Italy

Italian company Moltiply Group, which operates popular price comparison website Trovaprezzi, has announced that it is suing Google’s parent company Alphabet. The company is seeking damages, as Google is abusing its dominant market position.

The five largest ecommerce players in Italy account for 46 percent of the sales of the country's top 250 online sellers. Spain also sees a high concentration, with its top five players representing 41 percent of the market. In the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, the market is more evenly distributed. Yet even in those countries, the top 25 sellers are significantly larger than the 225 that follow.

Online sales reached a total of 85.4 billion euros in Italy last year. Compared to a year earlier, this is an increase of 6 percent. Most of that revenue came from the online sales by companies in the sector Travel and Tourism.

Kaufland will open its marketplace to consumers in France and Italy by the end of the summer. “We are the alternative to global ecommerce giants, from Europe for Europe. With that goal in mind, we are now taking the next two steps - certainly not the last”, according to Gerald Schönbucher, CEO of Kaufland e-commerce.

Starting today, TikTok Shop is available in Germany, France, and Italy, where a total of 72.1 million users reside. Among the first sellers are About You and Nivea, as well as local merchants. “TikTok Shop opens new opportunities for brands of all sizes.”

TikTok is boosting its European ecommerce operations. From now on, merchants can register to start selling through TikTok Shop in Germany, France, and Italy. Users of the social media platform in these countries will soon be able to place orders.

Zalando customers in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy will have less time to return orders starting tomorrow. The return window will be shortened from 100 days to 30 days. Changes to the loyalty program, Zalando Plus, are also imminent in these three countries.

Ecommerce giant Amazon has announced that it has finished a first test with delivery drones in Italy. The company wants to deliver items weighing up to approximately 2 kilograms to customers’ gardens with these drones. It is unclear when it will start using this service in the country.

Shopify now supports payouts in multiple currencies for European merchants. For many larger online retailers, this eliminates a key reason to operate multiple stores simultaneously or opt for alternative ecommerce software.

Dutch payments fintech Mollie has announced that it is expanding to Italy. Businesses in the country can now use the payment platform for online transactions. The platform has also added Italian local payment methods.

A majority of 73 percent of online retailers and service providers in Italy are satisfied by services provided by technology partners and agencies. At least 71 percent are also satisfied by their payment systems. However, most of the companies are dissatisfied with innovative technologies, like AI.

With Trade Assurance, Alibaba introduces what it calls a new standard for safe and transparent digital B2B trade in Europe. The service portfolio is initially available for businesses in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

This week, fulfillment company Monta has announced further international expansion. The company will open fulfillment centers in France, Italy and Poland. The new locations will be operational by this time next year.

The rumors had been circulating for a while, but now it’s official: Mytheresa wants to acquire industry peer Yoox Net-a-Porter from Richemont. This will create a “leading, global, multi-brand digital luxury group”, according to the involved parties. As part of the deal, Richemont will acquire a 33 percent stake in the rapidly growing Mytheresa.

DHL eCommerce has formed a joint venture with the state postal company Poste Italiane. Together, they aim to build a network of ten thousand parcel lockers across Italy. The opening of the first parcel locker in Rome marks the start of Locker Italia, the name given to the joint venture.