In the summer of 2026, up to 66.7 percent of retailers in Austria, Germany and Switzerland said that they have a maximum item-related return rate of 10 percent. The amount of retailers with return rates over 20 percent has decreased to 23.6 percent, a slight decrease from 25 percent in 2025.
As of today, Austria has introduced a national levy of 2 euros per parcel for large online sellers. The measure applies to online stores and marketplaces generating more than 100 million euros in annual sales to customers in the country. Thousands of other businesses are affected indirectly. Resistance to the levy is therefore considerable.
Growth in online consumer spending in Europe is slowing down. For the current year, Ecommerce Europe and EuroCommerce expect growth of 5 percent in nominal terms. The growth engine in Eastern Europe is grinding to a halt.
Ecommerce giant Amazon has announced that it will expand its service Global Warehousing and Distribution into Europe by the end of the year. It will launch in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. With it, sellers can reach customers across multiple countries from one single Amazon-operated facility.
DHL eCommerce is looking for more parcel companies to acquire in Eastern Europe. The planned purchase of Venipak in the Baltics is its latest step. CEO Pablo Ciano says the region is now the focus of the division’s European acquisition plans.