Group 1 - The core point of this year's Double Eleven shopping festival is that it has become the longest in history, lasting 159 days, which is 4 days longer than last year, with major platforms averaging over 30 days of promotion [2][3] - During this year's Double Eleven, the total sales reached approximately 1.70 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.2%, while the comprehensive e-commerce transaction volume grew by 12.3% [3][4] - The average daily sales during this year's Double Eleven were 462.6 billion yuan, indicating an 11% year-on-year decline, suggesting that the event has become less effective in stimulating consumer interest [4][8] Group 2 - The stagnation in the e-commerce market has led platforms to adopt strategies that may not be sustainable, as they attempt to maintain the appearance of growth [5] - The changing financial reporting metrics of major platforms, such as the shift from GMV to CMR and active buyer metrics, complicates the evaluation of their performance [7][8] - The lack of transparency regarding GMV growth in financial reports raises concerns about the competitive position of platforms like Taobao and Tmall [8][9] Group 3 - In response to limited GMV growth, platforms are increasing their take rates, which places additional financial pressure on merchants [9][10] - The introduction of new fees, such as a 0.6% technical service fee and full-site promotion costs, is aimed at increasing revenue from merchants [10][11] - Merchants are facing a complex fee structure that significantly reduces their profit margins, leading to dissatisfaction and potential exits from the platform [14][15][18] Group 4 - Other platforms, such as Xiaohongshu and Pinduoduo, are implementing measures to reduce costs for merchants, contrasting with Taobao's approach [26][27] - Alibaba's significant investments in AI and instant retail are driving the need for higher fees from merchants to support these initiatives [28][29][30] - The current strategy of increasing fees on merchants may lead to a long-term decline in merchant satisfaction and retention [30][31]