EU imposes €200 million fine on Temu
The EU has imposed its first major fine on Temu under the Digital Services Act. The platform is expected to pay €200 million because it allegedly failed to sufficiently control illegal products on its marketplace. For the industry, the case shows that the DSA is becoming a real platform risk. Read more on DW

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TikTok Shop continues its European expansion
TikTok Shop is further expanding its presence in Europe: on 15 June, the shopping feature is expected to launch in Poland, the Netherlands and Austria. For sellers, the announced “Sell Across Europe” feature is particularly relevant, as it is designed to allow merchants to reach multiple EU markets through a single registration. In Spain, where TikTok Shop has been active since late 2024, one in five online sellers is already represented on the platform. See more on LinkedIn (Poland), LinkedIn (Netherlands), Die Presse (Austria) and Ecommercenews (Spain)

Otto.de grows significantly
Otto Group significantly increased its profit in the past financial year: EBIT rose from €276 million to €641 million, while revenue declined by 7.4% to €13.8 billion. The main reason for the revenue decline was the sale of About You to Zalando. Otto.de grew by 8% to €4.8 billion and accounts for around one third of the group’s total revenue. At the same time, Otto points to cost savings – including job cuts – as another driver of higher profitability. Find out more on Süddeutsche Zeitung

JD.com eyes the Very Group
JD.com is apparently pushing ahead with its European ambitions. The Chinese group is reportedly looking to acquire the UK’s Very Group for £2 billion. At the same time, the EU is now also reviewing JD.com’s planned investment in Ceconomy. This is no longer just about individual acquisitions, but about how strongly Chinese retail groups will shape European retail in the future. Read more on Retail Gazette (Very) and Yahoo Finance (EU)

Amazon invests $20 billion in the UK
Amazon invested more than £15 billion in the UK in 2025. By the end of 2027, the total investment is expected to reach £40 billion. The money went into new logistics sites, studio and office space, and a drone delivery trial. Amazon also reported more than £30 billion in revenue from its UK activities in 2025. See more on FashionNetwork

Farfetch launches livestream shopping for Private Clients
Farfetch is launching “Farfetch Live”, a new livestream format for selected Private Clients. The focus is on fine watches, fine jewellery and rare accessories, presented in curated digital sessions. Instead of classic live shopping, Farfetch is focusing on advice, expertise and luxury storytelling. Read more on FashionUnited

Zalando partners with Vestiaire Collective
Zalando is opening its platform to Vestiaire Collective and expanding its pre-owned offering in the luxury segment. The partnership shows that luxury resale is moving further into the mainstream.Find out more on FashionNetwork

Nostalgia News

eBay brings back “3, 2, 1 …!”
eBay Germany is launching a new brand campaign around its well-known claim “3, 2, 1 …!”, putting eBay Live at the centre. The live commerce format is now active in seven markets; in Germany, eBay says it has developed into a scalable channel since its launch in November 2025. eBay is combining nostalgia, community and live shopping – bringing the direct exchange between buyers and sellers back into focus. See the full story on eBay

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Der Beitrag Marktplace Universe News 01.06.2026 – EU fines Temu €200m, and TikTok Shop expands in Europe erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

Otto opens marketplace to Polish sellers
After opening up to Dutch sellers, Otto is now preparing the next step in its European seller expansion. Selected sales partners from Poland are set to join the marketplace as part of a pilot programme starting in June. This makes Poland the second European market from which Otto is actively onboarding sellers outside Germany. In parallel, Otto is also expanding its assortment in Germany. Through a new partnership with Thalia, around 100,000 books are now available. Find out more on Ecommercenews and Otto 

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Breuninger expands to Denmark, Sweden and Romania
Breuninger is further expanding its international online presence with localised shops in Denmark, Sweden and Romania. This brings the fashion retailer to 13 European markets, with deliveries handled by PostNord and DHL. Whether and to what extent the marketplace business will also be rolled out in the new markets remains unclear. See more on Ecommercenews  

Fashion industry calls for relief for resale
Primark, H&M, Vinted, Zalando, Etsy and 63 other organisations are calling on governments in the EU, the US and Canada to create better economic conditions for resale and repair. The call follows a new study suggesting that circular business models are currently disadvantaged by taxes and labour costs. Read more on Retailgazette

