Marketplace Universe News 22.06.2026 – TPG under pressure, de minimis ends in EU, Shopify tracks AI Search
Breaking News The Platform Group under pressure: banks cancel loans, stock loses more than half its valueSeveral banks — including LBBW and Sparkasse Essen — have called in loans from German e-commerce roll-up The Platform Group after journalists from “manager magazin” reported alleged fraud and document forgery. The stock has lost more than 55% in 30 days, and a planned €1bn acquisition of pharmaceutical wholesaler AEP remains unfinanced — deadline end of June. Read more on Manager Magazin More News Douglas cuts its forecast — againDouglas now expects revenue growth of just 0–1% this year, down from a previous floor of 2–4%, with EBITDA margin falling to ~15% and net leverage rising. Customers are holding back and waiting for promotions. The stock hit a record low. Read more on Wirtschaftswoche Shein exits BHV Marais — Paris department store calls it a “strategic error”Seven months after opening its first permanent Paris shop inside BHV Marais, Shein is out. New management took over the department store and ended the partnership. Around 100 brands had already left BHV after Shein moved in. Full Story on France24 Rakuten wants to sell its French marketplace — or shut it downRakuten is looking for a buyer for its French platform, formerly PriceMinister. No buyer found means full exit from France, which is Rakuten’s last remaining major base in Europe. the Japanese marketplace already withdrew from UK, Spain and Austria in 2016, and from Germany in 2020. Read more on Marketscreener Bonprix goes beyond Otto Group — and lists on About YouGerman fashion brand Bonprix is now selling on About You, its first marketplace outside the Otto Group ecosystem. This will be the first step to a more prominent marketplace strategy. More details on FashionUnited Shopify launches tools to track sales and traffic from AI platformsShopify is rolling out extended analytics that show merchants how their products perform across AI shopping platforms. One of the first direct responses from a major commerce platform to AI-mediated product discovery. Read more on Modern Retail Regulation News EU ends de minimis — €3 per item from 1 July, and it hits UK, Swiss and Norwegian sellers tooFrom 1 July 2026, a €3 customs fee applies per tariff line on all e-commerce imports into the EU — not per parcel. The regulation is meant to slow Temu and Shein, but it hits all third-country merchants, including UK, Swiss and Norwegian sellers. Full Story on LinkedIn Don’t want to miss any news? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!
