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.

DDoS attack takes eBay offline
eBay was targeted by a large-scale global DDoS attack, claimed by the Iranian hacker group 313 Team. At the end of April 2026, this led to repeated disruptions – with estimated revenue losses of up to USD 200 million per day. Sellers were affected by limitations in sales operations and transactions. eBay refers in this context to its seller protection, which is intended to safeguard affected merchants in case of platform-related issues. Find out more on Cybersecurity (DDoS) and Wortfilter (seller protection)

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eBay significantly increases revenue and GMV
eBay generated revenue of USD 3.1 billion (+19%) and GMV of USD 22.2 billion (+18%) in Q1 2026. eBay also reports 136 million active buyers and points to strategic progress in advertising and payments. Read more on eBay 

Cloud business and advertising drive Amazon growth
Amazon also significantly increased revenue to USD 181.5 billion (+17%) and operating income to USD 30.3 billion in Q1 2026. Key growth drivers remain AWS (+28%) and advertising, while investments – particularly in AI infrastructure – continue to rise sharply. See more on Stocktitan 

Etsy beats expectations
The handmade marketplace Etsy exceeded revenue forecasts in the first quarter and increased Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) by 5.5% to USD 2.5 billion. Growth was mainly driven by more active buyers and a 2% increase in GMS per buyer. More on Fashionnetwork

Vinted further connects DACH markets
Vinted continues to link its country marketplaces. Together with Austrian Post, it has now connected Germany and Austria for the first time. Previously, German users could trade with France, Italy, and the Netherlands, while Austrian users were connected to France and Italy. Find out more on Ecommercenews  

Zalando prepares launch in Bulgaria
Zalando continues its expansion in Europe. After launching in Portugal and Greece, the market entry in Bulgaria is expected on August 1. More on Worldef 

B&Q expands marketplace with Tech & Home Office
The British DIY marketplace B&Q continues to grow and adds a new “Tech & Home Office” category – ranging from furniture to monitors and printers. This addresses rising home office demand and gives sellers access to over 20 million monthly visitors. See more on ChannelX

Wild News

GameStop wants to acquire eBay
The gaming platform GameStop has made an unsolicited takeover bid for eBay worth $55.5 billion. The offered price is about 20% above eBay’s current share price. If eBay rejects the proposal, GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen plans to take the offer directly to eBay shareholders. With this move, GameStop aims to build a stronger competitor to Amazon, while also planning significant cost reductions following a potential acquisition. Read more on BBC

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Vinted Achieves Over €10 Billion GMV
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. The company attributes the profit decline to the expansion of the German market, the logistics service Vinted Go in Spain and Portugal, as well as the launch of Vinted Pay. See more on Ecommercenews 

More News

TikTok Shop Achieves Record Sales During Spring Sale
TikTok Shop UK saw a 23% increase in total sales compared to the previous year during its Spring Sale. In just eight days, sellers generated $53.5 million, driven mainly by live sessions and Shoptab offers. Read more on TikTok

Amazon Switches FBA Removal Fees to Per-Unit Charges
Starting May 1, Amazon will charge FBA removal and disposal fees on a per-unit basis, instead of the previous practice of charging a single fee for the entire order. This means that sellers will now have to reconcile up to 500 individual invoices for 500 removed items, instead of a consolidated bill, with their inventory and accounting. Find out more on ChannelX 

Sephora Relies on ChatGPT for Personalized Product Recommendations
The cosmetics chain Sephora has launched a ChatGPT integration in its app in the US, enabling customers to receive personalized product recommendations directly through chat requests without leaving the app. A global rollout is likely. In the future, the approximately 80 million members of the Sephora community will also be able to make payments directly within the app. Read more on LinkedIn 

Shopping Stop News

Galaxus Introduces Tool for Expense Overview
Galaxus will now allow its customers to monitor their purchase history and budget directly on the marketplace and set personal spending limits. If the limit is exceeded, a warning will appear, but the purchase will still be possible. The new feature aims to promote more conscious consumption and provide greater transparency in shopping behavior. See the full story on Logistik heute 

