retail / E-Commerce

The shiny new storefront on Amazon Luxury did not distract investors this week from Saks Global’s deteriorating liquidity problem.

China’s total e-commerce shipping plunged 65 percent by volume in the first three months of the year, but rose 28 percent in Europe.

For years, brands have used Mexico as a cheap storage location for goods destined for sale in the US market. Now, new tariffs have spurred an exodus, with companies rushing to shift warehousing onto American soil.

Tourists have their pick of suitcases at every price point, thanks to low barriers to entry and a travel boom that’s inflated the category’s sales year after year. But amid signs demand has peaked, it’ll take more than a Shopify storefront and slick branding to succeed.

Since announcing last week that the e-commerce company would transfer its US-listed shares to the marketplace, Shopify has risen 16 percent. Even after the company moves to Nasdaq, it will maintain a dual listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

A challenging wholesale environment is pushing more fashion brands to sell on marketplaces where they directly fulfil customers orders. But the model requires a higher level of collaboration between brands and retailers to make it a mutually beneficial investment.

After opening its first store in Aspen last year, the retailer is continuing its slow push into brick-and-mortar as e-commerce growth slows and shoppers look to buy in person.

Prices for the low-cost retailers’ assortments are expected to rise for US consumers after President Trump ended a key trade loophole that allowed low-value packages from China to enter the the country duty-free.