Let's talk MarketplacE

"E-commerce isn’t complex." A bold statement – especially coming from the Vice President Marketplace at MediaMarktSaturn. But Christian Kollesch means it. In this episode, he explains what’s behind it: the strategic repositioning of the MediaMarktSaturn marketplace, the expansion into new verticals like DIY and Baby & Kids, and the ambitious goal to become Europe’s leading...

Five marketplaces in one fell swoop – after 1.5 years of preparation, AlphaTrail is taking the next big step in multichannel distribution. In this episode, Valerie talks to Michael Grundwürmer, CEO & Co-Founder of AlphaTrail, about how the former Amazon-only brand has developed into an international premium brand for bicycle parts and is simultaneously launching...

International verkaufen? Für viele ein Angstthema, für MeineMarkenMode längst Alltag – wenn auch mit reichlich Narben. In dieser Folge sprechen wir mit Timo Bethlehem, Geschäftsführer von MeineMarkenMode, und Julius Komp, CEO & Co-Founder des Cross-Border-Dienstleisters Exporto, über die realen Herausforderungen der Expansion in europäische Märkte: Steuerregularien, Zollformalitäten, Retourenprozesse, Lieferzeiten – und die allzu bekannte Diskrepanz...

In this episode, Ingrid and Valerie discuss the most important marketplace news from May – and one topic clearly stands out: the proposed merger between Zalando and About You is now officially under scrutiny by the European Commission. Many brands have already received formal inquiries from Brussels. The two explore what this means for brands...

“If you can't do better than Allegro, stay at home.” A clear message from Marcin Czyczerski – and a warning to Western platforms that think they can just start up in Poland. The former CEO of CCC/Modivo describes the unique features of the marketplace landscape in Poland – one of the most exciting and challenging...

The biggest challenge in marketplace strategy? Your own company. In this episode, Ingrid talks to Christian Leihner, former Head of Marketplace and E-Commerce at Unilever and Haier, about the internal obstacles that often cause marketplace initiatives to fail – long before the first SKU goes live. Together, we clarify why many marketplace teams consist of...

Temu is on everyone’s lips: aggressive advertising, rapid expansion, low prices. But is that reason enough to become active there as a brand? In this episode, Ingrid and Valerie talk to Marius Eckel, Head of E-Commerce & Marketplaces at Selva Technik, about his decision not to use Temu for the time being – even though...

How do you build a successful marketplace? For this episode, Ingrid and Valerie have switched perspectives and brought Pinki Choudhury, a true master of marketplace development, to the microphone. As the strategic mind behind successful marketplace launches such as Tesco, Kingfisher, and Castorama, Pinki knows exactly what she's talking about. She presents her “Super Eight”...

The de minimis rule in the US has expired, Trump has raised tariffs on China to up to 145% – what consequences will this have for the global marketplace business? Valerie and Ingrid explore this question in the new episode with the most important news in April. The US move is having far-reaching consequences –...

Wie schützt man eine Premium-Marke auf Marktplätzen wie Amazon, Zalando oder DocMorris – und sorgt gleichzeitig für Markenbekanntheit?  Diesen Fragen geht Valerie in der neuen Podcast-Episode mit Alexander Hally von Weleda nach. Sein Fazit: Zwei entscheidende Erfolgsfaktoren sind fundiertes Marktplatz-Know-how und eine klare Strategie. Im Gespräch verrät er, warum Weleda auf Amazon konsequent auf eine...

In this episode, Valerie und Ingrid sit down once again with Amazon expert Malte Karstan, fresh from his visit to Amazon’s European HQ in Luxembourg. From low-price strategies to cutting-edge AI features – Amazon is navigating competitive pressure from Temu, TikTok Shop & Co. with new tools and tactics. Together, they explore: Is Amazon Haul...

For brands looking to sell in Germany, it quickly becomes clear that this market follows its own rules, surprising even experienced cross-border sellers – for example, because of the strong dominance of Amazon. In this episode, Ingrid and Valerie explore the question of what really drives German buyers, how they behave in marketplaces, and what...

It is THE topic that has kept the industry in suspense in recent weeks: the launch of TikTok Shop in Europe. Valerie and Ingrid take a critical look at this in the new newsflash episode of “Let's talk Marketplace”. Because despite the hype, TikTok Shop is not suitable for every brand, every retailer, and every...

TikTok Shop's business is doing really badly in the US and the UK – even if TikTok doesn't say it out loud! But what does this mean for the TikTok Shop launch in Europe and for brands that want to jump on the bandwagon? That's what Valerie and Ingrid discussed in this episode with Ed...

Sometimes, the question of why someone tells a story in exactly that way is more exciting than the story itself! A good example of this is Zalando: the 2024 annual report and the associated statements are really interesting – especially what Zalando emphasizes and what is no longer mentioned. In this podcast episode, Ingrid and...

