E-conomy Beat

With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…

•  From TechCrunch:

“Boxed, the New York-based online retailer that sells and delivers bulk-sized groceries, makes its foray into Asia by partnering with Aeon, one of Asia’s largest brick-and-mortar retail operators.

“Unlike its consumer-focused business in the U.S., which has been described as ‘Costco for millennials,’ Boxed is exporting its nascent software-as-a-service solution to Aeon in Malaysia. As part of the tie-up, the American startup will create an end-to-end e-commerce solution to aid Aeon’s digital transformation, which includes a storefront platform and inventory-picking software.”

•  The Dallas Morning News reports that “Amazon, which already occupies more North Texas warehouse space than any other company, is announcing six more Dallas-Fort Worth delivery stations.

“These shipping hubs, which average between 150,000 and 250,000 square feet, are smaller than the huge regional distribution systems and are part of what the company calls its ‘last mile of Amazon’s order process’.”

•  Reuters reports that Amazon “has ordered more than 700 delivery trucks that run on compressed natural gas, as it tries to reduce its carbon footprint … The trucks will be used for deliveries between warehouses and distribution centers.”

The story notes that “Amazon aims to have net-zero carbon emissions across the whole company by 2040. And it aims to have 50% of all shipments be net zero by 2030.”

•  The BBC reports that Tesco has joined with Morrisons, Asda and Waterstones to ask the government there to impose a one percent sales tax on online competitors, saying that “the current system puts retailers with large estates at a disadvantage to online firms.”

The story notes that “retailers have not had to pay property-based business rates since the start of the pandemic.  However, the tax is due to restart in April.”

The BBC writes that “the chief executives of 18 companies and groups have written to the chancellor warning that a return to the old system ‘will hamper the recovery of the retail sector post-pandemic, potentially putting thousands of jobs at risk’.”

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