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 13.04.2026 – Vinted Breaks the €10 Billion Mark / TikTok Shop Doubles Growth / Sephora builds ChatGPT Integration 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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Vinted in Europe: Market Position, Growth, and Competitive Dynamics

Vinted has established itself in recent years as the dominant European player in the C2C second-hand fashion segment. The platform clearly focuses on second-hand fashion for price-conscious buyers, high liquidity, and scalability driven by network effects. Despite opening up to merchants via Vinted Pro, the business model remains primarily geared toward the mass market and private sellers; Vinted is positioned neither as a generalist nor as a curated luxury marketplace.

Since 2020/2021, Vinted has grown strongly – in terms of user numbers, transactions, and geographic coverage. Since 2022/2023, Vinted has been profitable; however, the company does not disclose concrete financial figures. Estimates place annual GMV in the range of €8 to €10 billion. This makes Vinted one of the largest second-hand platforms in Europe.

The success is based on a clear operational logic: Vinted optimizes for transaction frequency and repeat usage rather than high basket sizes or curated assortments. Low prices, low entry barriers for private sellers, and standardized processes ensure high listing turnover and strong network effects. In its own communication, Vinted positions itself accordingly as a simple, affordable, and sustainable alternative to buying new – an understanding that supports rapid scaling across many markets.

This strategy is underpinned by the expansion of infrastructure. With Vinted Go, the company has been investing since 2022/23 in shipping solutions focused on parcel shops, convenience, and cost control, albeit in a hybrid model with logistics partners. At the same time, the platform is increasingly taking control of payment processing with Vinted Pay, using regulated payment structures (EMI) and relying on escrow and buyer protection mechanisms.

Strategically, this increases the stickiness of the ecosystem: once users are in the wallet/escrow system, they tend to stay on the platform longer – an important lever in markets where price competition (Shein, Temu, Amazon) is very intense.

Fashion Ranking: Vinted in European Comparison

Nevertheless, Vinted’s market position varies significantly across Europe. An analysis of ECDB data shows how the platform ranks among the largest online fashion providers in each country.

• France – Rank 1
• Poland – Rank 2
• Germany – Rank 3
• Portugal – Rank 3
• Netherlands – Rank 4
• UK – Rank 5
• Italy – Rank 6
• Spain – Rank 7

Market Sizes: France Clearly Leads, Germany Only Mid-Table

France remains by far the largest market, even though growth there has slowed slightly. Despite its large population and purchasing power, Germany sits only in the middle of the field. Based on GMV, the following picture emerges for 2024:

1. France: $3.5 bn – clear lead market
2. UK: $2.6 bn – dynamic growth market
3. Netherlands: $0.94 bn
4. Italy: $0.92 bn
5. Poland: $0.9 bn
6. Germany: $0.84 bn
7. Spain: $0.6 bn
8. Portugal: $0.19 bn

Growth Rates: Major Differences Across Europe

GMV growth rates show a highly divergent picture – ranging from significant declines to exceptionally strong increases. The spread from -25% to +72% illustrates how much levels of development, competition, and recommerce adoption differ across Europe.

Markets with Very Strong Growth

• Portugal: +72%
• UK: +54%
• Netherlands: +54%
• Italy: +34%

These countries are characterized by a less crowded recommerce environment and growing demand for second-hand offerings. Vinted mainly competes there with generalist platforms such as Amazon, bol, or Shein, while specialized recommerce providers are largely absent. This facilitates rapid gains in market share. Portugal stands out with the highest growth rate, demonstrating how dynamically a young recommerce market can develop.

Markets with Decline

• Germany: -25%
• Poland: -15%
• France: -2%

In Germany and Poland, the established competitive landscape plays a key role: in Germany, Amazon and Zalando dominate the market, while in Poland Allegro and Zalando in particular hold strong positions. In addition, the growing presence of highly price-aggressive players such as Shein and Temu adds pressure. Germany’s decline of -25% is particularly pronounced and marks the sharpest drop in the European comparison. Overall, the declines point more toward high market maturity and limited additional growth potential.

