Amazon Launches New AI Shopping Assistant; SHEIN Acquires American Fashion Brand Everlane | Cross-border E-commerce Weekly Report

[Ebrun Original] Here's what happened in the cross-border e-commerce sector over the past week:

# Platform Updates #

[Amazon]

1. Amazon Launches New AI Shopping Assistant Alexa for Shopping, Integrated into Main Search Bar

Amazon has officially launched its personalized AI shopping assistant, Alexa for Shopping, replacing the previous Rufus. Currently, Alexa for Shopping is available on the Amazon App, website, and Echo Show devices (a smart speaker with a screen launched by Amazon), and is accessible to U.S. consumers.

It is reported that Alexa for Shopping combines Rufus's product expertise, Amazon shopping history, and Alexa's personalized contextual understanding, enabling a seamless cross-device shopping experience—from the app and website to Echo Show—allowing purchases to be completed via voice or touch.

2. Consumers Sue Amazon for Not Refunding Trump Tariff Fees

Recently, Amazon faced a class-action lawsuit from consumers demanding refunds for tariff costs passed on to them. In February of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the tariffs previously imposed by Trump were illegal. Many companies have applied for tariff refunds, but Amazon has been slow to act. Consumers accuse Amazon of using the opportunity to raise prices and pass on hundreds of millions of dollars in tariff costs to the public, a move seen as an attempt to curry favor with Trump. Amazon has not yet responded to the matter.

[TikTok]

1. Appeals to EU's Top Court: TikTok Aims to Shed 'Gatekeeper' Label and Avoid Strict Regulatory Constraints

TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is making a final effort at the European Court of Justice to overturn its designation as a 'gatekeeper' under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) through legal channels. As a 'gatekeeper,' TikTok must currently comply with stricter regulatory standards—a measure local regulators are using to curb the power of large tech companies.

Notably, this case is the first 'gatekeeper' status defense case heard by the EU's top court since the DMA's implementation.

In court, TikTok argued that the lower court made errors in its ruling, claiming it does not meet all three criteria for 'gatekeeper' status. The court will issue a ruling in the coming months.

2. TikTok Shop Fully Opens to Businesses in Ireland

TikTok Shop has officially opened its platform to all businesses in Ireland, transitioning from an invitation-only system to full access. Since launching in Ireland, the number of active creators in the platform's affiliate program has surged by 600%, with over ?2 million in commissions paid out to creators, and livestream sales continue to show double-digit growth. The platform's user base spans a wide age range, with 37% of users aged 46 to 61. Local consumer interest is rising, with related topic content traffic doubling. The platform is helping small and medium-sized Irish businesses leverage creator resources to expand sales at low cost.

3. TikTok Shop Southeast Asia Unveils Three Key Strategies

The TikTok Shop Southeast Asia Cross-border E-commerce Annual Summit recently concluded in Guangzhou. At the event, the platform officially announced three strategic initiatives.

Strategic Initiative One: Boost Chinese Brand Globalization, Accelerating the Establishment of Quality Goods in Southeast Asia. Provide more merchant support, broader category opportunities, and customized pathways for brands, enabling Chinese products to seize the golden opportunity of consumer upgrading.

Strategic Initiative Two: Enhance Omnichannel Operational Efficiency, Reducing Burden and Increasing Speed. Enable product portfolio interoperability to simplify cross-border listing and multi-country operations; enable content interoperability to simplify content operations and creator collaborations.

Strategic Initiative Three: Accelerate Platform Infrastructure Upgrades, Ensuring Secure Operations and Stable, Long-term Business Growth. Optimize product governance rules for more stable and sustained business growth; improve export tax exemption and refund capabilities, facilitate direct shipping for large items, enrich border warehouse and last-mile large-item fulfillment capabilities, helping merchants sell further, deliver faster, and optimize costs; refine after-sales policies and reverse logistics, focusing on delivery timeliness and return/exchange experiences, driving high repurchase rates through excellent service.

[Temu]

1. Second Only to Amazon's Main Site: Temu Ranks as World's Second Most Visited E-commerce Website

Recently, overseas data agency We Are Social released a global e-commerce website traffic report for December 2025 to February 2026. According to its data, Temu has now become the world's second most visited e-commerce website, trailing only Amazon's main site. Foreign media analysis suggests that "through aggressive pricing strategies and logistics methods, it is entirely possible to shake the competitive barriers built up by traditional e-commerce platforms over the years."

[Shopee]

1. Shopee to Upgrade Cross-border Store Advertising System on June 1

Shopee announced that starting June 1, 2026, it will upgrade its cross-border store advertising system. The 7-day click attribution will be retained, while 1-day view attribution will be added for Shopee's All-Site Promotion and New Product Ads. Relevant ads will shift from cost-per-click (CPC) to cost-per-view (CPV), with ROAS guarantees remaining unchanged. The upgrade covers Southeast Asia, Brazil, and other markets, excluding Mexico for now. The new rules allow for complete tracking of view-based conversions, improving campaign stability and helping sellers accurately assess ad performance and optimize strategies.

