BANGKOK -- Shoppers in Southeast Asia have long been wondering when Amazon.com will start offering its e-commerce services in their region.
Local and regional e-tailers have been wondering the same thing. Taking the U.S. giant's eventual arrival as a given, they have been racing to fortify their own positions, none more so than Alibaba Group Holding. The Chinese internet behemoth has been stepping up its offensive since 2016, when it became clear that Amazon was on its way.
