Logistically speaking: Discussing Shopee PH’s breakups this Valentine week

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Hello,

The flood of flower and chocolate gifting offers popping up on my screen lately is a sign that Valentine’s Day is around the corner.

Please accept my apologies as I talk about a breakup during this season of love. But some breakups need to be discussed, especially when they affect a sector at large.

In this week’s Big Story, my colleague Jofie spotlights how Shopee ended partnerships with Ninja Van and QuadX in the Philippines and what this split means for logistics firms in the region.

While there has been a rising trend of ecommerce platforms setting up in-house delivery operations, it’s still too early to write off the future of third-party logistics providers as they evolve into a more integrated model with both a physical and an online presence.

In an ecommerce scoop, my colleague Melissa details WeBuy’s plan to raise up to US$30 million in a mix of equity and debt as the Singapore-based company scales its Indonesia business.

Meanwhile, in the Hot Take, I explain Amazon’s launch of a dedicated air cargo service in India and how it could benefit the ecommerce major.

— Samreen

THE BIG STORIES

1️⃣ What Shopee’s breakup with Ninja Van, QuadX in the Philippines means for 3PL firms

Image credit: Timmy Loen

Following the breakup, Ninja Van still has fairly strong ecommerce partners in the country: Lazada and TikTok Shop.

2️⃣ Exclusive: Social ecommerce platform WeBuy seeks $20m to launch financial services

THE HOT TAKE

NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW