Launch

There are strong rumors that Amazon will launch Amazon Go, its checkout-free grocery stores, in the United Kingdom. And there are many reasons to believe these rumors, after the UK Intellectual Property Office has approved the company's application to trademark the slogan 'No lines. No checkout. (No, seriously.)'.

Zalando has launched its curated shopping service Zalon in Belgium. The free personal shopping service for men and women offers its customers personalized advice from fashion experts. Zalon by Zalando is now available in five European countries.

Tommy Hilfiger has launched its first European shopping app. The mobile application is targeted towards seventeen European countries and supports four different languages. One of the things users of the Tommy Hilfiger app can do, is shopping looks directly from the brand's Instagram feed.

The Italian Selex group has launched a new ecommerce portal, called CosìComodo. This online shopping project brings together the company's multiple brands in one single portal. CosìComodo is available throughout the entire country and wants to become the place to be for Italian consumers who want to buy food online.

Amazon has launched Amazon Business in the United Kingdom, a B2B service where companies can order a curated selection of products online. Amazon Business supplies products directly to businesses, but also acts as a middleman through its marketplace service.

Bic has launched its first online subscription service in France. Starting at 5 euros per month, customers get a shaver directly to their home with refillable cartridges delivered at their desired frequency. The Bic Shave Club is the company's first experience with large-scale direct sales to consumers.

H&M is launching a new retail brand, called Arket, which features both Arket's own products and non-H&M brands. The Arket products are priced slightly higher than that of the core H&M brand. Arket stores will be opened in London, Brussels, Copenhagen and Munich, while online stores of the brand will launch in 18 European countries.

In May, LVMH will launch an ecommerce website called Le Bon Marché that features all of its brands and those of competitors. With the new online department store, LVMH wants to capitalize on fast-growing online sales of luxury goods.

Packhelp, an online platform which enables retailers to create custom-branded packaging, has launched in Europe. Now online retailers from all across the continent can design and order their custom cardboard boxes without getting in touch with a graphic designer or printer.

DPD Germany is entering the food delivery market. The German  parcel and express service provider will deliver online groceries and other food products. HelloFresh is the first customer to use the service that's being named DPD Food. Later this year, the service will be available for other customers.

The ecommerce app Shopkick left Germany at the end of last year, but now former employees are planning a revival of the shopping app. With a new name and an improved concept, German consumers should soon be able to get rewarded again for walking into stores.

Car manufacturer Hyundai has launched it's so-called 'click to buy' website, which lets customers buy a new car from their computer or smartphone. According to the press release, it's the first time a car manufacturer offers its customers nationwide the opportunity to buy a car completely online.

Two months after Lidl announced it will start selling fruits and vegetables online in Germany, the supermarket discounter is now experimenting with Lidl Express, a pick-up point for online orders where consumers can also buy fresh products.

Apple has launched its mobile payments service Apple Pay in Spain. It supports cards from Banco Santander, Carrefour, Ticket Restaurant and American Express. At the moment, Apple Pay in Spain can be used at 27 major retailers, including Media Markt and Bershka.

Banzai, an Italian ecommerce company group, has announced plans to change its company name to ePrice, the same name as its online tech & appliances retail brand. It also announced it will invest 40 million euros in technology over the next five years in order to accelerate its development.