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The path to profit: Bluesky experienced a brief but attention-grabbing surge after the 2024 election as users fled X, which had also been banned in Brazil. Bluesky gained millions of users per day. But Twitter’s troubled history with advertising raises questions about its ability to stand out in a crowded field.

Although no single player rivals Mercado Libre’s hold on Latin America’s ecommerce market, nearly 70% of online sales are still fair game for the long tail of retailers.

The trend: Consumer packaged goods brands are prioritizing profitability as macroeconomic headwinds reshape consumer behavior. For example, Kimberly-Clark is selling a majority stake in its international tissue business to Suzano and P&G is cutting roughly 15% of its global nonmanufacturing workforce. Our take: While short-term headwinds may be driving CPG companies’ actions, portfolio reassessment is a valuable exercise in any economic climate. Those that take the time to find efficiencies that enable them to emerge stronger and more agile will be better positioned for long-term success than companies simply focused on cutting costs.

India’s commerce landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, fueled by booming ecommerce, rising mobile shopping, and the growing influence of social media.

In our exclusive survey with ESW, data from shoppers in 18 countries reveals new twists in the path to purchase, the rising momentum of marketplaces, and the resilience of age-old fundamentals.

Latin America’s digital revolution is marching full steam ahead, with consumers spending more than a third of their day online. As social commerce and retail media propel the region’s digital economy to new heights, the runway for growth remains long.​

Authorities in major emerging markets including Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa have taken steps to protect local manufacturers and merchants. Established online retailers are fighting back against the new players. They are rolling out competing offerings, but striving for differentiation will be a more critical long-term play.

Shein is considering restructuring its US business to source more goods from Brazil and India, although that move would likely raise the Chinese government's hackles and further delay the fast-fashion company's long-awaited IPO. Both Temu and Shein have hiked prices on their platforms to account for the new duties, with the latter raising prices by as much as 377%.

The goal: Uruguay-headquartered MercadoLibre's payments and wallets platform Mercado Pago and Brazil-based Nubank are competing for dominance in Latin America’s fintech and digital banking space. The steps they’re taking: Both banks are aggressively targeting Mexico and Brazil for growth, but with different strategies, per Bloomberg.