The United Kingdom

While 45 percent of British consumers say that next-day delivery would make them more likely to shop with a merchant, 66 percent of retailers offer this kind of service. Also, some retailers fail to meet consumers' needs regarding free delivery.

Online electrical retailer AO wants to more than double its turnover in five years' time. In this time frame, the UK company also aims to be active in five different markets. "Our mission is to be the global destination for electricals", AO stated during its full year results presentation.

Decathlon UK has opened its website to external vendors. The sports retailer invites new partners to join its marketplace, so customers get access to thousands of more sporting goods.

Online fashion marketplace Secret Sales has secured 10 million euros in a Series A funding round. The UK company wants to use the money to improve data mining capabilities and to launch in other countries this year.

Booste, a Polish financing platform for ecommerce merchants, has raised 12 million euros in a Series A funding round. The fintech company will use the money to expand its services to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Scurri, a delivery management platform from Ireland, has secured 9 million euros in a new funding round. The software provider wants to use the money to accelerate its growth in the United Kingdom.

Logistics company Whistl has announced it will open three new fulfillment sites in the United Kingdom. To accelerate its expansion into online fulfillment, Whistl opens depots in Lutterworth, Northampton and Plymouth.

UTP Group, a UK payment solution company, now offers its ecommerce customers the ability to receive fund settlement within hours instead of days. It claims to be the first to offer same-day funding online and in stores.

UK online florist Bloom & Wild has acquired Bloomon, its competitor from the Netherlands. Both companies will continue operating under their respective brand names. With the acquisition, the new group will be active in eight countries across Europe.

Lightspeed has announced the launch of Lightspeed Payments in Europe. At first, this payment solution will only available for hospitality merchants in the United Kingdom. Soon it will be available for retailers. Other European markets will also follow soon.

Parcel locker provider InPost has launched a returns solution that wants to simplify the process of returning items that were bought online. Customers no longer need to use or print labels, instead they use a QR code on their smartphone.

Ecommerce is, of course, very popular now the physical stores are closed in many countries across Europe. But online-only retailers seem to really reap the rewards of having a strong digital infrastructure. In the UK, online-only retailers are now the number-one purchasing channel for fashion shoppers.

Gorillas, a delivery startup from Germany, has launched its services in London. The company offers a full range of groceries from its own distribution hubs within 10 minutes. The UK is the third market in Europe where Gorillas is active.

ZigZag Global, a returns management platform from the United Kingdom, announced it has been acquired by Global Blue, a tourism shopping tax refund company, headquartered in Switzerland. ZigZag's solutions will be cross-sold into Global Blue's extensive merchant network.

Facebook Shops, a place for discovering business and searching for products in the Facebook app, is rolling out to users in the United Kingdom. It marks the first European market where the Facebook feature is available.