Rakuten France, formerly known as PriceMinister, is looking for a buyer for its marketplace. The platform has lost traffic and active customers in the last 10 years. If no one comes forward, the marketplace will be closed before the end of this year.
Ecommerce giant Amazon is investing 15 billion euros in the French market over a three-year period. The company will use the money to build, among other things, four new distribution centers. Investments in existing and new infrastructure are expected to result in faster delivery times for customers and selling partners across France.
The consumer protection authority in France announced that three quarters of imported products from major online platforms failed to meet standards of the European Union. And 46 percent were non-complaint and dangerous. The regulator tested seven platforms, but did not name which ones.
Fifty percent of consumers in Europe say that they use instalment payments or pay-later services. The majority of them do this several times a year. The use of delayed paying is a lot less popular in Switzerland, where only a quarter of respondents said that they use it while shopping online.
Amazon will charge European selling partners additional transport costs as a result of the war in the Middle East. In principle, the measure is temporary, the company says, and applies to both Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) and Multi-Channel Fulfilment (MCF).
Online marketplace integrator ChannelEngine has expanded its partnership with Monta, a Dutch fulfillment provider. The fulfillment solution is now integrated with ChannelEngine’s platform, which means that online sellers can manage marketplace and fulfillment processes in one single ecosystem.
French marketplace for pre-owned phones, laptops, and other electronic devices, Back Market, has reached a gross merchandise value (GMV) of more than 3.5 billion euros in 2025. This is an increase of 32 percent, compared to a year earlier.
European Amazon sellers can now manage their funds on the platform more easily. Amazon Seller Wallet is launching in seven European stores. This gives sellers more control over when to convert and transfer their earnings, with exchange rates displayed before every transfer.
Last year, 54 percent of new online stores in the Netherlands were created with Shopify. In France, that share came to 49 percent and in Spain, it was 41 percent. At the same time, the share of Prestashop among new stores has dropped in these countries.
Asian companies selling on TikTok Shop in Europe can now outsource their logistics to the platform. Fulfilled by TikTok will be available to them through warehouse locations in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. In addition to being a sales platform, TikTok is increasingly positioning itself as a logistics service provider.
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.
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.
Amazon has added a new shipping option for merchants in its five largest European markets. Sellers shipping from China can benefit from fast delivery at no additional cost, according to Amazon. The solution will later be available for domestic shipments as well.
Around 50 percent of online shoppers in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have shopped at Temu or Shein this year. Compared to a year ago, the amount of shoppers using those platforms has not changed much. It seems that Temu’s and Shein’s growth in Europe has slowed down.
On average, online sellers are active on six different marketplaces. As 63 percent of consumers prefer marketplaces over brand sites, sellers need to make sure that their products are present there. However, selling on marketplaces comes with its own challenges as well.