The European Commission has proposed a plan to improve the VAT rules for cross-border ecommerce in Europe. With this proposal it should be easier for consumers and companies to buy and sell goods and services online.

There are so many different ecommerce platforms available. So which ecommerce solution best fits your needs? That's a tough question to answer. ESV Digital partnered with NBS System to help retailers, brands, pure players and B2B companies choose the best ecommerce platform.

Luxury fashion retailer Matches Fashion has introduced a 90-minute delivery service across London. Customers who live within the M25, the road that encircles almost all of Greater London, can place an order at 6.30 AM and have their order delivered to their homes at 8AM already. The service will launch next Monday.

The European member states today reached a common position on the European Commission's proposal to address geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination. Online stores in Europe are now no longer permitted to offer different prices to customers from other European countries.

Ecommerce Europe is concerned that the proposed one-size-fits-all approach to authentication undertaken by the European Banking Authority won't help the ongoing fight against online fraud. The European ecommerce association thinks it will only damage the European ecommerce sector and opts for a risk-based approach.

Some leading online stores in Switzerland have collapsed under a rush of customers who visited their websites during Black Friday last week. Microspot, Manro, Interdiscount and Melectronics were among the online stores that couldn't handle the many visitors looking for hot deals.

Gourmondo, a German online distributor of unusual foods, is expanding in Europe. After launching in Germany and the Netherlands, the ecommerce website is now also available in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Austria. Consumers from these countries can now also buy wines and specialty foods online.

DreamCommerce has launched its white-label ecommerce solution in Germany and Austria. In Europe, the company is already active in the Netherlands, Turkey and Poland. With DreamCommerce's solution, companies can enhance their offer with an ecommerce platform, adjusted to their brand, region or integrated with applications or services they already provide.

Google just launched its own payment system, Android Pay, in Poland, making this only the second country in Europe where consumers can use Android Pay to make mobile contactless payments. But why Poland and not, for example, Germany or France? Piotr Jan Pietrzak explains why.

Online electrical retailer AO saw its revenue increase by 22.9 percent to 378 million euros during the period April to September this year. Ecommerce sales in the UK grew 20.8 percent, while revenue in Europe increased by 66.9 percent during that same period.

Ecommerce in Sweden is growing rapidly and this year every fourth household has shopped online for groceries. Online sales of foods and drinks has made a breakthrough in Sweden, statistics from GFK have revealed. Until September of this year, the purchase of food online was worth 5.4 billion kronor, or 550 million euros. This corresponds with 4.2 percent of total sales of foods.

Klarna is reported to have made a bid for German payment service BillPay. That company is now owned by Wonga, a major British short-term lender which lending practices have been controversial. Wonga is said to consider the offer Swedish fintech company Klarna has made.

Android Pay, which enables contactless mobile payments with Android devices, has launched in Poland. This is the first country in Central and Eastern Europe and the second country in Europe, after the UK, to roll out the payments service.

Spring Global Delivery Solutions has launched International Returns solution. This is a new service, which gives retailers several return solutions supported by an international network. Spring's customers can make use of a customizable platform and additional services, while offering their consumers worldwide returns.

Sometimes it looks like cross-border ecommerce is an easy task. Just look at the success of global market places such as Amazon and eBay or the international expansion of European players like Asos or Zalando. However, it requires a lot of research, adaptation, flexibility and understanding of the new market to be successful.