Debenhams Group tests AI checkout on Meta
Debenhams Group is the first UK retailer to enable AI-driven in-app checkout on Meta. US customers of Karen Millen, boohoo, boohooMAN and PrettyLittleThing can now shop directly within Facebook and Instagram via PayPal’s Agentic Commerce Services. See more on ChannelX

Zalando partners with the Belgian Football Association
Zalando and the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) have agreed a five-year partnership. The focus is not classic perimeter advertising, but rather the “Arrival Moment” at the RBFA training centre in Tubize. The players’ arrival looks are to be staged as a shoppable fashion format on Zalando.Read more on Retaildetail 

DHL introduces new variable shipping surcharge
From June 1, DHL will introduce a new short-term energy surcharge for business customer shipments. The surcharge will be based on the 10-day average of the Brent oil price and can rise to up to 3%, depending on market developments.
For this reason, merchants will face another pricing lever whose calculation, adjustment and future impact will be difficult to fully track. DHL is thus following the lead of its competitors DPD and GLS, which also charge an energy surcharge. Find out more on LinkedIn and DHL

AI-Race News

Google builds shopping into AI infrastructure
Google is stepping up in the race for the next generation of online shopping. Its Universal Cart is becoming an AI-powered shopping hub across Search, Gemini, YouTube and Gmail. Products from different merchants can be collected centrally. The AI is designed to monitor prices, check availability, apply discounts and support checkout. For merchants, visibility, brand presence and margin control are shifting further into Google’s infrastructure. See more on Forbes

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 26.05.2026 – Otto opens to Polish sellers, DHL adds new shipping surcharge erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

TikTok Shop grows rapidly in Germany
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. Find out more at NielsenIQ 

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EU tightens rules for low-value imports
The EU is stepping up its actions against low-cost imports from China and plans to introduce a €2 handling fee in addition to the uniform €3 customs duty. The customs duty will apply from July 2026, while the handling fee is planned to be introduced from November 2026. See more on Transport-online 

Temu owner PDD misses expectations
PDD Holdings reported revenue of $12.6 billion in Q4 2025, falling short of analyst estimates. The company cites intensifying competition in China as well as growing global uncertainties, such as tariffs in the US, as key factors weighing on its business – also impacting the international growth of Temu. Read more at Retailgazette 

OnBuy expands into eight new markets
The marketplace OnBuy is launching in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, bringing its presence to 21 European markets. The expansion follows strong growth, with quarterly sales increasing by 152% last year. See more at Ecommercenews 

Otto begins international rollout with the Netherlands
Otto Group is opening its marketplace to international sellers in phases. Partners from the Netherlands will be onboarded first in the first half of the year. Poland, Austria, France, and Spain will follow by the end of 2026, Denmark is planned for early 2027. At the same time, the business continues to grow, with GMV reaching €7.5 billion (+6%). The marketplace is expanding faster (+9%) than the 1P business (+3%) and now includes around 6,100 sellers. See the full story at LinkedIn 

Kaufland bundles retail media in its own platform
Kaufland is launching “Kaufland Interact”, a central retail media platform that bundles all advertising offerings – from online shop to in-store screens. This includes display units at store entrances as well as checkout screens. The goal is unified booking across all channels. Read more on Invidis 

Kingfisher posts strong growth
Kingfisher plc reported a pre-tax profit of £378 million for FY 2025/26, up 23% year-on-year. The increase was driven by cost-saving measures and strong performances from B&Q in the UK and Screwfix in the UK and France. See more on HarwichandManningtreestandard 

Hype News

#BookTok drives book sales in Europe
More than 50 million books were sold across Europe in 2025 through the #BookTok community, generating around €800 million in revenue. Germany is the largest market ahead of the UK, with 28 million books sold and €482 million in revenue linked to the trend around TikTok. See the full story at ChannelX 

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

Amazon becomes the largest company in the United States
After 17 years, Amazon has dethroned retail chain Walmart: With around $717 billion in annual revenue, Amazon is now the highest-revenue company in the United States. However, Amazon’s growth today stems less from retail and more from its comprehensive ecosystem of platform, logistics, cloud business, and advertising. Read more on Fortune

More News

eBay acquires second-hand app Depop
eBay continues to expand its recommerce business and is acquiring the second-hand fashion app Depop from its previous owner Etsy for $1.2 billion. The more than 30-year-old online auction house aims to reach a younger target audience in the expanding re-commerce sector with this deal. See more on LinkedIn.

