Cross-Border E-commerce Weekly: Shopify Embraces AI Shopping Agents; SHEIN Tightens Logistics Controls

Platform Dynamics

Amazon

1. Amazon Launches AI Advertising Platform with Unified Cross-Ad Format Campaign Management

Amazon officially introduced its AI-powered advertising platform, Amazon Ads Agent. The platform integrates search ads, display/video/audio ads, and full-funnel campaigns while expanding AI-managed advertising capabilities. In this update, Full-Funnel Campaigns now support incorporating search ads, display ads, video, and streaming TV ads into a single campaign. Advertisers provide budget, products, and creative assets, then set goals and requirements, allowing AI to plan, execute, and continuously optimize delivery.

2. Amazon NWD New Rule: Non-Brand-Authorized Sellers Must Clear Inventory by October 27

Recently, a large number of Amazon sellers have received NWD (No Wholesale Distribution) violation notices stating that product listings for the involved brands will be removed on October 27. Under the rules, NWD brands only permit accounts with the "Brand Representative" role to sell. General distributors, resellers, and drop shippers cannot continue selling even with authorization agreements, and purchase invoices or dealer LOA authorizations do not constitute exemptions. In other words, products from brands classified as "No Wholesale Distribution" can only be sold by individuals authorized by the brand owner. Without authorization, listings will be forcibly removed after October 27. Affected sellers must complete three actions by the deadline: sell remaining inventory, create removal orders for unsold inventory, and delete SKUs without inventory or removal orders. Any FBA inventory not processed by the deadline will be disposed of directly by Amazon, with removal and disposal fees borne by the seller.

TikTok Shop

1. TikTok Shop Leases JD Industrial Development Warehouse in the UK

It has been reported that TikTok Shop's fulfillment service, FBT, has leased a large warehouse of approximately 250,000 square feet in Rugby, UK. The warehouse is owned by JD Industrial Development, a subsidiary of JD.com. Subsequently, JD Industrial Development confirmed that the project has been delivered, with the lessee being a leading cross-border e-commerce company. The warehouse was completed this summer, is adjacent to the M6 motorway, and is situated in the UK's logistics golden triangle, covering approximately 90% of the UK population within a four-hour drive.

2. Third-Party Data Shows TikTok Shop's Four Major European Markets Generate 64% of GMV from Short Videos

According to data from e-commerce analytics firm ECDB, in TikTok Shop's four major European markets (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain), 64% of GMV is contributed by shoppable videos, with the remainder coming from live streaming and product cards. By country, Germany shows the highest reliance on videos, which contribute 69.3% of local GMV. Live streaming accounts for approximately 20% of GMV in France, Italy, and Spain, while only 13% in Germany. In Spain and Germany, product cards contribute a higher share of GMV than live streaming.

3. TikTok Shop US Cross-Border POP Brands Launch Live Price Cut and Group Buying Features

TikTok Shop has introduced two new features for US-market cross-border POP merchants: "LIVE Price Cut" and "LIVE Group Deal." Price Cut lowers product prices through sustained user participation, while Group Deal attracts users to form groups for purchases at a fixed group-buying price. These features revolve around price dynamics and group formation progress, allowing merchants to flexibly choose based on product characteristics, profit margins, and inventory levels, adding new promotional tools for daily operations and major sales events.

Alibaba

1. AliExpress Launches Free Elite Membership with Exclusive Benefits Stackable with Double 11 Discounts

AliExpress has rolled out a loyalty membership program called Elite, offering exclusive discounts, fast shipping, and personalized services to highly engaged users. Unlike similar membership programs in the industry that charge fees, Elite membership is free to join. Users who have spent approximately ￡600 or more and completed at least 5 orders on the platform in the past year automatically qualify for membership. Membership status can be viewed directly in the AliExpress app, along with member-exclusive pricing across multiple categories.

