From July 2026, the EU plans to levy a flat-rate tax of €3 on all imported small parcels worth up to €150. The tax is intended as a transitional measure. From 2028, all imports will be subject to customs duty from the first euro. The abolition of the de minimis rule will primarily affect low-cost platforms such as Temu, Shein, and AliExpress.
Our first Second Hand Quadrant is here – and it clearly shows how rapidly the European second-hand market is professionalizing. Generalist marketplaces are expanding their offerings, C2C platforms are opening up to sellers, and specialized players are strengthening their positions in niche segments. The result is a hybrid ecosystem that offers significant opportunities for merchants.
Starting in 2026, Amazon will significantly reduce its fees for FBA sellers in Europe by an average of €0.17 per unit sold. Commission fees are also set to fall, in some cases dramatically, in certain categories. Some changes will come into effect as early as February 1, 2026.
OpenAI and Perplexity on the Road to an AI Marketplace
Both OpenAI and Perplexity are pushing strongly toward becoming a marketplace with their agentic commerce projects: OpenAI introduced Shopping Research, a product search for ChatGPT that generates personalized buyer’s guides. Merchants can apply for greater visibility through an allow-list process. Perplexity also enables lightweight product data placement via a Merchant Program. What’s still missing for the marketplace transition is checkout.
Following the US and UK, eBay is bringing its live shopping format to Germany. eBay Live enables curated live shows in which retailers, brands and influencers can present products and offer them for auction or immediate purchase. Live commerce is a rapidly growing retail segment that is already well established, particularly in China.
The European Commission and EU member states have agreed to scrap the €150 “de minimis” import threshold as early as Q1 2026, accelerating action against some 4.6 billion small parcels (91 % of them from China) flooding European markets. The reform targets low‑cost seller models on platforms like Shein and Temu – and signals a major shift for marketplace‑logistics and cross‑border merchants.
Shein continues to face significant pressure in France: first, the government initiated to suspend the platform, then on Thursday, 200,000 Shein packages were inspected at Paris’ Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport. The goal: to remove illegal and unsafe products from circulation.
Amazon reports double-digit sales growth
In Q3 2025, Amazon posted net sales of $180.2 billion, up 13% year over year. Operating income was $17.4 billion (roughly flat YoY) and net income rose to $21.2 billion. Yet the marketplace giant faces mounting headwinds. Agentic & social commerce, U.S. customs policy effects, and seller fatigue could weigh on performance, argues Malte Karstan.
Since 2018, Amazon’s logistics workforce in the U.S. has more than tripled to over 1.2 million employees. By 2027, around 160,000 positions are expected to be cut through increased automation. By 2033, this could make more than 600,000 potential new hires unnecessary.
The Chinese online e-commerce platform Temu doubled its pre-tax profits in its EU operations. The platform is reaching $120 million, according to its financial statement – despite having just eight employees. Their profits increased 171% in 2024, compared with $44.1 million the year before.
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