Amazon turns Alexa into a shopping agent
Amazon is moving another step closer to agentic shopping: The platform is combining Rufus and Alexa+ into Alexa for Shopping, bringing an AI shopping assistant to the Amazon Shopping App, the website and Echo Show devices. The assistant is designed to search for and compare products, track prices, manage shopping baskets and, in future, trigger purchases at a desired target price. At the same time, Amazon is currently putting together a team of specialists tasked with developing an API for AI agents – to enable controlled access for external bots. Read more on ChannelX (Alexa+) and LinkedIn (API)

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JD.com grows despite headwinds in China
JD.com beat expectations in the first quarter and reported revenue of $46.47 billion. Net profit came in above analyst expectations, but declined significantly year-on-year. At the same time, JD.com is increasing its appeal to premium and beauty brands. Chanel opened an official beauty flagship store for fragrances, make-up and skincare on the platform on 11 May. Find out more on RetailNewsAsia figures) and Retail Gazette (Chanel)

Ceconomy grows ahead of planned JD.com takeover
Ceconomy, the parent company of MediaMarktSaturn, increased revenue to €13.1 billion in the first half of 2025/26. Adjusted EBIT rose to €347 million, while the online share reached 28.5 %. The marketplace also continues to grow dynamically, now with more than 2,600 sellers and around 4 million products. And all this in the very phase in which JD.com is pushing ahead with its takeover of Ceconomy. See more on Ceconomy 

Allegro raises international targets and partners with OpenAI
After a strong start to the year, Allegro is raising its targets for the international business. GMV on its international marketplaces rose by 46.3 % to zł804 million in the first quarter, and for 2026 Allegro now expects 40 to 45 % GMV growth outside Poland. At the same time, the Polish marketplace is starting a partnership with OpenAI. The aim is to develop new AI applications for commerce, marketing and seller support. Read more on FashionNetwork (forecast) and Ecommercenews (OpenAI)

Douglas loses more than expected
Douglas reported a higher adjusted net loss than expected in the second quarter. The loss came in at €10 million, while analysts had expected only €5 million. Revenue rose slightly by 1.1 % to €949.7 million, while adjusted EBITDA declined by 5.1 %. Douglas now plans to invest more selectively in omnichannel services, assortment and technology. More on FashionNetwork 

Blackstone acquires majority stake in Skroutz
Blackstone is acquiring a majority stake in Greek e-commerce market leader Skroutz from CVC Capital Partners. The founders will remain involved in the business. The deal shows that local marketplace champions remain strategically interesting for international investors. Read more on Ecommercenews 

Hertz sells used cars through eBay shop
Hertz Car Sales is expanding its online presence and opening its own shop on eBay. It gives buyers access to more than 8,000 Hertz-certified vehicles. The inventory mainly consists of vehicles from its own rental fleet. Following the launch on Amazon Autos in 2025 and its own online sales platform, Hertz is further expanding its digital sales offensive. See the full story on Digital Commerce 360

Unsurprising News

eBay rejects GameStop offer
eBay has rejected GameStop’s surprising $55.5 billion takeover offer, as expected, calling it “neither credible nor attractive”. GameStop had offered $125 per share and argued that eBay could become a stronger Amazon competitor under Ryan Cohen. See more on Retail Gazette 

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Marketplaces in CEE: Central and Eastern Europe remain strongly growing markets with significant potential, especially in the marketplace business. But what does the marketplace landscape look like in the individual countries from Poland to Romania, from Greece to the Czech Republic? Supported by our partner Base, we have compiled the key players and highlighted where changes are taking place.

Little Amazon, a lot of Aliexpress and Temu

It is striking that Amazon plays only a minor role in Central and Eastern Europe – with the exception of Poland. There, Amazon ranks third behind the local hero Allegro and Aliexpress. Equally noteworthy: Aliexpress is strongly represented in all markets and is almost always among the top 5 marketplaces. In most countries, Temu and Shein are also strong players. In Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, Vinted is also a firmly established player in the fashion segment and unrivalled in the second-hand sector.

Significant local heroes

The region is also characterized by diverse local heroes. The Allegro Group is the undisputed market leader in its home market Poland, but it is also strong in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. eMAG is the market leader in Romania and Hungary and has a strong position in Bulgaria. Heureka – originally from the Czech Republic – is now well established in many countries, including Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. Heureka has also gained a strong foothold in the Adriatic countries Slovenia and Croatia. The Turkish marketplace Trendyol is also pushing into the CEE markets and is becoming more important in the Czech Republic, Romania, and Greece.