2. 1688 Integrates with AI E-commerce Workbench Accio, Enabling SMEs and Factories to Leverage AI for Business Management

Alibaba's digital supply chain platform 1688 has announced its integration with Accio, a global e-commerce AI workbench. Over 100 million annual active buyers and more than 1 million upstream manufacturers on the platform can directly activate the service. Upon integration, buyers can use it for procurement and leverage the "E-commerce Butler" agent to manage their online business across multiple channels, while sellers can manage their 1688 stores in one place via Accio. According to official sources, 1688's buyers are primarily small and medium enterprises, even "one-person companies," who have complex needs such as "sourcing from multiple channels and selling across multiple endpoints." To address this, Accio has introduced two key features: the "Procurement Assistant" covers both 1688 and Alibaba International Station, allowing buyers to find suppliers, compare prices, and send inquiries across 128 countries and regions globally; the "E-commerce Butler" feature connects with major domestic e-commerce platforms including Taobao, Tmall, Douyin, Pinduoduo, and JD.com, enabling procurement and store operations to be completed within a single workbench without switching back and forth.

3. AliExpress Kicks Off Double 11 Campaign: Overseas Warehouse Inventory Up 146% Year-on-Year

Data from AliExpress shows that as the overseas Double 11 shopping festival approaches, the platform is experiencing a surge in merchant stocking. This year, overseas warehouse inventory has grown 146% compared to the same period last year. According to AliExpress data, top merchants are significantly ramping up their Double 11 preparations. For example, projector brand Magcubic has stocked 200,000 units for AliExpress Double 11, three times more than last year, with over 80,000 units already placed in AliExpress official warehouses, completing large-scale stocking and logistics planning in advance. Leading 3C digital brand Baseus has stocked 600,000 units, while carbon fiber wheel set brand ELITEWHEELS has stocked over $3 million worth of inventory.

SHEIN

1. SHEIN Launches Cooperative Logistics Service in Spain to Help Local Sellers Expand in Europe

SHEIN has officially launched cooperative logistics services in Spain, making it the first European country to offer this service. The service is targeted at local sellers on SHEIN's third-party platform, partnering with carriers such as GLS, FedEx, and CTT to open European logistics routes to Germany, France, Italy, and Portugal. Currently, over 80% of sellers in Spain have already onboarded. SHEIN stated that this initiative aims to assist local sellers in managing international shipping, expanding into European markets, and addressing compliance and cost pressures arising from the EU's removal of the low-value parcel import duty exemption.

2. SHEIN Tightens Shipping Subsidy Eligibility: Stores with DSR Rating Below 4 Stars Ineligible

SHEIN has announced that starting mid-to-late October 2026, it will adjust the shipping template settings permissions for semi-managed stores on its US site. After the adjustment, merchants with a store DSR rating below 4 stars or without a DSR rating will lose the ability to customize shipping templates and will not be able to enable shipping subsidies. The DSR (Detailed Seller Rating) is SHEIN's "seller service rating," scored by buyers after order completion based on product quality, fulfillment, and service performance. DSR ratings are calculated monthly, with a maximum score of 5 stars. Merchants must meet two thresholds to be eligible for rating: store registration over 30 days and more than 30 orders in the last 90 days.

3. SHEIN Discontinues UniUni Logistics Service; US Semi-Managed Sellers Affected from October 12

SHEIN has issued a logistics provider change notice, announcing that the UniUni logistics service will be officially discontinued from 12:00 Beijing time on October 12, affecting semi-managed and self-operated merchants in the US market. Parcels ordered before the discontinuation will still be fulfilled by UniUni normally, but after the discontinuation, merchants will no longer be able to select this delivery channel online. This is SHEIN's third logistics partner change this year: in April, SHEIN closed shipping services through JCEX and PiggyShip; from the end of June, it restricted export address delivery for US semi-managed and self-operated merchants, allowing only online ordering and label printing through platform-partner logistics.

More

1. Shopify Opens Catalog of Over 1 Billion Products to All AI Shopping Agents

Shopify has announced that its catalog of over 1 billion products is now accessible to all AI shopping agents. Third-party agents can directly assist users with product searches, price comparisons, and order placement, without the need for merchants to negotiate individual partnerships or undergo API integration. Consumers can also link their agents to their Shop accounts, enabling one-click checkout via Shop Pay. Orders will automatically sync to the Shop platform, but each transaction must be confirmed by the buyer before payment is completed. Previously, the platform had only opened its merchant connector to select partners like Meta Muse; this marks a full opening. For sellers, whether products can be discovered by AI agents is increasingly becoming a new traffic channel.