Luxury as a Side Topic – the Rebelle Example

The attempt to open up new growth fields via the luxury segment failed. In 2022, Vinted acquired the curated luxury marketplace Rebelle but allowed it to continue operating independently; insolvency and closure followed in 2024. The experiment clearly illustrates the limits of the Vinted logic: a service-intensive luxury model could not be scaled and was not transferred into the core platform. Luxury therefore remains an add-on, not a second strategic pillar.

Conclusion: A European Success – with Clear Limits

• European markets differ significantly: everything from dynamic growth to clear saturation is represented.
• France remains the lead market and a central stabilizing factor – despite slight declines.
• The UK, the Netherlands, and Italy are among the most important growth markets in the coming years.
• Germany stands out with a significant decline; Poland also shows negative dynamics.
• Vinted grows primarily where competition is less dense and recommerce has become more mainstream – a pattern that is likely to remain influential going forward.

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Der Beitrag Vinted in Europe: Market Position, Growth, and Competitive Dynamics 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.

Second-Hand: The Most Important Marketplaces in Europe

The second-hand online market is booming with a volume of 21.6 billion euros and an expected growth of an additional 2 billion euros by 2025 (CEBR study commissioned by Amazon). The trend is clear: the market is growing across all categories. Large marketplaces are expanding their second-hand sections, while traditional C2C platforms are increasingly allowing professional dealers to sell their goods.

The following classification focuses on the most important generalists and specialists in Europe that enable independent traders to offer goods.

1. Generalists

Generalists serve multiple categories simultaneously and range from classic 3P marketplaces with shop logic to ad-based C2C platforms.

Generalist Marketplaces with Second-Hand Segments

These platforms offer structured seller accounts and integrate second-hand, B-stock, and refurbished products alongside new goods:

• Amazon Renew / Second Chance: Focuses on used, checked, and refurbished products with strict quality requirements. (Active in DE, FR, IT, ES, UK, NL, PL, among others).
• eBay / eBay Refurbished: Established ecosystem, highly relevant for electronics, auto & parts, fashion, and collectibles in almost all European core markets.
• bol (NL/BE): Generalist with strong refurbished sections for electronics and a robust seller program.
• National Champions:
  • Allegro (PL): Largest Polish marketplace with an established second-hand segment and growing EU reach.
  • Kaufland Global Marketplace (DE, CZ): With its own recommerce program and a growing share of B-stock/refurbished electronics.
  • Cdiscount (FR) / Fnac/Darty (FR, ES): Important French generalists with designated areas for reconditionné / occasion or Seconde vie (CE and household goods).

C2C-based Classifieds Platforms with Seller Option

These platforms are often strongly locally rooted and C2C-driven, but are increasingly opening up to professional sellers. Transactions mostly take place outside the platform (no checkout), which means good reach but limited scalability.

• Key Players: Kleinanzeigen (DE), Leboncoin (FR), Marktplaats (NL), Gumtree (UK), Milanuncios (ES), and Subito (IT). They dominate their local markets, and commercial listings are permitted or strongly tolerated.
• Nordic Countries: Blocket (SE), FINN.no (NO), and DBA (DK) are the leading classifieds models with business areas (Blocketbutik, Bedrift).

Auction Platforms

Auctions are relevant for surplus stock, B-stock, collectibles, and specialized categories.

• Aukro (CZ): Mix of generalist and auction model.
• BVA Auctions / TBAuctions (NL, EU-wide): Focus on returns, B2B second-hand goods, and company liquidations.
• Tradera (SE) / Troostwijk Auctions (NL, EU-wide): Sustainability-oriented marketplace and specialist for industrial goods, respectively.

2. Category Specialists

Many second-hand platforms focus on specific categories and develop particularly strong ecosystems in their niches.

Fashion & Accessories

The pre-owned segment in fashion is traditionally strong.

