Product discovery still mostly happens on marketplaces, with 37 percent of consumers starting their shopping journey there. Compared to last year, this is a decrease of 10 percent. Social platforms and AI assistants have increased their share in the last 12 months.
Polish ecommerce company Allegro is selling its subsidiaries in Slovenia and Croatia, to German private equity firm Mutares. This means that Mimovrste, a well-known online retailer in Slovenia, will get a new owner. The sale is an effort to streamline Allegro Group’s financial results.
Online shopping in Portugal had a strong performance during the Christmas period of 2025. New data from SIBS Analytics shows that ecommerce purchases increased 19 percent in the number of transactions when compared to the same period in 2024. The total value of online purchases also increased around 14 percent.
As of January 1st, Bulgaria has joined the eurozone. The euro is now the official currency in the country. As currency conversions are now eliminated, international shops can now sell products in this country more easily. This offers new opportunities for the online retail trade.
Digitec Galaxus has had a strong year, with sales across its platforms up by 17 percent. This growth is partly driven by the addition of half a million new shoppers, bringing the total customer base to around 5 million. The Swiss ecommerce giant also outperformed the market in EU countries.
Online fashion platform Asos has announced that it is introducing a returns transparency tool for its shoppers in the United Kingdom. This will give customers more information over their personal return rate, which influences their return fees. The feature will go live on 6 January.
The European Union has published new rules on alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The revised directive marks the definitive end of the central European ODR platform. The focus is shifting to national and sector-specific ADR bodies.
Ceconomy, owner of MediaMarkt and Saturn, reports online revenue of more than 5.7 billion euros for the past financial year. This means the online channel now accounts for more than a quarter of total revenue for the first time. Growth is largely driven by MediaMarkt’s marketplace.
Ecommerce giant Shein has announced that it is launching a logistics center near Wrocław, in Poland. The center will become the company’s main operational hub in Europe. The area will be around 740,000 square meters.
Online retail spending in Germany has experienced notable growth. It is expected that online spending will continue to increase over the next four years, with an average annual growth of 4.2 percent. “Online retail is gaining momentum again – and the drivers are diverse.”
Online marketplaces dominate almost every stage of the purchase journey of consumers in the United Kingdom. In high-value purchases of more than 90 euros, 30 percent of shoppers in the country use marketplaces, ahead of physical stores and other websites.
TikTok Shop is significantly increasing its sales commission in the five EU countries where the service is active. As of 8 January, merchants in Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Ireland will no longer pay 5 percent, but 9 percent per sale.
According to a recent study, 95 percent of German retailers have experienced unfair customer reviews. These include false claims and personal attacks. Customers often use these reviews to put pressure on a business.
Amazon is the go-to place for Germans to do their Christmas shopping. Two-thirds of gift buyers shop at the American online retail giant during this holiday season, according to a new study. And 15 percent of consumers shop on one or more platforms from China, with their potential market share being even larger.