Wayfair returns to growth
For the first time in five years, Wayfair is growing again: In 2025, total revenue increased by 5.1% year over year to $12.5 billion. Growth despite the challenging market environment was driven by a large number of new customers, won over through loyalty initiatives, physical stores, and improved delivery. Read more at Retail Dive

Cost-cutting programme at Otto to fund AI investments
In March, the Otto Group will launch a comprehensive transformation programme aimed at saving 110 million euros and cutting more than 400 jobs, primarily in its Hamburg administration. The freed-up funds will be invested in expanding platforms and services as well as in AI. Find out more on Stores-Shops

Apo.com grows with Amazon
Pharmacy group Apo.com increased its revenue by 10% in 2025 to 375 million euros, outperforming the overall market. Key growth drivers were marketplace business via Amazon and a strong 75% increase in e-prescriptions. See more on Handelsblatt

Social Commerce News

TikTok Shop becomes a high-price channel
TikTok Shop is establishing itself as a serious platform: In the UK, 41% of revenue already comes from products priced above £100. At footwear brand Crocs, social commerce revenue driven by TikTok Shop rose by 4.7% in Q4 2025, while overall revenue declined by more than 3%. TikTok Shop is also continuing its expansion: In the United States, a new Amazon integration now allows sellers to automatically offer their Amazon products on TikTok Shop, with fulfilment handled by TikTok Shop. More on ChannelX (purchase), Retail Dive (Crocs) and MyAmazonGuy (Amazon)

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 23.02.2026 – Amazon dethrones Walmart / eBay buys Depop / Wayfair returns to growth erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

A Structural Shift: Otto Opens Beyond Germany

For years, selling on Otto was effectively limited to German sellers because payment processing and VAT requirements made a domestic setup necessary.

This year, Otto will finally adjust this framework: “Marketplace internationalisation is an important step for us to further expand our curated assortment of more than 18 million products, while at the same time giving high-quality partners from across the EU access to our high-reach platform with more than 12.2 million active customers”, confirmed an Otto spokesperson to Marketplace Universe.

EU-based sellers will be soon be able to apply for selling on Otto without establishing a German entity, as the previous payment and VAT constraints have been removed. While the exact timeline for the move is yet to be unvealed (Otto is hinting towards more information at the end of March 2026), it is already clear that the marketplace will open its door step-by-step, most likely admitting Dutch sellers first, and then onboarding sellers from more countries.

What remains unchanged, however, is the marketplace’s selective onboarding logic.
Onboarding remains application-based and curated. Sellers are still evaluated on assortment fit, logistics capability and service standards.

The structural door will soon open, but it will do so slowly and deliberately – maintaining control over assortment qualityis key for Otto. That means: Now is the time for international brands considering the German market, to learn more about this opportunity and ask:
What exactly is Otto — and could it be a good fit for my product?

Why Otto Matters in the German Market

Before assessing fit, scale matters.

According to ECDB 2024 data:

• Total GMV: ~$7.67bn
• GMV Growth: ~9.1% YoY
• 1P Net Sales: ~$4.77bn
• 3P GMV: ~$1.99bn
• Total Orders: ~44.9 million

That places OTTO firmly among Germany’s largest ecommerce players — with a marketplace business that is meaningful, but not dominant within its overall model.

Recent Otto Group reporting also highlights disciplined assortment management and a focus on profitability rather than a scale-at-any-cost expansion. The marketplace growth is embedded within a retail-rooted ecosystem.

Marketplace Universe Insight
Otto’s marketplace volume (~$2bn) is large enough to matter — but still structurally embedded within a retailer-first ecosystem. That balance shapes how selectively the platform expands its marketplace ecosystem.

Core Marketplace Logic: Curated, Not Open

Unlike Amazon or eBay, Otto does not operate as a fully open self-service marketplace.

Sellers can apply.
They are reviewed.
And they are selected.

Evaluation includes:

• Assortment relevance
• Service KPIs
• Logistics setup
• Data structure
• Category compatibility

Otto does not optimize for long-tail SKU density.
It optimizes for relevance and trust.

For EU sellers accustomed to frictionless onboarding, this difference is structural.

Category DNA: Where Otto Is Structurally Strong

ECDB’s 2024 category split illustrates Otto’s weighting:

• Fashion: ~$2.3bn GMV (28%)
• Furniture & Homeware: ~$2.25bn GMV (27.5%)
• Electronics: ~$1.65bn GMV (20%)

Fashion and Home together account for more than half of total GMV.