A special case is Alza: The status of the leading Czech online store Alza is unclear and can best be described as a selective dropshipping model. Therefore, the store is not included in our overview. 

And if you’d like to dive even deeper into the exciting markets of Central and Eastern Europe, listen to our podcast episode 113. In this episode, we discuss the latest developments and unique characteristics in the Poland marketplace landscape with Marcin Czyczerski, the former CEO of CCC/Modivo. Here’s the episode “LTM 113: The Polish Marketplace Landscape – or: Why no one can get past Allegro“.

The CEE countries in detail

The GMV figures are taken from the ECDB database.

Poland: All Allegro or what?

• The dominant player is Allegro with a GMV of €12.767 billion in 2024. Key categories are electronics, fashion, household goods, and beauty & care.
• Empik is an important marketplace for books, music, and media, with a GMV of €377 million in 2024. It has expanded into categories such as lifestyle products, toys, and fashion.
• Morele – originally a retailer for electronics and household appliances – has opened up to a marketplace model and reached a GMV of €195 million in 2024.
• Modivo is a rapidly expanding fashion platform belonging to the CCC Group. GMV in 2024 was €93 million.
• Growth is also seen in Fruugo’s multi-vendor marketplace model. GMV in Poland was €17 million in 2024.
• Ceneo is a price comparison site and therefore has been excluded from the marketplace overview.

Czech Republic & Slovakia: Eureka, I found it!

• The market leader is Heureka with a GMV of €1.596 billion. Originally the largest product search engine in Central and Eastern Europe, Heureka has also entered the marketplace world. It is strong in DIY, home & living, and electronics.
• The once well-known marketplace Mall was acquired by Allegro and absorbed into the Allegro Group. In 2024, Mall in the Czech Republic still generated a GMV of €139 million.
• Aukro combines auctions and marketplace functions, with Aukro Collecting & Art (for art, collectibles, antiques) and Aukro Bazar (for electronics, household appliances, clothing, etc.). GMV in 2024 was €273 million.
• Also noteworthy are the marketplaces of Kaufland (€115 million GMV), Decathlon (€91 million GMV), and Trendyol (€73 million GMV).
• Among the newcomers, Dr. Max (beauty & care) and Sportissimo (sports) have established themselves and achieved respectable revenues. The beauty platform WeWell, on the other hand, has disappeared from the market.
• Zoot operates only a marginal marketplace business, with the vast majority of its sales coming from its own retail. For this reason, we have also excluded Zoot from the overview.

Hungary: Led by eMag

• With a GMV of €438 million, eMag is the leading marketplace. It offers a wide range of products, with key categories including electronics, household appliances, toys, fashion, and beauty.
• Pepita.hu now has 2,400 online and offline partners offering products through its marketplace. The assortment is broad, with a focus on electronics, IT, household appliances, and DIY. The platform also operates in Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, as well as in Germany and Austria.
• Allegro also acquired Mall here, which had a GMV of €18 million in 2024.
• The newcomer Fizz.hu has gained a foothold. This generalist belongs to OTP Bank, the largest local financial institution.
• Also noteworthy are Vinted (€117 million GMV) and MediaMarkt (€110 million GMV).

Romania & Bulgaria: Trendyol and Temu attack

• eMAG is the largest marketplace in Romania and dominates the market in categories such as electronics, fashion, household appliances, and toys. GMV in 2024 was €1.332 billion.
• OLX (C2C, general goods) is frequently used in Romania for buying and selling second-hand goods, from electronics to cars to real estate.
• CEL is a marketplace with around 1,800 partners and more than 1 million products, primarily in consumer electronics, household appliances/home & garden, and fashion. GMV in 2024 was €162 million.
• With its opening to marketplace operations, Vivre remains a newcomer as a platform for home décor and furniture.
• Trendyol (€223 million GMV) and Temu (€211 million GMV) are showing strong growth.
• The Heureka Group is well represented with its price comparison service Compari.ro.

Greece: No way around Skroutz

• With a GMV of €1.314 billion in 2024, Skroutz is the largest marketplace in Greece. Key categories are electronics, pet products, fashion, and groceries. The marketplace also serves countries such as Romania, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Bulgaria.
• Public.gr has its roots in electronics, media, and books but has significantly diversified. Categories such as home & garden, toys, and beauty now also contribute significantly to revenues. GMV in 2024 was €224 million.
• Trendyol is also gaining ground in Greece, although its GMV of €57 million is still relatively modest.

