Niceshops, an online retailer and ecommerce service provider from Saaz, Austria, is saying goodbye to 20 percent of its workforce. Cost savings are necessary to "economically stabilize" the company.

Online retailers are grappling with 'the biggest-ever wave of January returns', according to returns provider ZigZag. The percentages are much higher than a year ago, even though shoppers have to pay for returns more often.

Olsam, a British ecommerce aggregator has acquired Dutch competitor Dwarfs. The amount involved in the acquisition was not disclosed. At the same time, the combined company, called Olsam Group, will receive an enlarged credit facility to pursue future acquisitions.

MediaMarkt is experiencing substantial growth with its marketplace. In the past fiscal year, third-party revenues more than doubled to 137 million euros. Over the next three years, external trade volume is expected to reach 750 million euros.

Luxury online fashion retailer Matches Fashion has been acquired by Frasers Group. The deal was worth around 60 million euros. With this acquisition, the Group wants to strengthen its luxury offering.

The Platform Group has become the sole owner of Möbelfirst, an online provider of luxury furniture in Germany and surrounding countries. The group remains on a takeover path, with up to eight more acquisitions in the coming year.

Wholesale marketplace Qogita has raised 80 million euros in a funding round. The platform wants to use the capital injection for product development and category expansion. The company has now raised a total of 119 million euros.

In 2021, Dutch companies exported 76 billion euros worth of goods and services ordered online. This accounted for 14 percent of these companies' total exports. As many as 52 percent of ecommerce companies sold crossborder in that year.

Marketplaces have become dominant in global ecommerce, accounting for 60 percent of online spending last year. In Europe, specialized marketplaces in particular are benefiting from this growth.

Forrester anticipates significant growth in online retail spending in the largest European countries in the coming years. The American research firm expects an average annual growth of 9.2 percent.

In 2022, 74.8 percent of Belgian consumers shopped online. This is a higher share than the European average of 68 percent. While Belgians prefer shopping locally, when they do place cross-border orders, these are usually in other countries within the European Union.

In the first quarter of this year, almost eight out of ten Dutch consumers bought something online. This is a small increase compared to the same period in 2022 (74 percent). The current rate of online shoppers is close to the rate in 2021, when it was 77 percent.

Preventing returns is a significant focus for online retailers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. On average, a return costs them between 5 and 10 euros, with some exceeding this range. Detailed product information is seen by entrepreneurs as the key solution.

Amazon is increasingly using rail and sea transportation in Europe, with a 50 percent growth in utilization this year. According to the company, rail and short sea routes are not only more environmentally friendly but often more efficient and even faster.

Ecommerce fulfillment company Huboo has raised 33.7 million euros (29 million British pounds) in a new funding round. This brings the company’s total amount raised to 141.8 million euros (122 million British pounds).