What does bol have that Amazon doesn't? Or to put it another way: Why is bol so far ahead in the Netherlands? Ingrid and Valerie explore this question in the new episode together with Thomas Philip-Bashar, Product Manager at the Dutch solution provider Channable. They discuss how bol has benefited from the fact that large...

A fresh spring wind is blowing through the “Let's talk Marketplace” podcast! For the second season, Ingrid and Valerie have slightly changed the podcast concept: there is now a dedicated news episode once a month – so there is finally enough time to dive deeper into the most relevant news of the last few weeks....

Ingrid and Valerie are proud to present: the 100th episode of the “Let's talk Marketplace” podcast! And that's why, in this episode, Ingrid and Valerie looked back on what they have achieved and revealed their visions for this year (spoiler: a real community for the marketplace people in Europe). They looked back on their biggest...

For brands, it could become the crucial question: should they ride the (successful) wave of Temu or should they ostracize the nasty low-cost competition? Some have already taken the plunge, some with the help of Valentin Hauß, CEO of the German marketplace agency com-create, which specializes in technological connections to platforms like Temu. This gives...

LTM 98: How to manage the cashflow of your marketplace business feat. Storfund What is often preventing marketplace sellers from growing? A lack of liquid funds, because a lot of money is either tied up in inventory or sits with the marketplace operator for weeks before it is paid out to the seller. That's why...

If you want to sell in the Netherlands via marketplaces, you can’t get past the top dog bol. While the market leader used to have a reputation for being very restrictive in its selection of sellers, the platform is now opening up to international sellers. Alex Ciorapciu, Director International Business at bol, reveals in this...

Which red flags have indicated the end of Wayrfair in Germany? Why is XXXLutz so successful in the marketplace business? Why are marketplace fees sometimes ridiculously high? Valerie discussed all these questions in this episode with Philip Kehela, co-founder and managing director of the furniture brand mokebo. Philip follows this strategy: If a new marketplace...

How does a small brand manage to do good business in the US? Niko Moll from the children's sunglasses brand Mausito has shown how it's done and in this episode he talks about his strategy: he focused on Amazon, accepted the marketplace's support, learned a lot about logistics – and paid a price. For example,...

Trends hinterherzulaufen ist keine gute Strategie – vor allem nicht für die Auswahl von geeigneten Plattformen für das Marktplatz-Business! Doch wie lässt sich eine gute Auswahl an passenden Marktplätzen treffen? Darüber diskutiert Ingrid in dieser Folge mit Julia Kühnberger von Cherry Europe und Johannes Blindhuber von PlentyONE. Julia baut gerade das Marktplatz-Engagement von Cherry aus,...

Welcome to 2025! In the first episode of “Let’s talk Marketplace” this year, Ingrid and Valerie have ventured an outlook on the coming 12 months in the marketplace business. To do this, they asked various relevant marketplaces about their plans and to-do lists for 2025. The top topics on the agenda in 2025 will again...

The news was like a shockwave: Zalando is buying About You. A week later, it’s time to take a closer look at what the takeover means for the market, retailers and brands. Valerie and Ingrid have brought Stefan Wenzel, an experienced fashion and marketplace expert, into the podcast for this. Together they shed light on...

It’s December and what do many marketplace people do? They are looking for a new job! Don’t believe us? Then take a look at the number of job changes that are circulating in the industry in these weeks. That’s why Valerie and Ingrid have dedicated the new episode of their podcast “Let’s talk Marketplace” to...

„Das ist keine Welle und auch kein Tsunami, das ist ein Anstieg des Meeresspiegels!“ Das sagt der renommierte Handelsexperte Professor Dr. Gerrit Heinemann über den rasanten Aufstieg der chinesischen Factory-to-Consumer-Companies wie Shein und Temu. Denn selbst eine riesige Welle geht irgendwann wieder zurück – die chinesischen Player hingegen sind nach Europa gekommen, um zu bleiben....

For the new episode 89 of “Let’s talk Marketplace”, Ingrid took on the role of podcast guest: She presented her new marketplace quadrant “Consumer Electronics” in detail. For example, she explained where the database comes from and why the electronics industry is so special. After all, the quadrant boasts an impressive 58 marketplaces! She also...

In dieser Episode von “Let’s talk Marketplace” tauchen Valerie und Ingrid mit Lisa Haak, Head of Seller Community und Brand Relations bei eBay, tief in das Thema Markenstrategien auf eBay ein. Lisa teilt spannende Einblicke, wie eBay sich von der berüchtigten „Blackbox“ zu einem vertrauenswürdigen Partner für Marken entwickelt hat. Von autorisierten Händlern über B-Ware...