Latest news with #crossBorder
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
E-tailers eye Europe to boost sales
Chinese cross-border online retailers are strengthening efforts to expand into Europe to attract new customers and bolster sales. Eyeing the growing demand for online shopping in European countries, particularly among younger shoppers, Chinese e-commerce players are providing cost-effective products to local consumers by leveraging efficient logistics and supply chain networks, according to industry experts. AliExpress, Chinese tech company Alibaba Group's cross-border e-commerce platform, recently opened its services to local merchants in Poland. Over the past year, AliExpress has appealed to a batch of well-known Polish companies, and this strategic move will further bolster the platform's business growth in the local market. AliExpress said some local merchants can enjoy benefits like zero deposit and commission-free services for the first three months, and directly sell their products to consumers from Poland and countries around the world. Data from market research company Euromonitor International showed that AliExpress and Polish online shopping platform Allegro are the two most popular e-commerce platforms in Poland, the largest e-commerce market in Central and Eastern Europe. To better support the operations of local merchants, AliExpress has partnered with more than 10 leading overseas warehouse service providers to roll out 'certified warehouses' covering the United States, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland. The certified warehouses will provide faster deliveries and smoother shopping experiences for overseas buyers. According to global research firm Statista, the revenue of Europe's e-commerce market is expected to reach $707.9 billion (£526.88 billion) in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.95 per cent, and the figure is projected to touch $961.27 billion (£715.47 billion) by 2029. Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said European nations have high consumption capacities and efficient and convenient logistics infrastructure, while local shoppers have developed mature online shopping habits, providing an ideal market environment for the development of cross-border e-commerce. 'As European consumers have shown surging demand for online purchasing in the post-pandemic era, Chinese e-commerce platforms could further expand their footprint there by offering commodities with high cost-effectiveness and localised operation and services,' Hong said. Temu, a cross-border e-commerce app owned by Chinese online discounter PDD Holdings, is expanding its presence in European countries in an attempt to diversify its customer base. According to Consumer Edge, a data insights and market intelligence company, Temu's growth in the European Union surged more than 60 per cent year-on-year in early May, with France leading the charge at nearly 100 per cent growth. TikTok Shop, the e-commerce marketplace of popular short-video app TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, has made inroads into Europe with its rollout in Germany, France and Italy.
CTV News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Love story inspires B.C. couple to install dinosaur duo outside driveway
Adam finds out the love story behind a pair of big, blue dinosaurs on a driveway. Dan Taylor was visiting the U.S. a couple of decades ago when he first spotted a dinosaur standing outside a gas station. 'Then I realized it was a whole chain of gas stations,' Taylor says, before showing countless photos of bright brontosaurus statues. 'And it just blew me away.' Turns out, Sinclair Gas' mascot has been a colourful dinosaur since its commercials were black and white. 'I thought, that's kinda cool,' Taylor smiles. 'Maybe everyone should have a dinosaur at some point.' But first, Taylor had to meet Alex Whitman. After he said 'hi' to her at his cousins wedding, neither wanted to say goodbye. '[We] just talked the whole night,' Whitman says. 'And had a fun conversation.' Given Whitman lived in the U.S. the two started exchanging hand-written letters, which led to cross-border visits. Eventually, Taylor proposed. 'I said, 'I think you're the one too,' Whitman says. 'And then he flew down, and we eloped.' Eventually they staged a more traditional ceremony and had a couple of kids. The only thing missing was one of those gas station dinosaurs. 'It's impossible to get a hold of one,' Taylor says, explaining how he had tried everything to buy one for decades. He didn't know that Whitman was secretly doing the same. Eventually, she found one. 'Amazingly it fit exactly in my car,' she says, of the blue dinosaur she found at a small-town store specializing in large metal statues. 'The tail was coming around and pointing [right at my face] and I'm like, 'please don't get in a car accident'.' After avoiding a prehistoric impaling, Whitman staged an unforgettable Father's Day surprise. 'It just blew me away,' Taylor smiles. 'I felt amazed and loved.' After the pair of dinosaurs were placed on the boulevard in front of their home, the couple's children named the statues Gerald and Maurice - who sports a small, black moustache they made for him. 'We joke that when we're dead and gone our kids are not going to want china or glassware,' Whitman smiles. 'They're going to want dinosaurs.' Before they moved to their new house, their old neighbours begged for Gerald and Maurice to stay, because they'd proved to be a Jurassic spark for creating community. 'There's a lady that took a walk [to see them] every day and pet the dinosaurs.' Whitman says. 'And people would come by with their kids and sit on the dinosaurs.' 'They used to get decorated at Christmas,' Taylor says, adding how people would put bows and garlands on them, alongside dressing them up for Halloween and putting bunny ears on them for Easter. Since Whitman and Taylor have arrived in Canada, Taylor has surprised his colleagues by bringing Gerald to work. He hopes their new neighbours also find these driveway denizens dino-mite. 'I think it's important to get joy out of where you find it,' Taylor says. 'And if it's a big blue dinosaur, impart that joy on to others.'
Al Jazeera
07-05-2025
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Injured people treated after shelling in Indian-administered Kashmir
NewsFeed Injured people treated after shelling in Indian-administered Kashmir Injured civilians in towns in Indian-administered Kashmir were treated in hospital on Wednesday following cross-border artillery strikes between Pakistan and India. Several people were reported killed on the Indian side.
