Benelux

Over 40 percent of online stores close customer care after 5 pm, according to surveys in Germany and the Netherlands. Almost half of German shops are not reachable at night. However, the evenings are a peak time for online shoppers.

Dutch online specialty coffee seller Wakuli has secured funding from investors. The size of the investment was not disclosed. Wakuli will use the capital injection for product innovation and expansion in Germany and Belgium.

Working between 20:00 and midnight will no longer be prohibited in Belgium. After months of negotiating about night work, the government has reached an agreement. It seems that Belgian ecommerce can finally start catching up.

Ecommerce giant Amazon is launching in Belgium, with Amazon Belgium. The marketplace is said to launch in September. Earlier this year, the company announced plans of opening a logistics center in the country.

Kaartje2go was named ‘DHL Best Online Store 2022’ at the annual Dutch Shopping Awards. The shop, which sells personalized postcards, also took first place in the ‘Gifts’ category. Interior design e-tailer Naduvi was named the fastest growing Dutch ecommerce business.

On 8 and 9 June, popular ecommerce and logistics event DELIVER will take place in Amsterdam. One of the companies exhibiting there will be Direct Link, a logistics provider. "Nothing beats physical events like this one, as it provides opportunities to get in touch with customers directly", says Ulrich Hinz, Direct Link Sales Manager in Germany.

Inditex, the major clothing retail group from Spain, is now charging a fixed fee for online returns. The owner of brands such as Zara, Pull & Bear and Bershka is implementing this change in 30 countries. It wants to motivate customers to return items in brick-and-mortar stores.

PayPal has launched its funding solution for SMEs, called PayPal Funding Pro, in two new European markets: France and the Netherlands. The solution gives SMEs quick and easy access to growth capital. Online sellers can find it in the PayPal Commerce Platform.

Leading ecommerce software BigCommerce named Mollie, a payment service provider from the Netherlands, as Preferred Technology Partner. The Dutch fintech offers most of the popular payment methods in Europe. The news follows BigCommerce’s recent expansion to the Netherlands, France and Germany.

123inkt, a Dutch e-tailer of print cartridges and office supplies, is for sale. The company is said to be worth at least 500 million euros. Since its last annual numbers, the company has grown significantly, sources say.

Online fashion marketplace Secret Sales is entering Belgium and the Netherlands with dedicated online shops. The websites will be managed by a local team in the Netherlands. It's the first step in the company's planned European expansion.

Bol.com is the first ecommerce company to receive a Climate Neutral Certification. This certificate is given out by Dutch consultant Climate Neutral Group. However, the company’s Co2-reductions do not account for thousands of partner sellers.

Dutch lingerie retailer Hunkemöller has been sued by a German consumer advocate. The lawsuit is due to misleading marketing in its online shop about sustainability. Dutch retailer Peek&Cloppenburg and German fashion group Popken Fashion GmbH have also been warned.

Finnish consumers rate ecommerce the least eco-friendly industry compared to the rest of Northern Europe, while Danish customers are the most critical about sustainability. Moreover, Finn.no, Matsmart, Aarstiderne, Tori.fi and Bol.com are voted most sustainable online retailers.

Dutch online auction company TBAuctions is acquiring the Bjarøy Group and Swedish auction platform PS Auction. The acquisitions accelerate the company's plan to build a pan-European platform for second hand goods.