The Impulso Podcast

Luckin Coffee has celebrated a significant milestone by opening its 20,000th store in Beijing! This expansion is fueled by an innovative, data-driven approach to store placement. The podcast discusses how the company contrasts traditional methods with technology and efficiency in coffee-making. Listeners will learn about China's largest coffee processing facility and Luckin's creative branding strategies. It also touches on the competitive landscape in Singapore's food and beverage market and the evolving consumer preferences in Southeast Asia.

The podcast delves into Delivery Hero’s tumultuous journey post-Baemin acquisition. It highlights Baemin's market share loss to rivals like Coupang Eats and the fallout from a CEO resignation. Listeners gain insights into the competitive landscape across Southeast Asia, with discussions on pricing issues and consumer dissatisfaction. Leadership challenges in various markets are also explored, revealing the complexities of global expansion. The conversation wraps up with a look at strategies to revive brand dynamics in a cutthroat food delivery industry.

Exploring the booming e-commerce landscape in Southeast Asia, recent findings reveal a staggering GMV growth to $114.6 billion. TikTok Shop is emerging as a key player, challenging traditional giants like Shopee and Tokopedia. Temu's strategic entrance raises questions about its impact on logistics and competition, especially in Indonesia. Insightful discussions also highlight the thrilling concept of live commerce and its potential to reshape shopping experiences in the region.

Amazon's new initiative targets low-cost, unbranded items from China, aiming to rival Temu and SHEIN. Inside information reveals a closed-door seller meeting underscored by cultural secrecy and exclusivity. Discussion highlights challenges in optimizing logistics for international sellers and contrasts Amazon's approach with Temu's consignment model. Skepticism looms over Amazon's ability to compete successfully, echoing historical rivalries, while the uncertain impact of this strategy raises questions about the future of e-commerce.

Wei Han, a leader at Momentum Works with expertise in Southeast Asian e-commerce, dives into the intriguing dynamics of China's 618 shopping festival. The conversation unpacks the puzzling drop in gross merchandise value, raising questions about consumer confidence. Wei addresses conflicting reports on sales growth, navigates the competitive landscape of giants like JD.com and Alibaba, and discusses evolving trends such as pre-sales. With the backdrop of shifting consumer behaviors, this chat provides a gripping overview of the complexities in China's bustling e-commerce market.

Gavin Tan, a lawyer turned fintech founder with extensive experience in scaling high-growth companies in Southeast Asia, discusses the dynamic landscape of fintech. He highlights the shift from traditional e-wallets to super apps and explores the significant growth in fintech funding, with 41% of tech investment directed at digital financial services. Gavin also addresses challenges like customer acquisition costs and regulatory complexities, while offering insights into the evolving real-time payments infrastructure in the region.

Last week, Temu joined its competitors - Shopee, Aliexpress, and SHEIN - in Brazil, marking its presence in 70 countries.  This expansion comes despite recent legislation imposing a 20% additional tax on cross-border e-commerce parcels below $50 in value (in addition to the 17% ICMS already charged). What makes Brazil such a hot market for so many cross-border e-commerce companies? And what unique challenges do they face operating in Brazil? Tune in as we delve into Temu’s recent entry into brazil, and where Temu might venture next.  Featured article:  Temu has launched in Brazil, despite all the challenges, TheLowDown Southeast Asia & Latin America: Learning the digital emerging markets playbook, Momentum Works  E48: Jon Russell and Aulia Masna on TikTok-GoTo deal, The Impulso Podcast

What makes a top live commerce host or KOL (Key Opinion Leader)? Is it their appearance, emotional intelligence, talent, or training? Or are these just the bare minimum requirements? Our team visited the top three Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) in China last week (as part of our MW Immersion: Live Commerce), uncovering the secrets behind their success in such a competitive landscape. With millions of aspiring KOLs, how does one truly stand out and become the best of the best? Tune in as we dive into what MCNs are doing to nurture talent, as well as the innovative business strategies they are exploring to grow without over-relying on KOLs.  This episode also distills eight key learnings from our immersion, touching on diverse topics from the rise of AI hosts and sustained platform investments to leveraging China’s robust supply chain for live commerce.  Featured materials:  MW Immersions: Live Commerce [Hangzhou, May 2024], Momentum Works  Who is Temu?, Momentum Works  Is MCN a good business model?, The Impulso Podcast Our learnings from visiting top MCNs in China, The Impulso Podcast

Last week, both Sea Group and Grab released their Q1 2024 results, and the market responded positively - is tech in Southeast Asia recovering? Grab reported strong Q1 results, but investors are still curious: will Grab become profitable? Over the past few quarters, the management team at Grab has consistently focused on relentless execution and continuous operational improvement. It will be interesting to see how Grab balances its path to profitability and growth (given its penetration in Southeast Asia is only around 5%). Sea Group also reported a relatively good quarter (evident from the much happier tone during their recent earnings call),  with steady growth not only in Shopee but also in SeaMoney and Garena. The group is also trying to deepen its moat through Shopee Xpress (its in-house logistics arm). On the other hand, we see TikTok Shop taking a much less aggressive approach in Q1. Earlier this year, TikTok Shop started increasing take rates (possibly as a strategy for sustainable growth in the region) - Does this mean that TikTok Shop is giving up on overtaking Shopee?  Featured materials:  Sea Limited Reports First Quarter 2024 Results, Sea Limited Grab Reports First Quarter 2024 Results, Grab Holdings Inc. Ecommerce in Southeast Asia, Momentum Works  The TIkTok Shop Playbook, Momentum Works  Does Shopee have a moat, The Impulso Podcast Dmitry Levit & Boon Ping Chua on the distress in Southeast Asia, and why it’s not evenly distributed, The Impulso Podcast

Shawn Teow, live commerce expert, discusses the patchy state of live commerce in Southeast Asia due to different platform focuses. He explores the competition among TikTok, Shopee, and Facebook, highlighting audience growth, content quality, and domestic brands' roles. The discussion delves into predictions on the future of live commerce in the region.