France

Amazon is the largest online furniture retailer in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy. In France, the American giant lags behind Ikea, which also ranks in the top three in other major European countries. Only in Germany does a local player, Otto, lead the market.

French marketplace solution provider Octopia has launched a new product, called Octopia Ads. It is the company’s own retail media solution. It enables retailers to implement a sponsored search solution for their products (1P) and sellers and brands products (3P).

TikTok is set to introduce its ecommerce activities in continental Europe soon. The company has started inviting merchants to beta-test in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Launches in other European countries are likely to follow eventually.

Whoppah, a marketplace for second-hand design and art, has recently entered the French market. The Dutch company previously spread its wings to Belgium and Germany. Its ambitions are pan-European.

Marketplace solution provider Mirakl generated nearly 160 million dollars (148.6 million euros) in annual recurring revenue in 2023. This is a growth of 20 percent compared to a year before. Additionally, the Mirakl Platform has reached profitability in the fourth quarter of last year.

This week, French government agency Business France and Alibaba have launched a partnership to promote French SMEs. Through this initiative, online merchants can more easily promote their products on a global scale. This will increase the amount of exporting companies in France.

French postal service company La Poste has installed a fitting room in two of its post offices in Paris. It wants to install fitting rooms in seven of its branches in total. With this experiment, customers can try on their online orders immediately after collection.

Dutch fulfillment company Salesupply has added another new fulfillment location to its global network. It is located in Lyon, France. The warehouse is 15,000 square meters, which gives the company the opportunity to process higher volumes in that country.

In anticipation of the retail industry's Black Friday event, Vestiaire Collective has removed H&M, Zara, and dozens of other brands and retailers from its platform. The fashion resale specialist is urging partners and customers to join its 'Think First, Buy Second' campaign.

Dutch discount platform iBood is expanding into a new European market, France. The platform is already active in four other markets, in addition to its home country. It will now provide daily discount deals to French customers.

Takko Fashion, a major textile discount formula from Germany, has further expanded its European ecommerce activities. Shortly after opening an online store in the Netherlands, the company has started online sales in France.

French software solution for services marketplaces, Scnd, has raised 4 million euros in a funding round. The company wants to use the capital injection to expand its ecommerce solution, as well as strengthen its position in the market.

Fnac Darty and CEVA Logistics are establishing a joint venture, called Weavenn. The new venture will offer SaaS marketplace technology solutions, as well as logistics. It is set to be operational as of 2024.

British fashion retailer JD Sports has reached an agreement to take over Courir. The company will pay 520 million euros for the French retail chain. Courir has more than 300 stores and is active in several countries.

Online luxury sneaker marketplace Laced is expanding into Europe, with dedicated language websites for several countries. The United Kingdom-based company is first expanding to Germany and France. It is also planning to launch in Italy and the Netherlands at a later stage.