E-commerce Eats the World But IKEA’s Safe 🪑

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🧠 Big Story:
E-commerce Eats the World - But IKEA’s Safe 🪑

📊 Key Data:
Tariffs Playing Retail Roulette 🎰

📖 Ecommerce players news:

🇨🇳 Chinese Amazon sellers face tariff hikes, may exit US.
🇺🇸 Amazon CEO says tariff costs will hit consumers.
🇬🇧 Zalando Buys DeepAR to Boost Online Shopping.
🇬🇧 Lyst Sold to Zozo for $154M.
🇬🇧 Deliveroo launches Tesco Whoosh delivery service.
🇬🇧 Deliveroo adds Wagamama loyalty to app.

+ over 15 handpicked hot ecommerce news from the last week you need to know 🔥

We continue our journey into the consumer mind — this time with insights from Roland Berger’s latest study. Expect sharp takes and digestible data.

BTW — a few of you have already asked, if you’ve got a strategy question, a consulting project, or need help with a key presentation — just reach out. We might be able to help.

Meanwhile, we’re migrating the full Marketplace Database to MarketMaze+. If you haven’t explored our reports and resources yet, now’s a great time to dive in.

Reports / Databases

Let’s make the e-commerce world a little smarter. Together.

If retail was once a predictable sitcom, it’s now a Netflix series—chaotic, engaging, and impossible to turn off. Here’s how consumer preferences are rewriting the script according to the recent Roland Berger study (Dec ‘24 - Jan ‘25 on 3K people from Brazil, China, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, UK and US).

Online wins on convenience—73% say it saves time, 65% praise its endless shelves. Consumers surf for discounts (63%) and curated inspiration (57%), making e-commerce the Netflix of shopping: easy, instant, personalized. But offline isn’t going anywhere: 63% prefer human touch and in-store efficiency. China leads the digital charge, where product quality online outranks offline—thanks to live streams and social shopping.

Globally, marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and TMALL dominate online shopping—chosen by 73% thanks to broad selections, lower prices, and peer reviews that offer a sense of social shopping. Only China slightly prefers retailer sites like JD.com (72%) for their locally tailored content. Offline, shoppers flock to retail giants (57%) and malls (53%) for variety, leisure, and convenience—highlighting that despite digital dominance, big-box retail isn’t dead yet.

Nearly half of shoppers plan to change their shopping habits, but just 7% eye offline stores. Instead, 38% are clicking toward new digital horizons—split evenly between retailer websites and fresh platforms like Temu or TikTok Shop. China (82%) and UAE (65%) lead the digital charge, while Brits (80%) stick loyally to their routines. Emerging platforms aren't fringe—they're front-row competitors, especially in China, where 53% are eager for more Temu and Shein.

Emerging platforms like Temu and TikTok Shop are grabbing share from giants like Zalando. 48% prefer these newcomers for discovery—video content and livestreams make products easier to envision. Price sweetens the deal for 47%, despite trust concerns (26%) and messy returns (25%). China (88%) and UAE (84%) lead adoption, especially among the 25–34 crowd (72%), but even grandma’s shopping there: 80% of 50+ in China are already converts.

Physical stores remain unbeatable for categories demanding hands-on experiences: food (71%), cars (69%), and home improvements (62%). Shoppers crave expert advice, quality checks, and instant gratification—no one's patiently waiting 24 hours for avocado toast. Online channels excel in planning-heavy categories like vacations (65%), events (56%), and electronics (56%), offering tailored suggestions, user reviews, and the comfort of shopping in pajamas.

Retail's 2025 outlook is a Choose Your Own Adventure book—only every ending involves stress shopping. Depending on tariff policies, U.S. retail sales could swing by $290B, from $7.32T to $7.61T. That's a 4% delta, the kind that keeps CFOs up at night.

Three scenarios:
1. Limited Tariffs (+3% YoY): Retail hits $7.61T. Tariffs affect only a handful of trade partners. Consumers breathe easy, and Amazon keeps shipping yoga pants at scale.
2. Moderate Tariffs (+1% YoY): Sales climb to $7.49T. Think of this as the Goldilocks zone—some pain, but negotiators earn their salaries.
3. Heavy Tariffs (–1% YoY): A $7.32T retail winter. Global recession, inflation, and retaliatory policies gut confidence. Consumers trade carts for coupons.

Trump’s move to slap 125% tariffs on China and drop others to 10% (temporarily) throws gasoline on the fire. It’s not policy—it’s performance art with GDP consequences. Retailers now pray for "limited" and prep for "heavy."

Amazon bets on Chinese sellers to drive marketplace growth.

Chinese Sellers Substack explores how Amazon is prioritizing its Haul program, a direct-from-China model, to spark e-commerce growth. Backed by Andy Jassy, this strategy shift aligns with a surge in new active Chinese sellers, especially in 2023, as seen in Marketplace Pulse’s registration chart. 👉 Chinese Sellers Substack

Veteran sellers now dominate Amazon—newcomers lag behind.

