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.
European online retailers missed out on more than half a billion euros in revenue during the last four months of 2024 due to millions of lost parcels. The actual impact is significantly greater, according to Metapack.
Kaufland will open its marketplace to consumers in France and Italy by the end of the summer. “We are the alternative to global ecommerce giants, from Europe for Europe. With that goal in mind, we are now taking the next two steps - certainly not the last”, according to Gerald Schönbucher, CEO of Kaufland e-commerce.
For the past three years, DHL has been charging German online retailers a surcharge for parcel deliveries in November and December. This year, an additional hefty fee will be added during two peak weeks. It could lead German online stores to focus more heavily on Singles Day.
Temu and DHL Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The companies say they aim to support the growth of SMEs in established markets as well as in growth markets. DHL will utilize its logistics expertise to support Temu's operations in Europe, including its local-to-local model.
Last year, Decathlon generated 26 percent of its German trade volume online. The marketplace's share within that has nearly doubled in just one year. The platform serves as a catalyst for growth for Decathlon, both in Germany and beyond.
Starting today, TikTok Shop is available in Germany, France, and Italy, where a total of 72.1 million users reside. Among the first sellers are About You and Nivea, as well as local merchants. “TikTok Shop opens new opportunities for brands of all sizes.”
Otto has grown faster than the ecommerce market in Germany over the past fiscal year, largely thanks to its popular marketplace. “The strong growth over the last 12 months gives us the utmost confidence that we are turning a corner after two challenging years”, says CEO Marc Opelt.
One in fifty visits to medium-sized and small online shops in Germany results in a purchase. The conversion rate on desktops is slightly higher than on mobile devices. The differences between industries are significant.
Online spending in Romania reached 11.7 billion euros last year with 7.7 billion euros spent on products. This was an increase of 10 percent. Growth remains strong and is expected to continue this year.
The average shipping costs of the 100 largest online retailers in Germany have increased from 3.92 euros to 4.39 euros over the past two years. Fewer and fewer retailers offer free shipping as a standard. Nearly a quarter of companies charge return fees in some form.
