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When I first started online shopping over a decade ago, Zalora was one of the hottest platforms in town. I remember browsing the site on my laptop when I was bored during school lectures, talking about sales with my friends, and getting very excited whenever a package arrived.
Given its easy returns process and relatively low requirements for free shipping, I spent a lot of my money on Zalora back then. But more ecommerce platforms have emerged since then, so I haven’t been shopping on Zalora that much in the last few years.
Aside from marketplaces like Shopee, Lazada, and Shein, brands have also made it easier than ever to order from them directly. Uniqlo and Cotton On, for example, have pretty strong online-to-offline ecosystems.
While there’s definitely more competition nowadays, this doesn’t mean Zalora’s down for the count. My colleague Melissa takes a closer look at the firm in our featured premium story.
Today we look at:
- Why Zalora’s still going strong
- Singapore’s new safeguards for crypto investors
- Other newsy highlights such as the reason behind Sam Altman’s ouster from OpenAI and Amazon’s lead in the US holiday shopping scene
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Get in losers, we’re going shopping
Image credit: Timmy Loen
Zalora came onto the ecommerce scene in 2012, and would go on to popularize online shopping for a whole generation of young adults. It’s still going strong a decade later, but it’s fallen behind newcomers like TikTok Shop and Shein.
- The P word: Zalora may not claim the top spot among ecommerce platforms in Southeast Asia, but it is profitable. In 2022, it reported a positive adjusted EBITDA margin of 0.7%.
- Business matters: Its B2B business, which helps brands expand into Asia by providing warehousing, logistics, and even digital marketing services, is gaining a lot of traction. Unlocking value for brands that sell through its platform will continue to be a big part of Zalora’s strategy.
- Ooh, package: A small but growing part of Zalora’s revenues also comes from a loyalty program that it launched in May, which is aimed at driving stickiness and more transactions to the platform. So far, members of the program have tripled their order frequency and are spending 2x to 3x that of non-members.
Read more: Now profitable, Zalora bets on B2B, subscriptions for growth
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