Otto’s historical DNA lies in household, furniture and family-oriented fashion. Unlike Zalando, its fashion focus is less trend-driven and more practicality-based.

Electronics is relevant but not structurally dominant in the way it is on Amazon.

Otto, in its core, is a generalist — but not a neutral one.
Its gravity lies clearly in Home and Fashion.

Logistics: What Otto Expects from Sellers

There is currently no Otto-operated fulfilment service comparable to Amazon FBA. Instead marketplace sellers are responsible for their own logistics — either in-house or via external logistics partners.

This includes:

• Reliable delivery to customers in Germany
• Full shipment tracking
• A compliant returns solution, typically routed to a German warehouse

While cross-border shipping from another EU country is possible, delivery speed and return handling must meet Otto’s standards.

For many international brands, this means setting up a German 3PL partner before going live. This also means that Otto is not a low-commitment cross-border test channel — logistics capability is part of the entry logic.

What Makes Otto Structurally Different?

A common misconception is to describe Otto as “a German Amazon”.
That comparison is too simplistic.

The key to understanding Otto lies in understanding its customer base.

“Otto serves a very loyal customer group. Many of them have been buying for years and expect a certain level of quality and service. They are sometimes willing to pay more for that than on other marketplaces.”
– Marketplace consultant, Timo Daedrich

That loyalty shapes the economics.

Price competition exists, but Otto is not driven by extreme spirals that mechanics like Amazon’s Buy Box create. There is no algorithmic price war. Instead, pricing discipline and assortment fit matter more than aggressive undercutting.

The hybrid retailer–marketplace model reinforces this structure. Customers buy at Otto, not at individual sellers. Checkout and payment are centralized, strengthening trust — particularly for lesser-known international brands entering Germany.

Sustainability also plays a more operational role than on many platforms, especially in Fashion and Home categories.

Marketplace Universe Insight
Otto is not optimizing for maximum assortment volume.
It is optimizing for catalogue coherence.

The Structural Impact of OTTO’s Expansion

The removal of payment and VAT restrictions on the marketplace is a significant switch.
But it does not transform Otto into an open marketplace.

It expands access but keeps it within a curated framework.

With ~$7.7bn GMV and nearly 45 million annual orders, Otto is too large to ignore for brands serious about Germany. Yet it remains structurally different from Amazon, eBay or Zalando.

Marketplace expert Timo Daedrich’s advice to international brands is clear:

“Focus on relevance and quality rather than on quantity. Deliver value to Otto’s assortment and to Otto’s customers and you can build up a successful marketplace business in Germany.”

Key learnings

• Otto will become structurally accessible to EU sellers in 2026, country by country.
• Access does not equal automatic acceptance as the marketplace is heavily curated.
• Fashion and Home remain core revenue drivers.
• Customer loyalty shapes pricing dynamics.
• Logistics discipline and data precision are decisive.
• Otto is a controlled gateway into Germany — not a scale shortcut.

Enjoyed this article? The Marketplace Universe Weekly is our free newsletter — every Monday, the latest marketplace news, platform updates, our newest posts, and the insights that matter, delivered straight to your inbox. So you never miss a thing.
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18.02.2026 – Written by Ricarda Eichler, Journalist and Author for OHN

Der Beitrag Entering Germany Beyond Amazon: Why European Brands Should Look at Otto erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

Amazon plans major investment in OpenAI
Amazon is reportedly in talks with OpenAI about an investment of up to $50 billion. OpenAI is seeking a total of around $100 billion in fresh capital. SoftBank also said to be among the potential investors. OpenAI has also set the price for its new ads on ChatGPT at $60 per 1,000 impressions. That’s about three times as much as Meta. More details via Reuters (AI investment) and Techbuzz (price) 

More News

eBay also blocks AI agents
eBay is following Amazon’s lead and will ban unauthorized AI shopping agents such as “buy-for-me” agents and large language model bots from other providers like Perplexity as of February 20th. Only the partnership with ChatGPT remains unaffected. More on eMarketer 

OTTO opens its marketplace to Europe
For years, the OTTO marketplace was effectively limited to German sellers, but now the platform is opening up to EU partners with a backend update. Cross-border payment processing, tax handling, and EU-based onboarding are now possible.  More on LinkedIn

Vinted expands to the US
The Lithuanian recommerce platform Vinted is continuing its international expansion and is now officially launching in the US market. Investments in the millions are planned.
Find out more on LRT

