The Knowledge to Decide

Amazon is eyeing the healthcare sector. It has rolled out a line of private label, over-the-counter medicines along with medical supplies for hospitals, doctors and dentists. Whether it is selling prescription or generic drugs, Amazon seems poised to disrupt the healthcare industry. However, Amazon faces its own share of hurdles. It will need licenses from each state to be able to sell medical supplies.  Medical practitioners may prefer to stay loyal existing sales channels. Waiting 24 to 48 hours for a pain or cold medicine means that customers may still run to the nearest pharmacy. Will Amazon disrupt the healthcare industry? For more information, click here.

High volume online shopping makes it difficult for US regulators to keep track of overseas manufactured items, effectively putting customers at risk. E-commerce has enabled popular products such as fidget spinners and vaping machines to win huge numbers customers without the help of any big brands. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) took a year to put new safety standards on hover boards after it entered US markets. Five months later, ten hover boards were recalled as their lithium ion battery packs were likely to catch fire or explode without warning. Should buyers beware or can cross-border e-commerce be made safe for consumers? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/cross-border-e-commerce-comes-with-safety-risks/

With e-commerce set for steady growth in Singapore, e-shoppers may have to shell out more to pay for taxes on goods ordered from overseas sites. Will online shopping become expensive if Singapore adopts recommendations by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)? Spire Research and Consulting shared its insights, published on Channel News Asia’s news portal. The retail sector continues to contribute a major chunk to Singapore’s economy. However e-commerce – dominated by overseas merchants – is on the rise. This eventually leads to more money outflow along with tax revenue loss and puts local businesses at a competitive disadvantage. Spire highlighted the fact that revenue from e-commerce amounted to SGD4.5 billion in 2013, where 55% consisted of cross-border transactions. This is a tax impact of close to SGD 200 million in a year. Experts agreed that overseas online retailers are not taxed on income generated from Singapore consumers, whereas

India’s e-commerce industry has recorded massive growth during the last five years. The factors contributing to this growth include increasing number of internet users, growing acceptability of online payments, availability of a cash on delivery option and favourable demographics. Will India’s e-commerce industry continue its growth trajectory? Spire Research and Consulting conducted a research study on India’s e-tailing industry among 300 Indian retailors in the apparel, consumer electronics and food sectors. The findings of the study were further published on Asahi Shimbun’s Japanese website. According to research findings, 91% of Indian companies in the apparel, consumer electronics and food sectors offer online shopping solutions to customers. The overwhelming take-up can be attributed to the introduction of online payment systems and developments in logistics infrastructure. Over 54% of the online businesses reported a growth of more than 20% in sales revenue post increasi