Other countries: Croatia & Slovenia

Emerging markets also include the Adriatic countries such as Croatia and Slovenia. In Croatia, Kaufland.hr and Modivo are noteworthy. In Slovenia, the local hero is Mimovrste, a generalist, along with the hybrid marketplace Enaa. Skroutz is also known in Slovenia.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from Central and Eastern Europe Marketplace Landscape

• Limited Amazon Presence: Amazon is minor in CEE, except for Poland, where Allegro and Aliexpress lead, highlighting the importance of regional players.
• Strong Local Marketplaces: Allegro, eMAG, Heureka, and Trendyol dominate, offering solid competition to international giants and driving regional growth.
• Second-Hand Platforms Rising: Vinted leads in second-hand fashion, especially in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, reflecting the sustainability trend.
• Diverse Market Opportunities: With newcomers like Temu, Trendyol, and Vivre, CEE offers growth potential for international brands adapting to local preferences.
• Future Growth: CEE remains a rapidly expanding region with numerous opportunities for brands to tap into emerging markets and diverse customer segments.

Do you want to compare the CEE markets with last year’s status? Check out our 2024 overview here.

Der Beitrag CEE hits different: Don’t miss these Marketplaces in Central and Eastern Europe! erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

DHL Express is suspending deliveries worth over US$800 from companies in all countries to US consumers. It is a reaction to a “significant increase” in red tape at customs following the introduction of Donald Trump’s new tariff regime. BBC

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There are technical problems on the Otto marketplace, resulting in API connections via integrators being cut off. Users of Rithum and JTL are affected. Tools such as Tradebyte and Brickfox are also likely to be affected. LinkedIn

The payment service provider Adyen has suffered a massive DDOS attack – and a lot of marketplaces went down with it. LinkedIn

While Amazon has expanded its range in Europe to include its own category for skin cosmetics and premium beauty brands, mail-order pharmacies have temporarily suspended the sale of over-the-counter medicines on Amazon following a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice. Retail-News (beauty category)   Handelsblatt (Pharmacies)

The Düsseldorf-based Platform Group has secured a majority stake in Joli Closet, a platform for pre-owned luxury fashion. The aim is to strengthen existing luxury brands such as fashionette and Chronext and expand into new markets. Retail-News

The French baby and kids marketplace Vertbaudet is expanding into Germany this year. LinkedIn  

Amazon is lowering its package fees for several product groups in its Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) program in Europe. Ecommercenews

EGG News

Happy Easter from the Greek marketplace Skroutz: Compared to 2024, sales around Easter increased by almost 23%, and by as much as 34% via the Skroutz app. The average Easter basket weighed in at €66. Ekathimerini  

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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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Going to CEE-Markets with local marketplaces

What does the marketplace landscape look like in Central and Eastern Europe? You keep asking us for country quadrants for countries like Poland, Hungary or the Czech Republic. Good news: The quadrants are not finished yet, but we are working on overviews for this region. As part of our research, we have already asked our Czech partner Base.com what are the most interesting marketplaces in CEE market in their opinion. We don’t want to withhold the result from you.

According to Base.com, the generalists Allegro and Heureka are strong in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary – Allegro is also strong in its home country of Poland, of course, and Heureka is also strong in Romania. In Romania, eMAG and the Greek platform Skroutz are also doing well. In Greece, there is not really much in the way of marketplace business apart from Skoutz.

What is the situation in the individual countries?

1.      Poland:

• Allegro is the largest marketplace in Poland and one of the most important e-commerce platforms in Europe. It dominates in several categories, including electronics, fashion, household goods and beauty & care.
• Empik is an important marketplace for cultural goods, including books, music and media, but it is also expanding in the areas of lifestyle products, toys and fashion.
•  Ceneo is one of the largest price comparison sites integrated with several e-commerce shops. It has a strong reputation in consumer electronics, home appliances and IT.
• Kaufland Global Marketplace: The retail chain started its marketplace in 2023 and profits from its strong brick-and-mortar brand in the region.
•  Potential newcomer: the rapidly expanding fashion platform Modivo belongs to the CCC Group and focuses strongly on personalized shopping experiences in the fashion and lifestyle sector.