IKEA expands its second-hand marketplaces
IKEA has expanded its second-hand marketplace to its home market, Sweden. The move follows pilot projects in Spain and Norway, as well as the launch of the second-hand platform in Portugal and Poland in 2025. Read more on Panelsfurnitureasia

TikTok Shop is the UK’s fourth-largest beauty retailer
TikTok Shop has cemented its position as the UK’s fourth-largest beauty retailer, driven by a 60% year-on-year increase in beauty sales. In 2024, the platform was the fastest-growing online retailer in the UK. More on ChannelX 

Live Shopping News

Whatnot surpasses $8bn in live-shopping GMV
In 2025, the live-shopping platform Whatnot reached $8 billion in GMV, doubling year on year. According to the company, this gives Whatnot a 60% market share across Europe and the US. This puts the platform on track to overtake QVC this year and position itself as the most attractive alternative to TikTok Shop. Read more on Exciting Commerce (German) 

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 02.02.2026 – Amazon plans investment in OpenAI / eBay blocks AI bots / Vinted expands into the US erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

Amazon tests new feature without retailer consent
Amazon is causing controversy with its new feature Shop Direct. The company lists products from third-party retailers without their prior consent. Product data is sourced from publicly available brand websites and purchases are completed via redirects to external shops. However, retailers can request an opt-out. Industry experts are criticizing the unsolicited data scraping – a practice Amazon itself has historically pushed back against. Read more on Business Insider 

More News

Allegro sells operations in Slovenia and Croatia
Allegro is divesting its unprofitable operations in Slovenia and Croatia, selling them to the investment group Mutares as part of a restructuring. Allegro acquired the platforms Mimovrste and Mall from the Mall Group in 2022. More on Retail-Insight-Network 

Zalando to close logistics center in Erfurt
Zalando is closing its logistics center in Erfurt as part of a network consolidation following the acquisition of About You. The company plans to reduce its logistics sites to a total of 14 across Europe. Around 2,700 employees are affected. Find out more on Shoez  

Amazon launches free express shipping for merchants
Amazon has launched FBM Ship+, a new shipping solution that enables faster delivery for merchants who fulfill their orders themselves (Fulfilled by Merchant). The program is aimed at sellers based in the Far East shipping to France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Read more on Online-Händlerbund (German) 

Digitec Galaxus gains 500,000 new shoppers
Digitec Galaxus recorded a strong year with 17% revenue growth, driven by 500,000 new shoppers, bringing its customer base to around 5 million. Outside Switzerland, revenue grew by 14%, supported by marketplaces in several EU countries, which together generated €412 million in platform sales. More on Ecommercenews 

Asos, Otto and Amazon fights againts returns
Both Asos and Otto are placing more responsibility on customers when it comes to returns: Asos now shows in its app when return fees may apply, while Otto issues warning notices and reserves the right to restrict payment methods or even suspend accounts for frequent returners. Amazon, meanwhile, is providing merchants with consolidated insights into return rates, causes and inventory values for the first time via a new dashboard. More on Retail Systems (Asos), Online-Händlerbund (German)  and Amazon 

‘No news’ News

Amazon skips its Black Week recap for the first time since 2016
For the first time in nine years, Amazon broke with a long-standing holiday tradition and did not publish a sales recap after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This comes despite Amazon extending the promotion to 12 days for the first time and the overall Black Week business in the US setting new records: around $11.8 billion in sales on Black Friday (+9%) and approximately $14.2 billion on Cyber Monday – the highest figure in the day’s history. More on Modern Retail and Productsup

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 12.01.2026 – Amazon Shop Direct controversy / Allegro divests in Slovenia & Croatia / No Black Week figures from Amazon erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

1. Agentic Commerce: The War for User Choice (Perplexity vs. Amazon)

In 2025, AI agents became transactional. While OpenAI’s deep integrations with Shopify and Stripe created a seamless “Headless Commerce” backend, the year ended in a legal showdown. In November 2025, Amazon sued Perplexity, alleging that its “Comet” shopping bots were covertly accessing accounts and bypassing security to automate purchases. Perplexity countered, framing the lawsuit as a threat to “user choice” and the right to have an AI assistant.

