Arjan van Oosterhout has been contributing to Ecommerce News Europe since the spring of 2023. He writes news articles for the website on a freelance basis.
Arjan is an experienced journalist in the field of ecommerce. After his student days in Utrecht, he began his career in 2004 at the South African newspaper, the Cape Argus, in Cape Town. Upon his return to the Netherlands, Arjan transitioned into trade journalism. He worked for MarketingTribune and, since 2008, served as an editor and later editor-in-chief of Twinkle, a well-known Dutch trade publication on digital commerce. He was also closely involved with the Twinkle100, an annual study of the largest online retailers in the Netherlands.
Since 2020, Arjan has been an independent entrepreneur. Under the company name Bureau AvO, he works for various journalistic and commercial clients, contributing to articles, magazines, books, and conferences, always at the intersection of content and commerce.
After introducing a marketplace model in France, Zooplus has now also opened up its website to customers in Germany. The online pet retailer has pan-European platform ambitions, as its seller registration page makes clear: “Become our partner and unlock new markets across Europe!”
Argos, one of the United Kingdom's largest omnichannel retailers, has launched a marketplace. With the new platform, the retailer aims to better serve online shoppers in its home market. Applications are also open to selling partners from outside the United Kingdom.
Online retail sales are rising sharply in the United Kingdom. According to the country's Office for National Statistics (ONS), online retail sales values were 11.7 percent higher in the second quarter than a year earlier. In June alone, they increased by 14.4 percent year-on-year. The online share of retail sales reached its highest level since April 2021.
Notino, which describes itself as the market leader in European ecommerce for beauty and health products, increased its revenue by 11.5 percent in the past financial year. The company performed particularly well in the final months of the year.
Amazon is tightening its oversight of merchants that ship orders themselves (Fulfilled by Merchant, or FBM). In Germany, the company expects FBM sellers to maintain an On-Time Delivery Rate of 90 percent or higher and says it will enforce that threshold strictly. Similar policy changes are being introduced in other countries.
Amazon has made its Seller Assistant available within Seller Central in Germany. “This AI-powered assistant helps you find relevant information, gain insights, and manage your business more efficiently by making informed decisions.”
The DACH ecommerce market is expected to continue its steady growth, with annual increases ranging from 3 to 6 percent. The impact of Asian marketplaces is becoming increasingly evident across all three markets. In Austria, their share of ecommerce spending has already surpassed 10 percent.
Customers of DHL Globalmail in the United Kingdom will soon no longer be able to send parcels to consumers in the European Union. The carrier is not yet operationally ready for the new customs rules that will take effect on July 1st.
Nowhere in Europe are ecommerce sales expected to grow faster through 2029 than in Turkey. Bulgaria ranks second, according to a new top 10 compiled by ECDB. “Eastern and Southeastern European countries are leading the growth race”, the ecommerce statistics company states.
Joybuy, JD.com's online department store, is becoming a marketplace. The platform will soon open its doors to selected third-party sellers from both Europe and China. Through a major promotional campaign, Joybuy hopes to boost its popularity among European shoppers this summer. “Why wait until November to shop smarter?”
Online spending in Central Europe is expected to grow by 8 percent this year, with a similar growth rate forecast for next year. The increase is mainly driven by existing online shoppers placing orders more frequently.
Online spending in Germany continues to grow. The German Retail Federation (HDE) forecasts nominal ecommerce revenue to increase by 4.3 percent this year, reaching 96.3 billion euros. According to HDE, sales generated by physical stores will grow by only 1.6 percent.
TikTok Shop is expanding rapidly across Europe. On June 15, the platform will launch in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland. Shortly afterwards, the new 'Sell Across Europe' feature will become available, enabling merchants to sell in multiple countries through a single registration.
TikTok Shop has established a strong position in Spain’s ecommerce market in a relatively short time. Both buyers and sellers are embracing the social commerce platform. There are now 21,000 local sellers active on TikTok Shop in Spain.
JD.com is looking to make another move to strengthen its position in the European ecommerce market. The Chinese company is reportedly willing to pay 2 billion pounds to acquire The Very Group, an online retail company from the United Kingdom.