The European Union is implementing the Digital Services Act and the Digital Market Act, which impact online marketplaces and social media platforms. This package of rules will create a safer digital space for users and fight rogue sellers.

Online fashion marketplace Secret Sales has reached a 70 percent year-on-year growth in sales in 2022. This was largely driven by the company’s international expansion last year. It expects to maintain a growth of 85 percent this year.

Ecommerce giant Amazon has decided to skip wholesalers in Europe. Instead, it will focus on sourcing products from brands. By doing so, it wants to ensure low prices for consumers.

Dutch marketplace Bol.com’s sales have slightly lowered in 2022. In the last quarter, online sales decreased nearly 3 percent compared to an 7,8 percent increase the year before. In all of 2022, gross trading volume lowered nearly 2 percent.

Last year, French ecommerce generated 146.9 billion euros in online sales of products and services. This is a growth of 13.8 percent when compared to 2021. The growth is mostly caused by the online service sector sales, as products sales fell 7 percent.

The logistics arm of Alibaba, Cainiao, is joining parcel carrier DHL in Poland. Both companies will invest 60 million euros in a parcel locker network. Through the partnership, Cainiao aims to grow its presence in Europe.

Non-food online sales in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain are expected to grow up to 4 percent. This is mostly driven by rising prices due to inflation. At the same time, sales volumes are set to fall up to 5 percent.

Belgian ecommerce associations BeCommerce and SafeShops.be have announced a merger today. The new organization focuses on boosting Belgian ecommerce. Greet Dekocker, who assumes day-to-day management of the new association, informed Ecommerce News by phone that the new name and branding are still being developed.

The Benelux-based Maxeda DIY Group, a group of DIY retailers, is launching its own marketplace. It is the first DIY marketplace within the Benelux. At the launch, the marketplace already offers 10,000 new products on top of the current product assortment.

Online revenue in the Netherlands has decreased 7.6 percent in 2022 when compared to a year earlier. Pure online stores generated revenues of 5.8 percent lower. Multichannel sellers saw their turnover decrease by 9.6 percent.

Costumer behavior in Germany is shifting. Google Shopping and price comparison sites are 10 percent less popular compared to 2019. When it comes to shoppers' research before making a purchase, social media and video websites like YouTube have grown more popular among German shoppers.

Nearly 40 percent of online shops in Europe uses so-called ‘dark patterns’. These are ways of encouraging customers into making a purchase under false pretenses, such as hiding costs and false countdowns.

Online sales of physical goods in Germany made 9 percent less revenue last year. Digital services such as travel and events, on the other hand, increased by nearly 40 percent. In total, German ecommerce generated just over 100 billion euros of revenue in 2022.

Online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Vinted will now have to report sales made on their platforms by end users to the tax office. This is part of a new EU law. Private sellers will be reported when they make over 2,000 euros or have over 30 transactions per year.

Most European countries have an average of daily time spent using social media below the worldwide average of 2:31 hours. Romanians use it a bit more often, 2:32 hours a day. Additionally, almost 26 percent of social media users worldwide use it to find products to purchase.