• The Bigger Picture: We are seeing the first major conflict between “Closed Gardens” (Amazon) and “Open Agents” (Perplexity). The battle is over who owns the customer relationship: the platform or the AI agent.
• 2026 Impact: Success in 2026 will depend on your “Product Knowledge Graph.” Brands must decide whether to optimize for platform-specific AI (like Amazon’s Rufus) or universal agents that may soon be legally restricted.

2. The Regulatory Wall: The End of “Tax-Free” Imports

The dominance of Temu and Shein met its match in EU regulation. In December 2025, the EU finalized a €3 flat-rate custom duty on all small parcels from non-EU countries, effective July 1st, 2026. This complements the French Anti-Fast Fashion Law (passed June 2025), which introduces a €5 eco-tax per item and a total ban on fast-fashion influencer marketing starting January 1st, 2026.

• The Bigger Picture: The “Wild West” of tax-free, direct-from-China shipping is officially ending. The EU is re-asserting sovereignty to protect local, compliant competition.
• 2026 Impact: Domestic sellers will see a “fairness dividend.” As the €3 fee and €5 eco-tax narrow the price gap, delivery speed and local compliance will replace “absolute lowest price” as the key conversion drivers for 2026.

3. The TikTok Shop Invasion: Polarized Realities & Hard Data

The 2025 rollout of TikTok Shop in Central Europe (DE, FR, IT) moved past the hype and into hard data. In France alone, the platform generated €53 million in October 2025 with over 35,000 active shops. However, the experience was highly polarized. While brands like Blissim saw record engagement, About You pulled its integration just four weeks after the June launch, citing a mismatch between the platform’s high operational intensity and their existing fulfillment structures.

• The Bigger Picture: TikTok is successfully attacking Amazon’s convenience moat with “Fulfilled by TikTok,” but it requires a fundamental shift in seller DNA – from static listings to high-frequency content creation.
• 2026 Impact: “Discovery-led Commerce” is now a primary consumer habit. In 2026, the gap will widen between “content-ready” brands and traditional retailers who fail to entertain.

4. The Internationalization Paradox: Expansion vs. Retreat

2025 saw a massive wave of cross-border growth. OnBuy expanded into 12 European countries in September, and B&Q (Kingfisher) made a surprise move in November 2025 by opening its UK marketplace to German sellers, offering a specialized “Cross-Border Turbo” for DIY brands. The consolidation of the European fashion market was finalized on November 6th, 2025, with the legal squeeze-out of About You by Zalando. Conversely, the year proved that scale isn’t everything: Wayfair completed its exit from the German market in January 2025 to focus on profitability in its core strongholds.

• The Bigger Picture: Internationalization is no longer about geographic “land grabs” but about “unified scale.” Platforms are either going all-in on a pan-European model or retreating to core markets.
• 2026 Impact: For sellers, the “barrier to entry” for cross-border trade has dropped, but the competition is now truly global and focused on localized excellence.

5. Platform Consolidation: Quality over Quantity

The consolidation wasn’t just corporate, but also internal. Amazon’s “Project Bend the Curve” led to the removal of billions of low-quality or inactive listings to save on massive AWS infrastructure costs. Simultaneously, platforms like Otto increased seller fees to prioritize high-volume, professional partners over low-margin churn.

• The Bigger Picture: 2025 was the year marketplaces stopped chasing “infinite shelf space” and started prioritizing “curated quality.” They are cleaning up their databases to reduce the “noise” for both customers and AI crawlers.
• 2026 Impact: Marketplace SEO is shifting. It’s no longer about keyword volume but about performance health, returns ratios, and delivery reliability.

6. Circular Economy 2.0: Re-Commerce as a Standard

Sustainability has moved from a marketing claim to a business pillar. Vinted became a dominant force in the broader retail conversation, while Kaufland and Back Market launched integrated “Second Life” programs, allowing customers to trade in electronics and appliances directly on the platform.

• The Bigger Picture: “Circular as a Service” is becoming a standard marketplace feature. Consumers now expect a “sell back” button next to the “buy” button.
• 2026 Impact: Brands must develop a “Second Life” strategy. In 2026, marketplaces will likely reward (or require) products that are certified as repairable or part of a formal buy-back program.

