Tag Archives: Yhd

Amazon In Shanghai, Wal-Mart In Drugstores

Amazon opens shop in Shanghai FTZ

Two of the world’s biggest retailers are in the e-commerce headlines, led by a move into Shanghai’s new pilot free trade zone by global giant Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN). At the same time, Wal-Mart-controlled (NYSE: WMT) Yhd has become China’s first e-commerce firm licensed to operate online drugstores, giving it a potential edge over other rivals also eying the space. Both of these stories highlight how the big international names are trying to use their clout and global connections to carve out a space in China’s fast growing but highly competitive e-commerce space, which is now dominated by the domestic pair of Alibaba and JD.com (Nasdaq: JD). Read Full Post…

Dangdang Disappoints With New Yhd Tie-Up

Dangdang in new tie-up with Yhd

If I was a shareholder in e-commerce firm Dangdang (NYSE: DANG), I would definitely sell my stock after hearing about the company’s latest announcement of a tie-up with Walmart-backed (NYSE: WMT) Yhd.com. I personally wasn’t surprised by the nature of the tie-up, which will see the pair cross-promote each others’ services, even though I was a bit disappointed that there was no equity exchange.  Dangdang had previously confirmed it would announce a tie-up after rumors of an alliance first appeared a few weeks ago. This kind of hype followed by disappointment is quite typical of Dangdang’s co-founder and CEO Li Guoqing, whose fierce independence could ultimately lead to the marginalization or even death of his company. Read Full Post…

Dangdang, Youku Tudou Dress Up In Black

Dangdang swings back to black

Two of China’s older Internet names, e-commerce firm Dangdang (NYSE: DANG) and leading video sharing site Youku Tudou (NYSE: YOKU), are showing just how important profits have become for their investors, with shares of each posting big gains after reporting moves into the black after years of losses. In the case of Youku Tudou, the company didn’t actually report a net profit, but said it moved into the profit column on an operating basis in last year’s fourth quarter. Dangdang was more definitive, posting its first net profit since sinking into the red 2 years ago when competition in China’s e-commerce sector first began heating up. Read Full Post…

Tencent/JD, Yihaodian/Dangdang Tie-Ups Advance

Unions loom for Tencent-JD, Yihaodian-Dangdang

I don’t usually write about the same news twice in a single week, but in this case reports with new details on looming tie-ups involving 4 of China’s top e-commerce firms seem to justify an update. In the larger of the deals, the latest reports say top Internet firm Tencent (HKEx: 700) is nearing a deal that would see it buy 6-20 percent of JD.com, forging a partnership that would create a major new e-commerce contender to rival industry leader Alibaba. In the second update, 2 smaller e-commerce firms, Yihaodian and Dangdang (NYSE: DANG), have confirmed earlier reports that they will announce a major alliance early next month. Read Full Post…

Mattel, Wal-Mart Tweak China Approach

Walmart, Mattel adjust China strategies

Leading global toymaker Mattel (NYSE: MAT) and top retailer Walmart (NYSE: WMT) are quietly tinkering with their China approaches, as each tries to find success in a market that is so big they can’t afford to ignore it. Despite that allure, both global leaders have had difficulty making money in China to date, after relying too much on their global business practices that didn’t appeal to Chinese consumers. Now Walmart is making a second, quieter play at the market through its growing ties with e-commerce company Yihaodian. Mattel is also taking a longer term approach by trying to popularize its globally famous Barbie dolls and other toy brands among Chinese children and their parents. Read Full Post…