[SHEIN]

1. SHEIN Acquires American Fashion Brand Everlane for $100 Million

According to foreign media reports, SHEIN will acquire the fashion brand Everlane for $100 million. The deal has already received board approval. Public information shows that Everlane is a fashion brand founded in San Francisco in 2011.

Everlane was once grouped with star startups like Allbirds, the "Silicon Valley national shoe" brand, winning a large user base in the 2010s through its DTC model, but later gradually declined, experiencing frequent leadership changes in recent years and ongoing financial difficulties.

Analysts point out that "Everlane's moat was not built on technology, supply chain advantages, or a pricing system, but on moral authority." Precisely because of Everlane's brand ethos—sustainability, supply chain transparency, and ethical practices—it is believed that SHEIN, known for low prices and fast production, can leverage Everlane to improve its image with overseas regulators.

2. SHEIN Doubles Down on UK Market, Builds Own Logistics Center in 'Golden Logistics Triangle'

SHEIN recently announced on LinkedIn that it has opened a new logistics center in the UK, spanning 35,000 square meters, located in Cannock, a town in the Midlands region of England.

The logistics center is equipped with advanced automation technology, including robotic systems for order processing and automated sorting lines, to provide faster fulfillment services to consumers. Additionally, the new center has created 450 new jobs, bringing SHEIN's total logistics workforce in the UK to 1,000.

[Other Platforms]

1. JD.com Establishes Office in Dublin, Ireland

JD.com is setting up an office in Dublin, Ireland, planning to hire approximately 30 employees. JD established several corporate entities locally last year. The current open positions focus on finance and treasury management, with some roles requiring professional Chinese language skills and experience with mainstream financial systems. This move is a key part of JD's European expansion, taking on regional financial settlement, treasury operations, and supply chain support functions.

2. Wildberries: Number of Products from Chinese Sellers on Platform Grew 13-Fold in One Year

At the Ecomday 2026 China E-commerce Festival, Russia's largest e-commerce platform, Wildberries, released the latest cross-border business data. As of May 2026, the number of products provided by Chinese sellers on the platform has reached tens of millions of SKUs, a 13-fold increase compared to the same period last year.

Wildberries stated that this massive expansion in product supply is mainly due to the company's targeted merchant recruitment and empowerment efforts for Chinese sellers, as well as continuously improving cross-border logistics capabilities.

3. OZON: E-commerce Revenue Soars 46% YoY in Q1, Achieving Profit for Four Consecutive Quarters

Russia's leading e-commerce platform, Ozon, recently announced its Q1 2026 financial results. The report shows that in Q1 2026, Ozon's Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), including services, grew 36% year-over-year to 1.135 trillion rubles.

As a core business segment, Ozon's e-commerce business maintained rapid growth. In Q1, the company's e-commerce revenue increased 46% year-over-year to 250.1 billion rubles, outpacing overall GMV growth, indicating further improvement in the platform's monetization capabilities.

In terms of user base, the number of active buyers increased by 9.2 million year-over-year to 67.3 million during the reporting period. The company continues to advance its "high value-for-money" product strategy, significantly increasing user purchase frequency. Currently, the average annual order frequency per buyer on the Ozon platform has reached 42 times, a 50% increase compared to the same period last year.

4. Sezzle vs. Shopify: Shopify Found to Have Monopoly Power, Case Moves to Substantive Hearing

There has been new progress in the lawsuit filed by U.S. fintech company Sezzle against Shopify.

Sezzle issued an official statement outlining the court's ruling: allowing Sezzle's core monopoly and restraint of trade claims to proceed. This means the case, where Sezzle accuses Shopify of violating antitrust laws by unfairly favoring its own BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) service to the detriment of Sezzle's business, will move to the substantive hearing stage.

The court explicitly found that Shopify holds monopoly power in two relevant markets: in the U.S. "drag-and-drop e-commerce platform" market, Shopify's market share is 70% (including large clients) to 95% (excluding custom clients); by 2024, Shop Pay Installments accounted for approximately 75-85% of all BNPL transactions on the Shopify platform.

5. German E-commerce Platform Otto Phased Rollout of Seller Onboarding to Multiple European Countries

German domestic e-commerce platform Otto, one of the largest in the country, has formally implemented the opening plan announced in February, phasing in seller onboarding permissions for multiple European countries.

Currently, Dutch sellers can submit applications, with a pilot program for Polish sellers launching in June. Within the year, Otto will also gradually open up onboarding for sellers from Austria, France, Spain, and Denmark. The platform will gradually open integration permissions to different countries and selected legal entities to ensure a smooth onboarding process.