2. Walmart's AI Assistant Sparky Drives 40% Increase in Average Order Value, Weekly Interactions Up 60% Month-over-Month

Walmart's proprietary AI shopping assistant, Sparky, is significantly boosting overall performance: customers using Sparky have an average order value approximately 40% higher than non-users, weekly interactions have grown 60% month-over-month, and the newly launched visual search feature has driven a 57% higher conversion rate compared to text search. Walmart has indicated it is currently exploring integrating Sparky into TV and other business scenarios to assist users with product selection and cross-app navigation on TV. In Q2, Walmart's e-commerce sales grew 24% year-over-year, maintaining growth above 20% for ten consecutive quarters. The company is reinvesting some of the cost savings from AI efficiency gains into pricing strategies and customer experience optimization.

3. Shopee International Platform Expands Across Latin America: Mass Invitation of Brazilian Sellers to Sell in Argentina and Mexico

According to foreign media reports, Shopee will expand its cross-border sales program, Shopee International Platform (SIP), to more than 150,000 local Brazilian sellers, enabling them to sell to consumers in Argentina and Mexico. Shopee will handle international shipping, customs clearance, and customer service, aiming to lower the operational barriers for local SMEs to engage in cross-border business. It is reported that Shopee currently has over 3 million sellers on its Brazil site. During the SIP pilot phase, 19,000 Brazilian sellers participated, listing over 1.4 million products in Argentina and Mexico.

Cross-Border Service Provider Highlights

1. YouTube Shopping Officially Launches in France; Over 1.3 Million Creators See Commission Income Double Year-on-Year

YouTube Shopping officially launched in France on October 13. The subscription threshold for creators to join the shopping affiliate program has been lowered from 10,000 to 500, and each video can now tag up to 60 products. At the Made on YouTube event held on September 23, YouTube revealed that its shopping affiliate program now includes over 1.3 million creators, with total merchandise sales volume growing 13-fold over the past two years. The platform plans to expand coverage to 35 countries by the end of the year, with commission payouts doubling year-on-year.

Trade Policy and Data

1. EU ?3 Parcel Tax in Effect for One Quarter: Liege Airport Sees 42% Drop in Small Parcel Volume

The EU began imposing a ?3 tax on low-value e-commerce parcels from outside the EU starting July 1. Q3 data from Belgium's Liege Airport shows that after the tax took effect, small parcel volume at the airport fell 42%, with cargo flight takeoffs and landings down 6% during the same period. However, total cargo volume reached 334,500 tons, roughly flat compared to the same period last year. The airport noted that the decline in small parcels while total cargo remained stable indicates that Chinese platforms are gradually shifting toward bulk shipping and local European warehousing by consolidating orders and encouraging consumers to increase cart sizes. In the seven weeks before the tax took effect, it had already generated approximately ?223.7 million in tax revenue for Belgian customs. Liege Airport is a major freight gateway for platforms like SHEIN, Temu, and AliExpress entering the EU market. As the cost of direct small-parcel shipping continues to rise, the value of European overseas warehouses and bulk customs clearance models is increasingly prominent.

2. China's Cross-Border E-commerce Imports and Exports Reach Approximately 2.18 Trillion Yuan in First Three Quarters, Up 4.4% Year-on-Year

On October 14, Lu Daliang, spokesperson for the General Administration of Customs and Director of the Statistics and Analysis Department, disclosed at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office that, according to preliminary customs estimates, China's total cross-border e-commerce imports and exports in the first three quarters amounted to approximately 2.18 trillion yuan, up 4.4% year-on-year. Among this, exports reached approximately 1.75 trillion yuan, up 4.6%, while imports reached approximately 434.05 billion yuan, up 3.3%. Main export products include clothing, footwear, bags, jewelry, home furnishings, textiles, and kitchen/bathroom items, while imports are primarily pharmaceuticals, health products, medical devices, beauty and personal care products, and clothing, footwear, bags, and jewelry. Export goods mainly originate from Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangsu provinces, while imports are concentrated in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Shandong.

This article was first published on Ebrun's official website.