2. Czech Republic and Slovakia

• Mall.cz, as part of the Allegro Group, is one of the most important e-commerce players in the two countries. Main categories are electronics, home & living, toys, fashion.
•  Zoot.cz is a popular fashion and accessories platform offering a wide selection of clothing and fashion brands. Key categories are fashion, shoes, accessories.
• Heureka is the largest product search engine in Central and Eastern Europe, which is now also involved in the marketplace world. Built as an add-on to the price comparison and product comparison search engine, it is strong in the categories of DIY, home & living, and electronics.
•  Potential newcomers: Dr. Max (vertical marketplace for beauty & care), WeWell (vertical marketplace for beauty & care), Sportisimo (vertical marketplace for sports)

3. Hungary

• As the leading marketplace in Hungary, eMAG offers a wide selection of products, with the main categories being electronics, household appliances, toys, fashion and beauty.
• Pepita.hu positions itself with a fresh, young user interface and good services, with a focus on electronics, IT, household appliances, DIY. Cross-border ambitions.
• Potential newcomers: Allegro has recently started their marketplace in Hungary and could grow very fast into a strong competitor. Fizz.hu (general marketplace) belongs to OTP Bank, the largest local financial institution.

4. Romania and Bulgaria

• eMAG and Fashion Days (fashion brands under eMAG): eMAG is the largest marketplace in Romania and dominates the market in categories such as electronics, fashion, appliances and toys. It has a strong logistics network and good customer service.
• OLX (C2C, general goods) is widely used in Romania for buying and selling second-hand goods, from electronics to cars and real estate.
• ALTEX Romania focuses on larger sellers in the region, strong in electronics, DIY, beauty & care and automotive

5. Greece

• Skroutz is the largest marketplace in Greece, main categories: electronics, pets, fashion, food. Expansion into other European markets.

6. Other promising newcomers in the region

• Rohlik Group is active in the Czech Republic (Rohlik.cz), Hungary (Kifli.hu) and other markets in Central and Eastern Europe, and is shaking up the still underdeveloped online grocery business in Eastern Europe with fast deliveries and high-quality offers. Its focus on logistics and quality offers strong growth prospects.
• Answear is active in several Eastern European markets, with a focus on trendy and premium brands, giving Answear a competitive advantage, particularly among younger consumers. Thanks to an intuitive shopping experience and strong brand partnerships, the company is growing rapidly.
• Fruugo enables international sellers to access several Eastern European countries via a single platform. The company is growing due to the increased demand for cross-border e-commerce.

If you want to know even more about the emerging CEE markets, you can also listen again to episode 83 of our podcast “Let’s talk Marketplace”. In this episode, we explore the topic in more depth together with David Cikanek. Or you listen in to episode 85 with Radek Klouda, CEO at Base.com, where we discuss how to connect new marketplaces fast.

What makes Central and Eastern Europe so interesting for Western brands?

On the one hand, the growing purchasing power in countries such as Poland, Hungary or the Czech Republic, especially in metropolitan areas such as Warsaw or Budapest. In addition, the use of e-commerce in CEE countries is growing rapidly and many industries are not yet as well represented as in Western Europe. This means that Western brands have access to a large market potential.

Furthermore, the CEE region is a bridge between Western Europe and Asia and is therefore of strategic importance for international trade and supply chains. Countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary serve as important logistics centers with modern infrastructure and access to broader European markets. At the same time, expansion in Central and Eastern Europe can also facilitate access to other regions such as the CIS countries (e.g. Ukraine, Belarus), the Balkans and even parts of the Middle East, enabling further market diversification.

Online marketplaces for Central Eastern Europe are indispensable

Marketplaces are central to the growth of e-commerce in Eastern European countries. In Poland, Romania and Greece, they are the dominant e-commerce channels, and in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria, they are at least recording double-digit growth rates. Overall, marketplaces stand for

• Convenience, customer experience, existing customer trust
• Growth in cross-border e-commerce – increased willingness to sell and buy abroad
• Price sensitivity and consumer behavior – greater price sensitivity
• Mobile commerce and technology acceptance – rapid development of digitization in Central and Eastern Europe
• Solid infrastructure – logistics and fulfillment solutions

Conclusion:

If you have already tapped into the surrounding markets in Western Europe and are looking for new sales markets, taking a look at Central and Eastern Europe is a good idea. In a number of sectors and countries, there is still a lot going on in the market and market shares have not yet been firmly established. In many cases, it is worthwhile to take the route via local marketplaces – and, depending on the category, this does not always have to be the largest generalist.

We’ve updated our overview. Here’s the 2025 update!

If you want to read more: Hot shit CEE market

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