German consumers still like to pay for their online purchases only after they have received the goods. Most online retailers adapt to this, even when they offer payment by e-wallet or credit card in the first place. Purchase on account has further strengthened its leading position as the most revenue-intensive payment method in the German ecommerce industry. It's followed by direct debit and PayPal.

Ecommerce automation platform Lengow has opened its door to the business-to-business market with its integration of Amazon Business in the UK and Germany and Cdiscount Pro in France. With the integration, business sellers now have access to the three largest ecommerce markets in Europe.

Although 52 percent of consumers in the United Kingdom see next-day-delivery as their most preferred delivery method, still a fifth of UK retailers are failing to offer their customers next-day delivery. On the other hand, 65 percent of retailers offer click & collect, even when only 18 percent of consumers consider this their preferred delivery method.

Next year, it will be possible to follow a training course in Germany in order to become an online retailer. The Otto Group, with companies such as Baur, Bonprix and Otto, is behind the initiative that should lead to more professional German online retailers in the coming years.

Amazon is seeking a total of 1,300 warehouse units across Europe. The American retail giant is looking for small distribution facilities near major cities, so they can function as last-mile centers that receive and store shipments prior to their final deliveries to customers nearby.

The Bulgarian E-commerce Association has joined Ecommerce Europe and is now the 20th national association that has joined the pan-European organization, which represents over 25,000 online retailers across Europe.

Last year, ecommerce in the Netherlands was worth 20.16 billion euros. This corresponds with an increase of 23 percent compared to the situation in 2015. The Dutch especially love to buy shoes and lifestyle products online, as well as IT and (near)food products.

Six major Dutch banks - ABN Amro, ASN Bank, ING, Rabobank, Regiobank and SNS - have announced they will launch an all-in-one app this summer. This app, Payconiq, enables users to make direct payments online, in-store and peer-to-peer.

Otto, the major German ecommerce company, is using artificial intelligence, with an algorithm originally designed for experiments at the CERN laboratory, to improve its online activities. Thanks to the technology, Otto has managed to drastically decline its returns.

Shop Apotheke Europe, a major online over-the-counter pharmacy, saw its revenues increase to 64.3 million euros during the first quarter of this year. This corresponds with an increase of 57 percent compared to the same period last year. According to the company, the further growth is the result of its consistent acceleration of its international expansion.

Dutch online payment processor Mollie is gearing up for expansion throughout Europe in order to become the first tech-driven European payment service provider. After achieving success in its home country the Netherlands and neighboring country Belgium, Mollie has now established new teams in France and Germany.

One out of four sellers who are active on the 5 European Amazon marketplaces, is based in China. Research by Marketplace Pulse shows that out of those China-based sellers, over half of them use Fulfillment by Amazon, which means that from the customer point of view it's all the same experience. For European sellers this could be threatening, because it will be hard to compete with them.

HelloFresh ranked first in a list of Europe's fastest-growing companies. The Financial Times looked at companies in Europe that have achieved the highest percentage growth in revenues between 2012 and 2015. HelloFresh saw its revenue increase by 13,159 percent during that period.

In both Slovenia and Croatia, there's been a highly increased frequency of online shopping. Currently, 9 out of 10 internet users in these countries have experience with online shopping. Of course, there are also many differences between Slovenia and Croatia, for example in terms of trust in foreign ecommerce platforms.

Vente-Privée has acquired Le Petit Ballon, a French ecommerce website that sells wines on a subscription basis. The French shop sells over one million bottles a year and will further boost Vente-Privée's wine sales.