As layoffs rip through Lazada Group, can it hold its ground in the e-commerce tussle? 

LAZADA Group employees are grappling to make sense of this week’s bombshell firing as layoffs tore through all roles and regions as well as the logistics arm, Lazada Express.

But the retrenchments at the Alibaba-backed e-commerce giant did not surprise some former employees, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Lazada did not pay out bonuses in 2022 despite good performances, and its inability to knock Shopee off its perch when the rival was going through a tough patch were signs that Lazada was not doing well, they suggested.

Sources familiar with the layoffs told The Business Times that the retrenchments stretched from junior to senior roles, with some regional operations affected much more than others. The exact number of employees laid off is unknown, with sources suggesting more is to come.