Posts by Pleuni

Belgian partner sellers on Dutch platform Bol.com have complained about coercive contracts and the abuse of power by the platform. The platform is said to ask for information about suppliers and a large revenue share. A member of the federal parliament has called for a hearing.

Starting on September 18^th, ecommerce giant Amazon will charge Prime members for same-day delivery in the United Kingdom. The fee will apply to orders under 20 British pounds (23.5 euros). Other delivery options will remain free for Prime members.

Swedish fintech Klarna now has more than 100 million European users on its platform. It has also achieved a 14 percent year-on-year GMV growth in the second quarter in Europe. Within the United Kingdom, the GMV growth was even higher, 26 percent.

Less than half (41 percent) of shoppers in the United Kingdom think that artificial intelligence (AI) is having a positive impact on their retail experiences. However, over two-thirds (70 percent) do prefer brands with personalized recommendations, which is how AI is often used in online retail.

As of yesterday, Dutch fulfillment company Active Ants has been fully acquired by Belgian postal company Bpost. The acquisition was already announced in 2018, but at that time management remained in the hands of Active Ants. Now, the company has sold its remaining stake to Bpost.

Dutch online flooring store Solza now sells its PVC, laminate and hybrid wood floors in a new Belgian online store. The company wants to strengthen its position as a leading flooring retailer in the Benelux with the expansion. A French version of the shop will be launched later this year.

Ukrainian company MacPaw, is planning to launch its iOS app subscription service Setapp in Europe next year. By that time, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) will have come into effect in the European Union. This allows users to install third-party apps on iOS, without using Apple’s App Store.

German wine retailer, Hawesko Group, is launching an online marketplace. The marketplace will operate in addition to its current online shop. With the marketplace, it wants to offer a one-stop shopping experience for premium wine purchases.

Ecommerce giant Amazon has announced that it will make changes to its payout period. Sellers in the United Kingdom and Europe will have to wait until a week after the delivery of an item to receive their proceeds. The change will come into effect in phases in the upcoming month, until September 6^th.

In June and July, consumers in the United Kingdom spent a total of 21.5 billion euros (18.6 billion British pounds) online. This is a year-on-year growth of 1.6 percent when compared to the same period last year. It is the first growth in seventeen months.

French cosmetics company Yves Rocher is closing all of its branches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. With the company’s current business model, it is no longer possible to operate sustainably and successfully. It will continue operating in those markets, but online only.

Marketplace solution provider Mirakl has secured 100 million euros in debt financing. The funding will be used to enhance its technology and to finance acquisitions. The company was already valued at over 2,92 billion euros in 2021, after a Series E funding round of 468 million euros.

Ecommerce giant Amazon has opened its first fulfillment center in the Netherlands. With the new location, the online marketplace will be able to deliver Dutch orders faster. The launch is part of a collaboration with Dutch logistics company Bleckmann.

In 2022, Dutch online department store Wehkamp, made 433 million euros in turnover. This is a decrease of 9 percent compared to the year before. The company’s net loss came to 22 million euros.

Fashion giants About You, Yoox Net-A-Porter and Zalando are expanding their ‘Fashion leap for climate’ initiative. The climate learning platform will now be extended to 250 brand partners. Last year, in the platform’s first year, it included 55 brands.