Western European online sellers expanding into Central and Eastern Europe often underestimate how different customer expectations are in the region. According to fulfillment provider isklad, payment preferences, delivery expectations and checkout requirements differ significantly from standards in Western Europe.
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.
Last year, ecommerce giant Amazon invested more than 17 billion euros (15 billion British pounds) in the United Kingdom. This is part of the company’s plan to invest 46 billion euros (40 billion British pounds) by the end of 2027. According to Amazon’s financial report, the United Kingdom is the company’s third-largest market globally.
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.
Online fashion platform Zalando has partnered with French second-hand platform Vestiaire Collective. The partnership is an effort to accelerate the German platform’s position in the pre-owned market. As a result, the French platform will be able to offer items directly on Zalando.
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.
Breuninger is expanding online again after several years. The retailer is launching its online store in three new European countries, bringing the total to thirteen markets. Consumers in Denmark, Sweden, and Romania will be served in their local languages. For deliveries, Breuninger is partnering with PostNord and DHL.
Otto is preparing to open its marketplace to sellers in Poland. A pilot program will begin next month, allowing selected Polish sales partners to participate. It is the second country in which Otto is opening up its marketplace.
Allegro has entered into a partnership with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The Polish ecommerce company will gain access to advanced AI technology and support in developing new solutions for its platform. Recently, Allegro also introduced an AI assistant for sellers.
Rakuten France, formerly known as PriceMinister, is looking for a buyer for its marketplace. The platform has lost traffic and active customers in the last 10 years. If no one comes forward, the marketplace will be closed before the end of this year.
Blackstone is acquiring Greek ecommerce market leader Skroutz. The American investment company is taking over a majority stake from European private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. The founders will remain involved in the business.
Ecommerce giant Amazon is investing 15 billion euros in the French market over a three-year period. The company will use the money to build, among other things, four new distribution centers. Investments in existing and new infrastructure are expected to result in faster delivery times for customers and selling partners across France.
More than one hundred thousand SMEs from the European Union use Amazon as a sales platform. Together, they generated 17 billion euros in cross-border sales last year, 2 billion euros more than a year earlier. Most international trade takes place within the EU.
Every day, Shein and Temu deliver 460,000 parcels to Germany. As both platforms violate several EU regulations, this results in unfair competition for retailers in the country. According to a recent study, this results in a yearly loss of 2.4 billion euros in added value to the German economy.
Users of Vinted in Germany and Austria can now trade directly with each other. Austrian Post has joined as a new logistics partner of the platform. The second-hand fashion marketplace is valued at 8 billion euros, according to a share sale announced today.