# Merchant Circle #

1. Cross-border Auto Parts Giant Yangteng Innovation Rushes for IPO with Annual Revenue Exceeding 4.4 Billion Yuan

Cross-border e-commerce major seller Yangteng Innovation (Fujian) Information Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Yangteng Innovation") had its ChiNext IPO application accepted by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on April 22, 2026, and entered the inquiry stage on May 10.

It is reported that Yangteng Innovation was founded in 2019, focusing on the automotive aftermarket, primarily engaged in the overseas sales of its own brand auto parts products, including chassis components, engine components, body and accessory components, and electronic and electrical components. From 2023 to 2025, the company's operating revenues were approximately 1.762 billion yuan, 3.271 billion yuan, and 4.44 billion yuan, respectively; net profits attributable to shareholders were approximately 111 million yuan, 296 million yuan, and 371 million yuan, respectively.

# Overseas Marketing #

1. Google Launches Universal Cart for Cross-platform Agent Shopping

Google unveiled the AI-powered Universal Cart at its 2026 I/O developer conference, usable across platforms like Search, Gemini, YouTube, and Gmail. Leveraging the Gemini model, the cart can automatically monitor prices, alert users to product compatibility, and recommend alternatives, integrating with Google Wallet. This summer, it will launch checkout features in partnership with merchants like Nike and Walmart. This move further advances the implementation of its UCP (Unified Commerce Platform) protocol, aiming to build a full-process AI agent shopping ecosystem and reshape the online shopping experience.

# Cross-border Logistics #

1. Valued at $1 Billion: North American Last-mile Fulfillment Unicorn UniUni to Pursue Dual Listings in Toronto and Nasdaq

On May 19th, significant capital action emerged in North America's "last-mile" delivery sector.

Technology-driven logistics platform Uni Express Inc. (UniUni) and Toronto Stock Exchange-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) MAK Acquisition Corp. (MAK) jointly announced they have signed a definitive purchase agreement. Through a reverse takeover of MAK, UniUni will go public, with the merged entity planning to list on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the ticker "UN" and seek a dual listing on Nasdaq shortly after the transaction closes.

# Policy & Data #

1. Six Departments Introduce New Policy to Optimize Tax Refund for Tourists, Multiple Measures to Boost Inbound Consumption

Six government departments jointly issued a new policy to upgrade the tax refund system for departing tourists, introducing eight specific measures. The new policy takes effect on July 1st. For refunds under 10,000 yuan, random inspections will be implemented for small amounts, and paperless refunds will be fully promoted. The uniform period for immediate refunds upon purchase before departure is set at 28 days, enabling cross-regional business interoperability. Simultaneously, the coverage of tax refund shops will be expanded, with dedicated tax refund zones set up at large exhibitions, inbound consumption and travel conditions optimized, and domestic and international policy promotion intensified, comprehensively simplifying the refund process to help grow the inbound consumption market.

2. Austria Plans to Impose 2 Euro Parcel Tax

The Austrian federal government plans to impose a 2 euro tax per parcel on cross-border e-commerce sellers with annual turnover exceeding 100 million euros starting this autumn. The aim is to use the revenue to subsidize tax reductions on basic food items. This tax will primarily target large platforms. The Austrian Chamber of Commerce criticized the move, stating that platforms like Amazon would inevitably pass the costs onto sellers and ultimately consumers. Meanwhile, at the EU level, plans are also in place to impose additional import fees on Chinese goods starting this summer. With the combined pressure of these dual costs, Austrian and European consumers are likely to face more significant price increases for online shopping.

3. NIQ: AI Becomes Global Business Connector, Agent Commerce Reshapes Consumer Decision-Making

NielsenIQ's report "The Commerce Revolution: East Meets West" shows that global retail is shifting from isolated channels to an interconnected system, with Eastern models like livestreaming, social commerce, and flash sales deeply integrating with Western retail media, with AI serving as the core connecting link. Global retail media spending reached $184 billion in 2025. Nearly 60% of consumers in Asia-Pacific shop via social and flash sales, with related growth rates in the U.S. surpassing those of traditional e-commerce. AI agents are autonomously shopping on behalf of customers, reshaping the global commerce landscape.

4. e-Conomy SEA: ASEAN Digital Economy GMV Surpasses $305 Billion

Over the past decade, Southeast Asia has emerged strongly as one of the world's fastest-growing e-commerce regions, with ASEAN becoming a new high ground for the digital economy. According to the e-Conomy SEA 2025 report, the GMV of ASEAN's digital economy surpassed $305 billion in 2025, with e-commerce GMV climbing to $157.6 billion. Indonesia remains the largest market by volume, while Vietnam, driven by its young demographic dividend, high internet penetration, and digital transformation, leads in growth with a 25.5% increase, with its market size approaching $31 billion.