• Vinted: Dominant European second-hand fashion marketplace, which is increasingly opening up to professional sellers via “Vinted Pro” in DE, FR, AT, ES, and is developing into more of a generalist (alongside fashion, also toys, home).
• Vestiaire Collective: International marketplace for premium and luxury fashion with a curated offering and structured options for professional boutiques.
• Grailed / Depop: Specialized in designer, streetwear, vintage, and individual styles, particularly popular with younger target groups (UK, IT, D, FR, NL).
• Chrono24: World’s largest, highly professionalized marketplace for pre-owned luxury watches.

Electronics

Electronics is considered one of the most professionalized and fastest-growing second-hand categories due to standardized testing processes (Refurbished ecosystems).

• Back Market: EU-wide leader for refurbished electronics with strict quality requirements and a large seller network.
• refurbed: Fast-growing marketplace for refurbished electronics with high-quality standards in D, AT, IT, FR, ES, NL, and PL.
• MediaMarktSaturn Marketplace: Offers professional refurb and B-stock programs in cooperation with qualified partners.

Sports & Leisure

A dynamically growing category due to high purchase prices and stable resale values.

• BikeExchange / buycycle: Specialists for bicycles and accessories (especially high-end bikes and e-bikes) with a strong seller base.
• Decathlon Marketplace: Combines new, used, and refurbished offers through “Second Life” programs.

Special Interest

Deep niche segments that are often highly professionalized and supported by active collector communities.

• Cardmarket: Largest European marketplace for trading cards (TCG, CCG).
• Discogs: International marketplace for records, mainly used.
• BrickLink / Brick Owl: Leading marketplaces for new and used LEGO parts and sets.
• Catawiki: Curated auction marketplace for collectibles, art, and luxury goods.

Conclusion: Key Insights and Market Patterns

The European second-hand market is highly fragmented and dynamic. The most important patterns are:

• Hybrid Models: Many formerly pure C2C platforms (e.g., Vinted, classifieds platforms) are evolving into hybrid marketplaces through business programs.
• Regional Dominance: Unlike in traditional e-commerce, strong local classifieds platforms dominate in many countries (e.g., Kleinanzeigen, Leboncoin, Allegro).
• Growth Drivers: Fashion and electronics lead the market, while sports & leisure (especially bikes) and highly specialized niche markets are professionalizing and growing strongly.
• Market Volume: Online second-hand volume is €21.6 billion with an expected increase of +€2 billion by 2025.

Der Beitrag Second-Hand: The Most Important Marketplaces in Europe erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

EU tightens customs games: cheap Chinese parcels under fire
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. It signals a major shift for marketplace‑logistics and cross‑border merchants. More on Euronews

More News

Amazon rolls out “FBM Ship+” across Europe
Amazon has introduced “FBM Ship+” in its top five European markets, giving merchant‑fulfilled (FBM) sellers – especially those shipping from China – access to Prime‑style delivery promises, cash‑back incentives and account‑protection perks without switching to FBA. The move alters the logistics game for sellers across Europe. Read more on Ecommercenews

TikTok Shop launches major Black Friday push in Germany with 14,000+ sellers
TikTok Shop Germany is staging its first large‑scale Black Friday campaign (Oct 29‑Nov 5) and reports over 14,000 active sellers onboard. It is a clear leap toward becoming a significant e‑commerce marketplace channel in Europe. More on TikTok (German)

Amazon Ads unveils AI‑powered Video Generator for UK & Europe
Amazon’s ad division has launched its Video Generator tool in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Brands upload assets and get auto‑created video ads ready for marketplace ad placements. This move opens creative firepower to smaller sellers on the platform. See more on ChannelX 

Second Hand News

Vinted targets €10B GMV in 2025 – Germany now a top market
Vinted says it will exceed €10 billion annual GMV and €1 billion in revenue this year. Germany has moved from a challenge zone into being one of the brand’s strongest markets. Vinted Go launched in five countries and verification tools and payment services are scaling fast. Read more on LinkedIn

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Der Beitrag Marketplace Universe News 17.11.2025 – EU ends de minimis / TikTok Shop goes big for Black Friday / Amazon rolls out FBM Ship+ erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.

