China watches ‘lay-flatters’ as risk to economy
This article originally ran on Nikkei Asia on June 19, 2021. China’s May retail sales announced on Wednesday increased 12% year on year but came in below market expectations as the increase was largely due to a rebound from a steep decline driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurant revenues and home appliance sales remained weak. […]
An independent JD Logistics should work with JD’s rivals
This article, written by WPIC CEO Jacob Cooke, originally ran on TechNode on June 4, 2021. In China’s fiercely competitive e-commerce market, JD.com has aimed to differentiate itself through high-speed delivery. The company says that about 90% of its orders were delivered on the same or next day in 2020. That’s because of JD Logistics, the company’s logistics […]
WPIC CEO Jacob Cooke Returns to Bloomberg Television
Watch WPIC Co-founder and CEO Jacob Cooke return to Bloomberg Television to discuss the latest news in China’s e-commerce space and the IPO for JD Logistics on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The interview initially appeared on May 28, 2021. Watch on Bloomberg
Iconic U.S. Children’s Shoe Brand Stride Rite Steps Up China Expansion with Tmall
This article originally ran on Alizila on May 6, 2021. Stride Rite, the iconic children’s shoe brand with a strong foothold in America’s brick-and-mortar space, has stepped up its digital expansion in China with Alibaba Group’s B2C online marketplace Tmall. WPIC launched Stride Rite’s flagship store on the e-commerce platform last November, and has been […]
Lego Bets on China’s Children With Hundreds of New Stores
This article originally ran on Bloomberg on Dec 17, 2020. On Beijing’s typically bustling Wangfujing street, the luxury boutiques selling handbags, shoes, and clothing are mostly deserted on a Saturday afternoon. But wedged between Prada and Tiffany, one shop is packed: Lego. The 6,700-square-foot outlet of the Danish toymaker is crowded with parents watching their […]
Alibaba’s $56 billion Singles Day record overshadowed
This article originally ran on CNBC on Nov. 11, 2020. GUANGZHOU, China — Alibaba set a new sales record for the annual Singles Day shopping event, a feat that was overshadowed by a near 10% stock plunge caused by proposed new Chinese antitrust regulation. Singles Day is typically a 24-hour shopping event in China that sees huge discounts […]
Jacob Cooke discusses the 2020 edition of 11/11 Singles’ Day on Bloomberg Markets Asia
WPIC Co-founder and CEO, Jacob Cooke, returns to Bloomberg Television on 11.11 Singles’ Day. Watch Now. Jacob’s interview begins at 1:24:20. This interview initially aired on November 11, 2020.
Op-ed: China’s e-commerce giants are about to overtake US logistics
This opinion piece, authored by WPIC Co-founder and CEO, Jacob Cooke, originally ran on news website TechNode on August 21, 2020. China’s e-commerce giants have long understood that speed is the top priority when it comes to delivery—and have invested accordingly. America’s e-commerce kings, for their part, also expressed interest in lightning quick delivery times. Amazon, the undisputed […]
Tencent launches new online shopping feature in WeChat app, in a challenge to rivals
This interview originally ran on CNBC on Jul 16, 2020. Tencent has launched tools to help merchants build virtual shops on its wildly popular WeChat messaging service in China, pitting itself against the country’s major online shopping giants Alibaba and JD.com. Businesses and merchants will be allowed to sign up for a test of the e-commerce product, known as WeChat Minishop. […]
WPIC speaks with CNBC regarding iPhone sales in China in May
This interview originally ran on CNBC on Jun 23, 2020. IPhone sales in China fell in May, showing signs of weakening after Apple saw an initial rebound when the country reopened as the coronavirus outbreak eased. But other areas of the business grew, including spending on the App Store, which could point to some resilience for the U.S. […]
Jacob Cooke discusses China e-commerce outlook with Bloomberg Radio
Jacob Cooke, Co-Founder & CEO at WPIC, discusses his outlook for China’s e-commerce sector and the market’s consumer demand, with Bryan Curtis and Juliette Saly on Bloomberg Daybreak Asia. Running time 07:27 Listen here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2020-06-18/jacob-cooke-on-outlook-for-china-s-e-commerce-radio This interview initially aired on June 18, 2020.
WPIC CEO Jacob Cooke speaks with Bloomberg
Watch WPIC CEO and Co-founder Jacob Cooke speak with Bloomberg Markets: China Open on June 18th, 2020. The interview begins at 22:35.
Apple sales in China bounce as the economy reopens, but the next few months could be tough
This interview originally ran on CNBC on May 21, 2020. Apple sales in China continued to recover in April, thanks in part to the release of a cheaper iPhone. It comes as the world’s second largest economy slowly reopens again after the coronavirus forced store closures earlier this year that caused sales to plummet. Still, analysts cautioned the […]
Everything you need to know about Pinduoduo, the fast-growing rival to Alibaba and JD in China
This interview originally ran on CNBC on April 21, 2020. U.S.-listed Pinduoduo (PDD) may not be a big name outside of China. But within the world’s second-largest economy, the e-commerce firm is growing faster than major rivals Alibaba and JD.com and gaining share quickly. Behind that success has been its “social shopping” model that encourages […]
How Coronavirus Has Changed Consumer Behavior in Asia
This interview originally ran on Bloomberg on April 20, 2020. Jacob Cooke, co-founder and chief executive officer at WPIC, discusses the trends he’s seeing in e-commerce in Asia from the coronavirus outbreak. He speaks on “Bloomberg Markets: China Open.” Watch the interview here, on Bloomberg‘s website.