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Issue: 

Xi who must be obeyed

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Nigeria’s online retailers

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Fear of the virus boosts e-commerce in Africa’s most-populous nation

WHAT if Ebola spread beyond the smaller west African states, where the outbreak is concentrated, and took hold in Nigeria, Africa’s most-populous country? International epidemiologists tremble at the thought. Ordinary Nigerians worry, too—so much so that the country has seen a boom in online shopping, as some people avoid going out into crowded markets and shopping malls.
Access to the internet and e-services is growing fast in Nigeria, a country of 173m people, more than 10m in Lagos alone. Online retailers must contend with poor roads, especially in rural areas, and suspicion of online payments (they accept cash on delivery). Ebola is giving an unexpected push to nascent e-commerce, after the country suffered its first case in July, when Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian civil servant, died in Lagos. At least six others have perished since.

Jumia, the biggest e-commerce site, says orders have …

Source: Assets

Alibaba’s growth from acquisitions

THE potentially biggest public share offering in history may happen as soon as next week, when Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce site, lists on the New York Stock Exchange. It is expected to fetch as much as billion, valuing the firm at 0 billion or more. That would make it one of the largest companies in China by market capitalisation, ahead of massive banks and oil firms and three times the value of proud China Telecom. Alibaba’s growth has been impressive. But it has been partly fuelled by hasty acquisitions—more than a dozen big ones this year alone, to the tune of around billion. They are meant to plug gaps where rivals lurk, such as mapping, social media and logistics. Yet several of the larger ones are only minority stakes. Still, for investors wanting a piece of the country’s e-commerce market, this is the great platform of China.
Comment Expiry Date: 

Thu, 2014-09-18

Source: Assets

UK Only Article: 
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Issue: 

The long game

Fly Title: 

Alibaba

Rubric: 

The Chinese e-commerce firm faces growing competition

Location: 

SHANGHAI

THE initial public offering of shares in Alibaba, due shortly on the New York Stock Exchange, may raise more than billion, making it one of the biggest IPOs on record, and value the Chinese e-commerce firm at 0 billion or more. But is it worth it?
There are certainly reasons to believe so. The firm dominates online shopping in China, which has passed America to become the world’s biggest e-commerce market. In terms of gross sales, Alibaba is bigger than eBay and Amazon combined. And unlike Amazon, Alibaba makes significant profits. Bolstering the case for optimism is the firm’s recent performance. Revenues shot up 46% in the second quarter, year-on-year, to top .5 billion; and profits almost trebled to billion.

There were worries, as there had been about Facebook, that Alibaba might stumble in the transition from desktop …

Source: Assets