The United Kingdom

Amazon plans to close three distribution centers in the United Kingdom, the company’s biggest market in Europe. After investing heavily during the pandemic ecommerce boom, the retail giant is experiencing a dip in demand.

Amazon has reached a settlement with the European Commission. The ecommerce giant says it will not use data from partner sellers for its own products. It will also add a second Buy Box. By doing this, the platform avoids a billion dollar fine.

The software and payments solution provider ClearCourse has acquired ecommerce platform provider Sellerdeck. Both companies are able to expand their product offering, thanks to the acquisition. The financial terms of the deal are undisclosed.

More than half of online stores in Britain close their customer care after 5 pm. Additionally, 27 percent of the online stores in the country are only available during the daytime on Monday to Friday. “A missed opportunity”, says Jonathon Huggett, Business Development Manager at Salesupply UK.

Beerwulf, the Heineken-owned online beer retailer, has launched its own marketplace in the Netherlands. Now, third party retailers can sell products on its platform. Beerwulf’s new platform will enter the United Kingdom in 2023, followed by Germany, France and Italy.

Online furniture retailer Made.com has announced that it is appointing administrators. The company is thus preparing for insolvency, as it was unable to be sold by the end of October. Earlier this week, it also suspended its trades.

Fashion retailer H&M is considering payment for online returns. Return fees could help cut increasing company costs. H&M is testing the change in return policy in Norway and the United Kingdom.

OPLOG, a fulfilment company from Turkey, has raised 11 million euros. With the money, OPLOG will open a warehouse in the United Kingdom before the end of the year. Additionally, the company wants to use robotics in its fulfilment centers starting next year.

In online shops, 16 percent of products are out-of-stock. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have the best product availability. Google Shopping, Facebook Product Ads and Amazon are the top three advertising channels for ecommerce sellers worldwide.

Leading delivery platform Metapack is partnering with last mile startup Zedify in the United Kingdom. Zedify is known for its bicycle courier network. The company offers same day and next day delivery.

Dutch fashion platform Otrium made considerable losses in the past year. The company is 50 million euros in the red. The year before, losses were at 8.4 million euros. This is mostly due to bonuses as well as further company expansion.

Fashion platforms Asos and Boohoo are being investigated by the British Competition and Markets authority regarding greenwashing. Their claims about sustainability may be misleading the public. The CMA says it ‘won’t hesitate to take legal action’.

Just months after expanding to Germany and Ireland, Canadian ecommerce investor Clearco is cutting 25 percent of its staff. This comes down to 125 employees. The company points to ‘the current macroeconomic environment’.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK is investigating Amazon on its dominant position in the UK. Amazon could be distorting competition. “Any loss of competition is a loss to consumers”, says Sarah Cardell, general counsel at CMA.

Ecommerce giant Amazon is launching its first ‘micromobility’ hub in London. The launch consists of a fleet of e-cargo bikes and on-foot delivery staff. The hub will carry out around 5 million deliveries a year.