news Archive - Marketplace Universe

Marketplace Movers & Shakers in April 2026

Rossella Furnari has stepped up at Leroy Merlin, now leading as Marketplace Team Leader, taking on greater responsibility across marketplace operations. Jonny Hofberger has been Managing Director at GTK VATpilot GmbH since March. Pia Nolte left fashionette to join Douglas as a Director Partner Program. Johannes von Roth-Bandick has left TB International to step into a top leadership role as Co-CEO / Chief Commercial Officer at MAG – Marketplace Amplifier. Ronja Wichmann has taken the next step at limango, now leading as Teamlead Marketplace – Key Account, Operations & Retail Media, with a broader remit across marketplace performance.

Marketplace Universe News 27.04.2026 – Zalando kicks out retail partners, and Shemu erodes value

Zalando is consistently pushing its platform strategy and is discontinuing its Connected Retail programme – at the expense of its partners: all Connected Retail retailers must decide by May 15th whether to transition into Zalando’s Partner Programme by June 2027. If not, the partnership will already end this August.

Marketplace Universe News 20.04.2026 – QVC files for insolvency, TikTok expands

TikTok Shop is currently preparing to launch in Poland, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Meanwhile, QVC has filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. The home shopping channel has recently been suffering increasingly from the shift to TikTok Shop and Whatnot.

Marketplace Universe News 13.04.2026 – Vinted Breaks the €10 Billion Mark / TikTok Shop Doubles Growth / Sephora builds ChatGPT Integration

In 2025, sellers sold goods worth more than €10.8 billion through the second-hand marketplace Vinted, marking a nearly 50% increase compared to 2024. While net profit declined by 19% to €62 million, Vinted remains profitable for the third consecutive year.

Marketplace Movers & Shakers in March 2026

Dr. Kai-Ulrich Deissner, CEO of CECONOMY AG / MediaMarktSaturn, will hand over the role of CEO during the course of 2026 for personal reasons. His successor Remko Rijnders will assume the role of CEO on July 1.
René Groll, previously Head of E-Commerce and Chief Digital Officer at Alberts, is joining Front Row German on May 1, where he will support the team behind the Catapult analytics tool.
Marco Pirani, Commercial Director at Benetton, left the group after four years to take the position of CEO Commercial at Lowa Sportschuhe GmbH.

Marketplace Universe News 07.04.2026 – 3.5% surcharge for Amazon logistics / Decathlon sees significant growth / Breuninger expands into the Netherlands

Due to rising energy prices caused by the ongoing war in Iran, Amazon is requiring its marketplace sellers in the U.S. and Canada to pay a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge. The policy is set to take effect on April 17. It remains unclear whether it will be implemented in other countries.

Marketplace Universe News 30.03.2026 – TikTok Shop grows rapidly in Germany / EU Extends Processing Fee for Packages / Otto start with Sellers from Netherlands

One year after its launch, around 15% of German online shoppers have already purchased via TikTok Shop, according to NielsenIQ. Depth of usage is also increasing: the average purchase frequency rose from 2.3 to 3.3 purchases per year, while spending per buyer increased by around 32%. TikTok is thus increasingly evolving from a discovery channel into a transaction platform.

Marketplace Universe News 23.03.2026 – 600 German Seller on Shein / Amazon Invests in Poland / Kiabi Expands Marketplace Business

The marketplace of Shein continues to expand its seller network in Europe: in Germany alone, more than 600 sales partners are now active. This marks a shift from a pure private-label model towards a more open marketplace with a growing merchant base. At the same time, in France, the government also failed in its second attempt to temporarily suspend the marketplace following a scandal involving child-like sex dolls.

Marketplace Universe News 16.03.2026 – Zalando Issues Positive Outlook / Breuninger Fails to Find a Buyer / Sigma Sports launches marketplace

Zalando expects adjusted EBIT of €660-740 million in 2026, up from €591 million in 2025. This would represent 12-25% growth. The company is also optimistic about trading volume: GMV is expected to grow by 12-17%, building on €17.6 billion in 2025. Zalando cites the increasing use of AI in areas such as product imagery and virtual try-ons as a key driver, helping to reduce costs and returns.

Marketplace Universe News 09.03.2026 – OpenAI halts Agentic Commerce / Amazon Haul grows rapidly / Refurbished on the rise

Just five months after entering Agentic Commerce with its Instant Checkout, OpenAI is already pulling the plug. It appears that while users research products via ChatGPT, they do not use the bot to complete purchases. However, OpenAI may be giving up too quickly: changing established user behaviour requires persistence – and, of course, the necessary investments.