Posts by Arjan

Preventing returns is a significant focus for online retailers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. On average, a return costs them between 5 and 10 euros, with some exceeding this range. Detailed product information is seen by entrepreneurs as the key solution.

Amazon is increasingly using rail and sea transportation in Europe, with a 50 percent growth in utilization this year. According to the company, rail and short sea routes are not only more environmentally friendly but often more efficient and even faster.

Demand from European customers has propelled second-hand shopping on Amazon into a billion euros business. The trend is likely to persist as shoppers seek to save money and make more sustainable choices.

German small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are extensively utilizing Amazon as a sales channel, both domestically and internationally. Last year, 47,500 of these companies were active on the platform, with an average cross-border sales value of one hundred thousand euros.

Temu, the rapidly growing ecommerce player from China, has expanded its European delivery network through partnerships in Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. More logistic collaborations seem to be on the horizon.

In anticipation of the retail industry's Black Friday event, Vestiaire Collective has removed H&M, Zara, and dozens of other brands and retailers from its platform. The fashion resale specialist is urging partners and customers to join its 'Think First, Buy Second' campaign.

All boxes, bags and envelopes used by Amazon for deliveries in Europe are now recyclable. The company also states that an increasing number of products are being sent to customers without any additional packaging.

Otto expects slightly higher revenue for the upcoming year-end period compared to the same period last year. According to CEO Marc Opelt, the platform model is the "key growth engine" of the online department store.

Amazon has recently frozen funds of legitimate sales partners. The company has now acknowledged that mistakes were made. The blockade is being lifted, but sellers continue to face problems.

The European Commission has asked the Alibaba subsidiary, AliExpress, for a clarification. Brussels wants to know what the platform is doing to combat the trade in illegal products, including counterfeit medicines. AliExpress has been given three weeks to provide an explanation.

Zalando expects its revenue to be 0.5 to 3 percent lower this year compared to 2022, when the company already saw a 0.1 percent decrease in revenue. While the bottom line loss is narrowing, Zalando is struggling to attract buyers. Particularly in the DACH region, spending is under pressure.

A vast majority of German retailers are now selling both offline and online to their customers. According to a study by the industry association Bitkom, this figure stands at 85 percent, up from 77 percent in 2021 and just 66 percent in 2019.

Earlier this year, H&M introduced a return fee of 0.99 euros for shoppers in various European countries, including the Netherlands. Starting from November 1, the rate will increase there by 1 euro, more than doubling the fee. H&M club members will no longer be exempt from this.

Takko Fashion, a major textile discount formula from Germany, has further expanded its European ecommerce activities. Shortly after opening an online store in the Netherlands, the company has started online sales in France.

At more than a fifth of the largest German online retailers, phone numbers for customer service are either not available or difficult to find. Shoppers with a phone number often only have support during business hours.