2024 – an exciting year for the entire marketplace industry draws to a close. Time to look at the greatest news – from ABOUT YOU to Zalando, from Amazon to Temu and many more.
Fashion Bombshell: Zalando has announced the acquisition of competitor ABOUT YOU, marking a major shakeup in the European fashion e-commerce and marketplace industry. Marketplace-Universe
Amazon expansion: Amazon opened its 22nd country marketplace in South Africa and announced number 23: Amazon Ireland will start in Q1 next year. About Amazon
TikTok Shop is finally coming to continental Europe: The platform is about to launch in Ireland and Spain. SCMP
Temu opened its marketplace for EU-based sellers in August. The middlewares reacted fast and announced their first API integrations to Temu in late fall. In November, Amazon answered – and brought “Amazon Haul” to Europe. Marketplace-Universe China Gadgets
Start of new marketplaces
Lots of new marketplaces started this year in Europe, among them are the platforms of OBI Group Holding, HAPPY SIZE, Tesco, fashionette, Castorama and zooplus.
Wherever you lokk: Internationalization
International expansion was high on many marketplaces’ agendas in 2024: Kaufland Global Marketplace started in Poland and Austria, while Allegro launched in Hungary and Slovakia. Skroutz went to Romania, MODIVO started in Italy and Czechia. B&Q opened its platform to international sellers and OnBuy has moved its ambitious plans for internationalization to 2025.
Clearouts and Consolidation
Amazon, OTTO and Zalando have cleared out their platforms. Otto lost several hundred sellers, Amazon kicked hundreds of small brands out of their vendor program. And in the last days of Dezember, disturbing rumors about new clearup in Zalando’s wholesale and partner program reached Valeries inbox. Marketplace-Universe
The second difficult year in a row led to consolidation in the marketplace landscape: Mytheresa bought its insolvent rival YOOX NET-A-PORTER. The French electronics and home appliances group (and marketplace provider) Fnac Darty has acquired a 91.1 % share in Unieuro S.p.A., Italy’s leading electronics and appliances retailer. And German premium fashion retail chain Breuninger is looking for a buyer. Marketplace-Universe
Second-Hand goliath Vinted opened its platform to professional sellers in UK, France and Germany, and expanded its business modell to used electronics.
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