ChatGPT rolls out in-chat shopping – Etsy and Shopify first
OpenAI is rolling out a native checkout in ChatGPT, letting users in the U.S. buy products without ever leaving the chat. The first integrations are with Etsy and Shopify sellers. Users can see product options, select variants, and complete the purchase directly in the interface. It’s a first step toward what some call “agentic commerce” – where AI handles not just discovery, but also transactions. See more on Golem (German)

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7 of Germany’s Top 10 Online Shops Are Marketplaces
According to the latest EHI Retail Institute ranking, marketplaces dominate Germany’s e-commerce landscape. Amazon leads by a wide margin. But six other players in the top 10 – Zalando, Otto, Temu, eBay, Shein and Redcare Pharmacy – are also marketplaces. The data underscores the accelerating platformisation of German retail. More on EHI (German)

Amazon tests ‘Haul’ – a bargain-focused storefront in Spain
Amazon has quietly launched “Haul” in Spain. The budget-focused storefront offering low-priced, trend-based items with free shipping above €15. Most products cost under €20 and ship within two weeks. The concept mimics Temu and Shein. This could be Amazon’s latest move to recapture Gen Z bargain hunters. Read more on Eloput

Amazon tightens grip on counterfeit enforcement
Amazon is raising the pressure on brands and sellers to fight counterfeits – but also shifting more responsibility onto them. Wortfilter outlines how sellers can respond. Possible measures include Brand Registry, test buys, IP enforcement, and legal mechanisms like Germany’s “Störerhaftung.” More on Wortfilter (German)

eBay and OpenAI launch £3M AI program for UK sellerseBay has announced a new £3 million in partnership with OpenAI. The initiative called “AI Activate” gives selected UK sellers free access to ChatGPT Enterprise, training, and use cases tailored to small businesses. It’s a strategic push to help sellers automate content creation and boost productivity with AI. More on ChannelX 

ChatGPT checkout won’t disrupt everything – but it might dominate ‘boring & expensive’
Marketplace analyst Juozas Kaziukėnas shared his take on where ChatGPT-based commerce will actually work. His matrix divides shopping into four types. Fun/boring vs. cheap/expensive. AI-driven agents like ChatGPT, he argues, are perfect for “boring & expensive” categories like electronics or home appliances. There customers want to reduce research effort. “Boring & cheap” goods (e.g. FMCG) will be automated, while “fun” products will continue to thrive in inspiration-led environments like TikTok Shop. See more on LinkedIn 

Booming News

TikTok Shop: UK leads, fashion dominates, cross-border brands win
Adrian Melch shares data from Kalodata showingthat TikTok Shop is booming across Europe, with the highest sales in the UK and fashion as the top category in all markets. Country-specific trends (DIY in Germany, beauty in Italy) highlight the platform’s diversity. And the biggest winners are brands that scale cross-border with a TikTok-native strategy. Find out more on LinkedIn

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 06.10.2025 – ChatGPT starts in-chat-shopping / Amazon tests Haul in Spain / Platformisation in Germany erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

In response to US tariff policy, Temu and Shein are turning to Europe. They are increasing their advertising spending in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and the UK – in some cases by 35 to 40%. This is putting even more pressure on retailers such as Zara and H&M. Temu has also suspended direct deliveries from China to US consumers. Reuters  (advertising)  BBC (US stop)

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Amazon is also responding to pressure from the tariff dispute and adjusting its vendor program. New are local customer service teams in China, expansion of the Global Imports Program, improved communication – but also stricter standards. LinkedIn

Six months after its launch in the US, Amazon Haul has now been launched in the UK. Amazon expert Malte Karstan also expects it to launch soon in Germany, as he told us in our recent podcast episode. Ecommercenews

Major change to Amazon product titles: For the first time, titles will now be split into two lines – one line for the product description and one for marketing statements. PPC

In Q1, Zalando achieved an increase in revenue of just under 8% to €2.42 billion, while GMV rose by 6.5% to €3.5 billion. At just under €10 million, earnings after taxes were also positive. Zalando is maintaining its forecast for 2025. Reuters

About You closed the 2024/2025 fiscal year with strong results in all segments and revenue of over €2 billion. The proceeds are not yet included in Zalando’s figures; the acquisition is expected to be completed in the summer. Wallstreet-Online

The furniture marketplace Wayfair continues to struggle with stagnating sales in Q1 and a shrinking customer base. RetailDive

Award News

For the eighth time, eBay is honoring online retailers who have achieved success through innovative ideas, entrepreneurial passion, or social commitment. We are delighted that Ingrid has been selected to be part of the jury for the fourth time and will be reviewing the submissions. CE-Markt

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 12.05.2025 – Trump forces players to Europe / Amazon Hauls starts in UK / Good figures for Zalando and About You erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

Shein and Temu have announced price increases in the US in response to high tariffs on imports from China and the expiry of the de minimis rule on April 25. Until 2024, around 1.4 billion packages from China had entered the US duty-free under this rule. BBC (Overview)  LinkedIn (de minimis rule)

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Shein appears to be one step closer to its goal of listing on the London Stock Exchange: the UK Financial Conduct Authority has granted preliminary approval for a listing. However, it remains unclear how the trade war between China and the US will affect a possible listing. Standard

Trump’s customs policy is also affecting Amazon Haul: The Temu copy now also offers discounted products from well-known brands such as Adidas, Levi’s, and Gap, which are shipped from US warehouses instead of China. However, they cost about the same as in the main Amazon store, which means that the focus on entry-level prices under 20 dollars is no longer a factor. TheVerge

Big Merger in the German Baby & Kids market: Baby-Walz will take over its competitor Babymarkt.de, a omnichannel retailer with brick & mortar stores, an online shop and a marketplace.The stores will be closed, the online shop will continue. If Baby-Walz will also keep the Babymarkt marketplace running is yet unclear. Exciting Commerce

News From Italy

Italian online sales rose by 6% in 2024 to a total of 85.4 billion euros. More than half of retailers sell on marketplaces, but most only on one or two. Amazon is the dominant platform with 40%, followed by eBay with 14%, Leroy Merlin with 7%, ManoMano with 6%, and Facebook with 5%. For the majority of retailers selling on marketplaces, the share of sales is less than 50%. EcommerceItalia

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 22.04.2025 – temu’s Response to tariffs / Customs consequences for Amazon Haul / Baby Walz swallows Babymarkt erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

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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