Europe

The European Commission is working on new laws to reduce packaging waste. The plans include cutting down on empty space in ecommerce parcels as well as an increase in reusable packaging.  A draft of the rules, which was supposed to come out at the end of the month, was leaked early.

Leading ecommerce platform Shopify has shut down its Exchange Marketplace on November 1^st. Merchants who want to sell their Shopify store will now have to use other marketplaces. The app, data and listings have all been deleted and are no longer accessible to merchants.

European ecommerce fulfillment company Huboo has announced a partnership with Mirakl, a marketplace solution provider. Huboo’s customers can now connect to marketplaces powered by Mirakl. At the same time, sellers on Mirakl Connect can now access Huboo’s fulfillment network.

Ecommerce giant Amazon has announced that it will invest more than 1 billion euros up until 2027 to decarbonize its transportation network in Europe. The company will add electric delivery vans and electric heavy goods vehicles to its network. It wants to become net-zero carbon by 2040.

Ecommerce fashion giant Zalando is expanding its partnership with fashion brand Nike. Customers get access to Nike Member exclusive products, as well as more connected inventory and new digital experiences. It is the first time for Nike to partner with European platforms.

Up to 65 percent of consumers with a disability have abandoned their cart due to poor accessibility of the online store. Often, websites do not meet basic accessibility needs, while up to 73 percent of consumers are touched by a disability.

Leading ecommerce platform Shopify is launching Translate & Adapt. The tool, which works with Shopify Markets, offers localisation for merchants looking to expand to new markets. The new application is available worldwide as of this week.

The European online fashion retail market is set to grow 50 percent by 2025. The online turnover of this market will reach 175 billion euros, which equals 33 percent of the retail branch’s total. Cross-border marketplaces are the biggest drivers behind these growth.

Over half of online shoppers are prepared to wait longer for a parcel if it is from a sustainable shop. Still, only 1 in 5 customers are prepared to pay extra for eco-friendly delivery. Consumers are most worried about the environment when shopping for groceries and fashion.

Online furniture and home goods retailer Wayfair is laying off 870 employees. This reduction affects 5 percent of its global workforce and 10 percent of its corporate team. According to the company, its team is too big for the current economic environment.

Shopify is laying off 10 percent of its staff. This comes down to a thousand employees. According to the company, it is due to a decline in customer demand after peak growth during the pandemic.

Ecommerce software Shopify and online video streaming platform YouTube are launching YouTube Shopping. The feature offers multiple options for live shopping, where users can purchase products directly on YouTube’s website.

Fashion ecommerce giants Zalando, About You and Yoox Net-a-Porter are launching a sustainability platform for brand partners. The platform will offer a learning programme and engagement between brands and sustainability experts.

Payment service Klarna has closed 800 million dollars in funding. During the investment round, the company’s valuation dropped even lower with 85 percent. CEO Sebastian Siemiatowski berates ‘the steepest drop in global stock markets in over fifty years’.

BigCommerce has announced that it will expand into Denmark, Norway, Austria and Sweden. The expansion comes six months after its launch in Germany and Spain. Sellers of all sizes can build their online store with local storefronts.