Compare Group expands to 4 new European markets

Compare Group, which owns several price comparison platforms, will expand to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Austria on 7 September. The expansion brings its platforms to 12 European countries. The expansion follows the launch of Compare Group’s platforms in France, Denmark and Norway in 2025.

International expansion can require substantial investments from retailers. According to CEO Joris Verwater, this is less of a barrier for Compare Group. The company can reuse its technology, retailer relationships and product feeds in new markets. Automation and AI further limit the work required.

Verwater points to France as an example. “Our French platform now sends around 20,000 clicks to retailers each day. Within roughly 1 year, it reached a level that is roughly comparable to Germany where we are active for years, and encouraged us to enter more markets.”

Websites filled using feeds, automation and AI

As Compare Group already operates in several European countries, it can enter additional markets relatively quickly. “Technical development and product content require little manual work,” Verwater said. “We already work with many retailers that operate internationally. This allows us to fill the websites quickly using product feeds and AI support.”

‘With around 50 to 70 sellers in each country, consumers can already make a useful comparison’

Popular products need to be available from several sellers before consumers can make a useful comparison. According to Verwater, this is already possible with around 50 to 70 retailers in each country.

In core markets such as the Netherlands and Germany, Compare Group works with around 1,500 retailers. This makes it easier to attract enough sellers for the new platforms. “Of those retailers we already have a lot of information, although their product feeds may need to be adjusted,” Verwater said.

Legal requirements and translations are the main hurdle

Legal requirements and translations account for most of the preparation. “Creating and filling the websites is now almost automatic,” Verwater said. “Because of our strategy as a Google Shopping partner, we can generate revenue from day one.”

‘We can generate revenue from day one’

Across its established markets, Google Shopping is the number one source of Compare Group’s traffic. Verwater wants to reduce this dependency over time, but does not consider it a problem during the launch phase in the 4 new markets. “Despite the rise of AI search tools and platforms such as TikTok, we see no decline in traffic from Google Shopping.”

Digital Markets Act

European regulation also plays a role in the timing. In July, the European Commission fined Google 460 million euros for favoring its own services, including Google Shopping, over competing services in search results.

Under the DMA, Google must apply transparent, fair and non-discriminatory conditions when ranking its own services and those of competitors. Verwater expects the decision to give independent comparison websites more visibility and he is certain that Compare Group will benefit. “Although the size of the effect remains unclear, it is part of the reason we think it is a good moment to expand more internationally.”