> Convenience stores record growth, more penetration into lower-tier cities
中國便利店數量增長快 進一步向下沉市場發展

Most convenience stores in cities this year achieved growth and more penetration into fourth- and fifth-tier cities and county-level markets, according to an industry survey.
行業調查報告顯示，今年全國多個城市的便利店門店數量實現正增長，進一步向四、五線城市及縣域級市場下沉。

According to the "China Convenience Store Index", released by the China Chain Store and Franchise Association, about 64.1 percent of the surveyed cities saw positive growth in the number of convenience stores in 2023. The number of cities with reduced store numbers accounted for 35.9 percent.
中國連鎖經營協會發布的“中國城市便利店發展指數”顯示，2023年城市便利店門店數量實現正增長的城市占所調查城市總數的64.1%；門店數減少的城市占所調查城市總數的35.9%。

The index includes the saturation of convenience stores in each city, the growth rate of the total number of stores, the proportion of 24-hour convenience stores, and the business environment.
指數的核心數據為各城市便利店的飽和度、門店總量的增速、24小時便利店的比例及營商環境情況。

Based on calculations from the index, the city of Xiamen in Fujian province, Taiyuan in Shanxi province, Dongguan in Guangdong province, Changsha in Hunan province, and Guangzhou in Guangdong province ranked top five in terms of the development of convenience stores, said the survey.
調查報告稱，根據指數計算結果，福建省廈門市、山西省太原市、廣東省東莞市、湖南省長沙市、廣東省廣州市的便利店發展指數名列前五位。

The growth rate of convenience stores in Hefei, Anhui province, reached 11.76 percent, the highest among all cities, followed by Guiyang, Guizhou province, and Kunming, Yunnan province.
安徽省合肥市便利店數量增長率達到11.76%，是所有城市中增長最高的城市，其次為貴州省貴陽市和云南省昆明市。

In all cities, rent and labor costs remain the biggest challenges faced by convenience stores, according to the survey.
調查指出，在所有城市，房租、人力成本仍然是便利店發展面臨的最大挑戰。

> FTC, states sue Amazon for anti-competitive practices
亞馬遜因壟斷市場哄抬物價遭起訴

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in conjunction with attorneys general from 17 states, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon on Tuesday. The lawsuit alleges that the tech giant has leveraged its dominant market position to inflate product prices and stifle competition.
日前，美國聯邦貿易委員會FTC連同17個州的總檢察長對亞馬遜提起反壟斷訴訟，指控這家科技巨頭利用市場主導地位，在其平臺上哄抬商品價格，扼殺市場競爭。

Amazon, the largest e-commerce platform in America, also holds a dominant position in the field of cloud computing. Its influence extends further into areas such as groceries and healthcare.
亞馬遜是美國規模最大的電商平臺，其在云計算領域也占據主導地位，在雜貨、醫療保健等領域的影響力也日益增大。

The FTC alleges that Amazon's third-party e-commerce business engages in anti-competitive practices.
FTC指出，亞馬遜的第三方電商業務存在反競爭行徑。

For instance, it forces sellers to purchase Amazon's advertising and delivery services, with fees for such services accounting for approximately 50 percent of a seller's income.
例如，強迫賣家購買亞馬遜的廣告業務和配送服務，此類服務費約占賣家收入的一半。

Additionally, when Amazon finds that a seller's products are priced lower on other platforms, it blocks those seller's products on the Amazon website, the FTC says.
此外，當發現賣家的商品在其他平臺售價更低時，亞馬遜會在其平臺屏蔽這些賣家的商品。

It is the third lawsuit brought against Amazon by the FTC this year. Previously, the FTC accused Amazon of enticing consumers to sign up for membership, illegally collecting children's data through the voice assistant Alexa, and engaging in illegal surveillance of users through the doorbell product Ring.
今年以來FTC已三次起訴亞馬遜，此前FTC曾指控亞馬遜誘導消費者注冊會員；通過其語音助手Alexa非法收集兒童數據；通過其門鈴產品Ring非法監控用戶。

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