News World That's Worth

Meta Launches Standalone "Seller" App to Empower Facebook Marketplace Merchants with Built-in AI Tools Meta has officially launched a new standalone mobile application named Seller , specifically tailored for merchants, small businesses, and frequent sellers operating on Facebook Marketplace . According to Meta, the decision to unbundle seller tools into a dedicated platform stems from the need to provide merchants with a focused, utility-driven workspace. The app incorporates a suite of business-oriented features, including generative AI product listing creation , a unified multi-channel inbox , inventory management tools , and seller performance analytics . Meta clarified that the Seller app functions as an optional companion tool. Data across products, listings, and customer messages syncs seamlessly with the user's existing Facebook Marketplace account, allowing merchants to continue selling through the standard Facebook app if they prefer. Currently, the Seller app...

Google I/O 2026 Unveils "Universal Cart": An AI-Powered Unified Shopping Platform Backed by the AP2 Payment Protocol At the Google I/O 2026 keynote, one of the most disruptive architectural announcements came in the form of "Universal Cart" Defined by Google as an intelligent, cross-platform online shopping engine, Universal Cart centralizes consumer purchase intent by automatically aggregating product data from disparate digital touchpoints across the Google ecosystem, including Google Search, Gemini, YouTube, and Gmail , into a single, unified interface. The Background AI Engine: Deep Contextual Analysis Universal Cart functions far beyond a traditional bookmarking or wishlist tool. Once a user adds a product to the cart, Gemini operates in the background as a dedicated shopping agent to execute complex logistics: Dynamic Price Optimization: The AI scans the web for real-time promotional coupons, cross-references historical price fluctuations, and monitors rest...

Amazon Unveils "Amazon Supply Chain Services": The AWS of Logistics Amazon has officially launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS) , a comprehensive end-to-end logistics solution that opens its world-class infrastructure to external businesses. This new service covers every stage of the supply chain from initial raw material transport and warehousing to final last-mile delivery. The "AWS" for Physical Goods Amazon describes this move as a major milestone in democratizing its operational expertise. Much like how Amazon Web Services (AWS) revolutionized the cloud computing industry by sharing Amazon's internal tech infrastructure, ASCS aims to do the same for global commerce. It allows businesses to tap into the powerful logistics engine that Amazon has spent decades perfecting. Versatile Industry Support Unlike traditional delivery services, ASCS is not limited to finished consumer goods. It supports the entire production cycle, including the movement of ...

Amazon Surpasses Walmart as America’s Largest Company by Revenue, Ending a 16-Year Reign The landscape of American retail has reached a historic turning point. Amazon has officially overtaken Walmart as the largest company in the United States by annual revenue, unseating the retail giant that held the top spot for 16 consecutive years. The Numbers Behind the Shift According to the latest fiscal reports for 2025, Walmart reported a total annual revenue of $713 billion , representing a 4.7% year-on-year growth. However, Amazon eclipsed this figure with a staggering $717 billion in revenue, fueled by a much faster growth rate of 12.4% . For Walmart, this transition was expected. Recognizing Amazon’s rapid ascent over the past decade, Walmart’s internal strategy has reportedly shifted. Instead of fighting to remain the "largest," the company is now focusing on being the "most preferred" shopping destination for consumers, prioritizing customer loyalty over sheer v...

eBay Acquires Gen-Z Favorite "Depop" from Etsy in $1.2 Billion All-Cash Deal eBay has officially announced the acquisition of Depop , a leading peer-to-peer (C2C) social shopping platform for secondhand fashion, from Etsy for $1.2 billion in an all-cash transaction. The Valuation Gap: Etsy’s Strategic Exit Etsy originally acquired Depop in 2021 for $1.625 billion , meaning this sale represents a significant loss in valuation. This move aligns with Etsy’s current broader strategy to divest from specialized subsidiaries acquired during the pandemic-era e-commerce boom. Over the past year, Etsy has been offloading various assets, including the musical instrument marketplace Reverb and the Brazilian handmade marketplace Elo7 . Depop by the Numbers Depop remains a powerhouse in the "re-commerce" sector, particularly among younger demographics. Key performance metrics from the past year include: Gross Merchandise Value (GMV): Approximately $1 billion . Active Communi...

Google has launched a new open standard, the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), to support e-commerce transactions via AI agents at every stage, from product search and purchase to after-sales support. Google states that previously, adapting online stores to support AI agents required customization to work with agents from different vendors. UCP addresses this by enabling compatibility with existing AI protocols such as A2A, AP2, and MCP.

 The European Union ( EU ) has agreed to impose a temporary flat tax of €3 on all packages valued below €150 entering member states to control Chinese e-commerce platforms, effective July 1, 2026. Euro News reported on December 12 that the EU agreed to temporarily impose a €3 (approximately 110 baht) tax on all packages valued below €150 (approximately 5,500 baht) entering member states, starting July 1, 2026. This is an attempt to control Chinese e-commerce platforms that sell billions of cheap goods in the EU market. E-commerce platforms Temu and Shein are expected to be most affected.