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.

These are the 24 most important B2C marketplaces for selling to POLAND – 2025 Update

Poland remains one of the most vibrant and competitive e-commerce markets in Europe. With strong local players, rising household incomes, and growing interest from international platforms, the country continues to be a dynamic landscape for marketplace sellers. Our updated Marketplace Country Quadrant Poland highlights the most important platforms brands and retailers should know in 2025.

The Market: Growing steadily, but with local guardrails

With a population of 36 million and an average household income of $23,000 (up 6% YoY), Poland has become a serious contender in European e-commerce. In 2024, total e-commerce turnover reached €17.7 billion, up 7.5% from the previous year. The online share of total retail stands at 14.6%, with room for further growth.

More than 60% of Polish consumers shop online regularly. Affordability remains a key driver, but interest in premium and specialized offerings is growing. The top five online stores in Poland in 2024 were:

• Allegro
• MediaExpert.pl
• AliExpress
• Amazon
• Temu

Four of the top five are marketplaces – underscoring the central role they play in Poland’s digital economy.

Marketplace Momentum: Local champions defend their turf

Marketplaces account for 50-60% of Poland’s total e-commerce volume. But what sets Poland apart is the strong position of local champions – most notably Allegro, which continues to dominate with a turnover 10x higher than Amazon.pl.

While Amazon, Temu, and AliExpress are gaining ground, they face significant resistance from established local ecosystems. Other local giants like Empik and Morele are also maintaining their foothold, especially in niche or specialized categories.

That said, the competitive landscape is heating up – and new category dynamics are emerging.

What’s changed since last year?

There have been only minor changes to our Poland quadrant in 2025, but they’re telling:

Exits

• Castorama dropped out of Home & Living – overtaken by Shein in relevance.
• Modivo lost its spot in Beauty due to Shein’s growing footprint in that category.

New Entries

• Modivo has been added back – this time in the Fashion box, where it continues to perform strongly.
  

Observations

• Morele is now relevant in three categories: Electronics, DIY & Garden, and Sports (especially for electronics-based fitness gear).
• Vinted was removed from the quadrant but remains highly relevant as a second-hand and off-price channel in Fashion and other soft categories.
• Farfetch is an interesting niche player in high-end Fashion.
• Shein continues to expand, gaining ground in Fashion, Beauty, and Home & Living, but growing more slowly than in Western Europe.

The most important marketplaces in Poland – 2025

Generalists
Allegro, Amazon, AliExpress, Temu, Empik 

Fashion & Shoes
Zalando, Shein, Modivo

Electronics
Morele, MediaMarkt, eBay

Home & Living
Black Red White, Leroy Merlin, Shein

DIY & Garden
Leroy Merlin, Castorama, eBay

Sports
Decathlon, Zalando, Morele

Beauty & Care
Douglas, Zalando, Shein

Poland’s Unique Market Dynamics

Poland’s e-commerce market is maturing, but its trajectory is different from many Western peers. Local players still dominate – not just Allegro, but also large retailers without marketplaces, such as Doz.pl (Beauty), Media Expert (Electronics), or Oponeo (Auto Parts), which remain highly competitive and limit the growth of foreign newcomers.

The lack of local marketplace conversions from these retail giants means global players are stepping in – but slowly and with mixed results. Amazon is still not seen as a leader in Fashion, and Shein’s expansion is notably slower here than in Spain or France.

That said, the demand for variety and cross-border access is growing, which could shift dynamics over time.

Explore More

Compare this quadrant with others: Check out our Marketplace Country Quadrants for Italy, France, Spain, or the Netherlands to see how market dynamics differ across Europe.

Visit our Quadrants Main Page to explore category-based and country-based analyses.

Do you have anything to add to our country quadrant for Poland? Let us know!

Der Beitrag Marketplace Country Quadrant Poland erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.