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Der Beitrag 2025 Marketplace Year in Review: The Great Re-Architecture erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

Fee reduction for Amazon sellers in the EU
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. See more on estorefactory 

More News

Amazon plans its own postal service
In the US Amazon is considering ending its long-standing contract with the United States Postal Service and building out its own competing nationwide delivery network. The current agreement between Amazon and USPS expires in October 2026. The negotiations for an extension are proving difficult. At the same time, Amazon is testing delivery within 30 minutes in the US with Amazon Now for Prime members. Read more on Techcrunch (USPS) and Retail Dive (Amazon Now) 

TikTok Shop breaks sales records on Black Friday
TikTok Shop generated around 50 % more sales in the UK around Black Friday compared to the previous year. The strongest day – and the highest-grossing day in TikTok Shop’s UK history – was Black Friday itself. On average, 27 items were sold per second. Live shopping also hit new records, achieving a 68% increase in sales. In the US, TikTok Shop generated over $500 million in sales during the four-day Black Friday period. Find out more on ChannelX (UK)  and Businessinsider (US) 

Otto.de breaks Black Friday records again
German retailer Otto.de exceeded last year’s Black Friday order values by 2.5% during the campaign period (Nov 18th – Dec 1st) and by 10% on Black Friday itself. Top-selling items included fashion, gaming consoles, vacuum cleaners, and air fryers. See more on Otto (German)

Politicians must approve Ceconomy takeover
JD.com secured the necessary majority stake in MediaMarktSaturn parent company Ceconomy by the deadline for the takeover bid. This means that the deal is essentially a done deal. However, various countries such as France and Spain must still give their approval. More on Channelpartner (German) 

Taxdoo focuses on accounting
The tax tech company Taxdoo will completely discontinue its tax services at the end of April 2026 and realign its business model to focus on accounting services. The reason for this is the introduction of VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) in the EU. This will render the corresponding tax services superfluous. Read more on LinkedIn (German) 

Beer News

Bierothek launches its own marketplace for small breweries
Just in time for the 2025 holiday season, Bierothek is introducing a marketplace feature. Breweries can now list their products independently in the online shop, opening a direct sales channel to customers in ten countries. Orders are shipped straight from the brewery to consumers’ homes. At launch, around 200 new products from roughly 20 breweries are already available. See the full story on Meininger (German) 

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 08.12.2025 – Amazon cuts fees in the EU / Cyber records at TikTok Shop / Taxdoo focuses on accounting erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

France inspects 200,000 Shein packages
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. Previously, sex dolls that looked like small children had been found in Shein packages. Shein suggested a meeting with French Trade Minister Papin, who categorically rejected the idea. See more on Fashionnetwork I (packages) and Fashionnetwork II  (Minister Papin)

More News

Zalando reports strong sales figures and DFB deal
In the third quarter of 2025, Zalando increased its sales by 26.5% year-on-year to €3 billion. GMV rose by 21.6% to €4.2 billion.  A large part of this is attributable to the acquisition of About You in the summer, but even without this effect, growth was 7.5% (sales) and 6.7% (GMV). For the future, Zalando is focusing more on the sports segment: Zalando will be the main partner of the German Football Association (DFB) for five years. More on Retail-Insight-Network 

TikTok Shop off to a good start in Germany
Just six months after its launch in Germany, TikTok Shop already ranks 24th among the top-grossing online retailers, according to NIQ Digital Purchases. This means that one in ten online shoppers has made at least one purchase via TikTok Shop since its launch at the end of March. Read more on NielsenQ (German) 

Pinterest launches Shoppable Christmas Edit
Based on its user, search and trend data, Pinterest has developed gift lists curated by experts. They cover 17 categories, including fashion, home, food, beauty, travel, parenting and technology. Read more on ChannelX 

Otto buys back Hermes
Five years ago, investor Advent acquired a minority stake in Otto‘s logistics subsidiary Hermes. Now, the Otto Group has bought back the shares, regaining full control. More on LinkedIn 

Agentic Commerce News

Dispute between Amazon and Perplexity escalates
Amazon is seeking an injunction to prevent shoppers from continuing to shop on the platform via Perplexity‘s AI browser Comet. The argument: the AI agents would impair the shopping experience on Amazon. Perplexity has responded by accusing Amazon of bullying and describing the action as an ‘aggressive legal threat’. This shows that nerves are frayed when it comes to agentic commerce – so many players want a piece of the pie. Even PayPal has announced that it will make its affiliated merchants available via ChatGPT in the future. More on CNBC Amazon) and Ecommercebytes (PayPal)

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 10.11.2025 – France’s battle against Shein / Zalando pushes into sportswear / TikTok Shop good start in Germany erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.