize referral messages for higher trust and conversion. 1️⃣2️⃣Fulfilment Updates | Low Keep customers informed about their orders. > Let AI add a personal touch related to the product shipped. [Want to turn into an upsell opportunity: Karla is doing a great job here] The future of e-commerce is about conversations, not campaigns. Which flow or journey are you excited to tackle first? #conversationalai

Meta has introduced a new function that enables Amazon customers to make purchases on Facebook and Instagram without exiting these apps. No brainer, that this integration will boost seamless Integration and user experience. But on a deeper level, why do I find this matching the ongoing global trends (watch out for the Social Commerce boom in China!)? This partnership is a benchmark in creating a seamless shopping experience, bridging the gap between social engagement and eCommerce. Users staying within the social media ecosystem for their entire shopping journey will lead to higher conversion rates for #brands. I also believe this is a response to disastrous 2021 iOS privacy changes, impacting the ROI for brands everywhere. Meta is looking for new ways to bolster ad revenue after Apple’s iOS privacy changes in 2021 made it more difficult for social media companies to target users. The update was a major blow to Meta’s business and, alongside a brutal digital ad market; does anybody remember the ROAS being slashed by 60% two years ago? 😎 And my favorite part of this collaboration? Data-driven targeting and personalization! This new feature will underscore the value of leveraging data for personalized advertising. With Meta enhancing its ad system through #AI and Amazon's rich consumer purchasing data, the potential for highly targeted and effective campaigns increases significantly. I can see CMOs and brand manager smiling before their budget meetings.. ++ 🔭 Looking Ahead ++ 📍 This partnership could pave the way for a broader #socialcommerce landscape where other platforms may follow suit, integrating eCommerce capabilities directly into their user interface. 📍 As the checkout process becomes more streamlined, the content that leads to that checkout will become even more critical. Brands will likely invest more in creative strategies that tell compelling stories within the social media context, engaging users and driving them toward instant purchases. 📍 Looking further ahead, this partnership will evolve to include immersive shopping experiences using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), especially on platforms like Instagram, where visual presentation is key. I am hopeful, that the Meta-Amazon partnership is not just an immediate enhancement to the shopping experience; it's a signpost for the future of digital advertising and eCommerce convergence, indicating a world where impulse buys are just a natural part of social media consumption. #ecommert for #ecommerce, #digitalshelf and #retailmedia

The same people hunting for discounts on Myntra are paying ₹1,500 for instant fashion on Zepto. This isn't just another retail trend. It's a complete reversal of how we understand fashion buying. Urban consumers have started treating fashion like groceries, demanding immediate delivery for immediate needs. Think about it. That Saturday evening party outfit can't wait three days.  The campus event tomorrow needs the perfect look today. Quick commerce understood this shift before traditional retail even noticed and quick commerce platforms are specifically targeting trend-conscious urban customers and Gen Z. Why? Because they're willing to pay ₹500 to ₹1,500 on Zepto or ₹1,400 to ₹1,600 on NEWME for 25 to 60 minute delivery. The implications for fashion brands are staggering. Expanding inventory to new regions now requires: → Tech-led demand prediction systems → Understanding hyperlocal preferences → Building distributed warehouses → Tracking regional buying patterns Brands studying fashion demand must consider completely new factors. Weekend travel creates spikes in metro cities. Festive seasons hit differently across regions. Occasion-based purchases drive impulse buying. Each locality has its own style DNA. Traditional retail spent decades perfecting central warehouses and seasonal collections. Quick commerce demands the opposite. Small inventory points everywhere. Weekly design drops. Regional customization. Fashion has entered the 10-minute economy, and there's no going back. What's one fashion emergency that made you wish for instant delivery?

I have always been fascinated by how dining habits evolve with social and economic shifts. In India, the geography of dining is changing before our eyes. Urban dine-in remains important, but the real momentum is building in suburbs, tier-2 towns, and through delivery platforms. The food services market in India is expected to grow from about Rs 5.5 lakh crore today to close to Rs 10 lakh crore by 2030. Online delivery is projected to account for nearly a fifth of that pie. Cloud kitchens, which were once considered experimental, are becoming mainstream. They already represent over a billion dollars in value and are projected to triple by the end of the decade. This is not just about efficiency. It is about creating hospitality in new forms, wherever the diner chooses to be. For me, these numbers are not abstract. They are signals. They tell us how restaurants must rethink design, reach, and experience. Here is how I see it: 1/ Suburbs and tier-2 cities are emerging as powerful growth engines. 2/ Cloud kitchens can extend a brand’s presence without diluting its identity. 3/ Delivery and hybrid formats demand the same attention to quality and consistency as a flagship restaurant. The future of dining in India belongs to businesses that understand these shifts deeply and adapt with clarity. As someone who lives and breathes this industry every day, I see this as a moment of great possibility. #India #Hospitality #Future #Trends #Growth #Success

🛍️💻 Building a Seamless D2C E-commerce Experience: Key Considerations For direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, providing a seamless and enjoyable e-commerce experience is crucial for customer satisfaction and business success. Here are key considerations to enhance the D2C e-commerce experience: **1. User-Friendly Website Design: Prioritize a clean, intuitive, and visually appealing website design. Ensure easy navigation, clear product categorization, and a user-friendly interface that aligns with your brand identity. **2. Mobile Optimization: Optimize your e-commerce site for mobile devices. Many consumers shop on smartphones, so a responsive and mobile-friendly design is essential for a positive user experience. **3. Fast Loading Speeds: Minimize page loading times to prevent user frustration. Compress images, optimize code, and invest in reliable hosting to ensure your e-commerce site loads quickly on all devices. **4. Clear Product Descriptions and Imagery: Provide detailed and accurate product descriptions accompanied by high-quality images. Clear information helps customers make informed decisions, reducing the likelihood of returns. **5. Intuitive Navigation: Simplify the navigation process. Use clear and concise menus, filters, and search functions to help customers easily find the products they are looking for. **6. Personalized Recommendations: Implement personalized product recommendations based on customers' browsing and purchase history. This enhances the shopping experience and increases the likelihood of upsells. **7. Streamlined Checkout Process: Opt for a streamlined and frictionless checkout process. Minimize the number of steps, offer guest checkout options, and provide multiple payment methods for convenience. By prioritizing these considerations, D2C brands can create a seamless e-commerce experience that not only attracts new customers but also fosters loyalty and repeat business. 🛒✨ #D2CEcommerce #UserExperience #EcommerceStrateg