Marketplace Pulse analyzes how long-standing sellers are taking over Amazon, with fewer new entrants reaching meaningful activity. The chart shows a declining percentage of active sellers in recent years, highlighting rising barriers to success for newcomers. 👉 Marketplace Pulse

🇨🇳 Chinese Amazon sellers face tariff hikes, may exit US. Chinese Amazon sellers face 125% tariffs, up from 104%, prompting price hikes or US market exit, Wang Xin says it’s a huge blow to small manufacturers. This could raise unemployment in China, reported on April 10, 2025. 👉 Reuters

🇺🇸 Amazon CEO says tariff costs will hit consumers. Andy Jassy, Amazon’s CEO, said on April 10, 2025, that sellers will pass tariff costs to consumers, with some buying early to avoid hikes. It’s unclear if this rush will last, affecting shopping trends. 👉 CNBC

🇺🇸 eBay launches AI tool for faster listings. On April 10, 2025, eBay rolled out an AI-powered listing tool for its mobile app, using photos to simplify the process for private sellers. It speeds up creating listings, making selling easier. 👉 ChannelX

🇬🇧 JD.com trials Joybuy platform in London. JD.com launched Joybuy in London on April 9, 2025, offering essentials, beauty, and electronics with fast delivery to grow in Europe. It’s a test phase targeting UK shoppers. 👉 Tech in Asia

🇨🇳 Temu partners with Eurofins for safety tests. Temu teamed up with Eurofins on April 8, 2025, to inspect products like toys and textiles, ensuring they meet global safety standards. This boosts trust in their platform’s quality. 👉 ChannelX

🇩🇪 Temu, PlentyONE join to help global sellers. On April 9, 2025, Temu and PlentyONE partnered to streamline selling worldwide using ERP software for better inventory and order management. It opens new markets for sellers. 👉 Pressebox

🇧🇷 Mercado Libre invests $5.8B in Brazil. Mercado Libre plans a $5.8B investment in Brazil for 2025, up 48%, to boost logistics, tech, and hire 14K new staff, reaching 50K employees. Announced April 8, 2025, it fuels growth. 👉 CNBC TV18

🇵🇱 Temu overtakes Allegro in Poland. On April 9, 2025, Temu surpassed Allegro in Poland’s e-commerce user numbers, marking a first and showing Chinese platforms’ rising influence. It shifts the local market. 👉 Rzeczpospolita

🇨🇳 Alibaba stocks drop due to US tariffs. Alibaba and Chinese tech stocks fell, with the Hang Seng Tech Index losing over $350B since March, due to Trump’s tariffs, though some recovery occurred. Investors stay cautious. 👉 Investors.com

🇬🇧 Zalando Buys DeepAR to Boost Online Shopping. Zalando, a German fashion giant, acquired DeepAR, a UK 3D tech firm, on Apr 8, 2025, to make online shopping more interactive with AR tools. Laura Toledano, Zalando’s UK manager, says it’ll help shoppers see clothes in 3D, building on their Dec 2024 About You buy. 👉 InternetRetailing

🇬🇧 Lyst Sold to Zozo for $154M. UK’s Lyst, once worth $700M, was bought by Japan’s Zozo for $154M on Apr 9, 2025, to grow its 160M shoppers with AI fashion tools. CEO Emma McFerran stays on to merge Lyst’s search tech with Zozo’s platform, despite US tariff pressures. 👉 TechCrunch

🇩🇪 Zalando Cuts 450 Jobs in Service Revamp. Zalando will slash 450 customer service jobs in Berlin by summer 2025, announced Apr 8, 2025, to streamline operations. They’ll add 200 new roles for complex queries, letting workers reapply, as market challenges push efficiency. 👉 RetailDetail

🇨🇳 China Blocks Shein’s Overseas Move. China opposes Shein’s plan to shift production abroad due to US tariffs of 54%+, reported Apr 9, 2025, hurting small businesses. Nearly 20% of firms fear collapse, as Shein’s exports, worth billions, face delays and higher costs. 👉 PYMNTS

🇺🇸 Levi’s Ecommerce Sales Jump 16% in Q1. Levi Strauss hit $1.49B in Q1 revenue by Mar 2, 2025, with ecommerce sales up 16%, said CEO Michelle Gass. They’re eyeing a Dockers sale and tackling tariffs, while international sales grew 9%. 👉 DigitalCommerce360

🇺🇸 eBay Bets $300K on AI Recycling. eBay invested $300K in Refiberd, an AI recycling start-up, in 2025, via its Circular Fashion Fund for sustainability. The fund supports firms in the US, UK, Germany, and Australia to cut textile waste. 👉 EcoTextile

🇩🇪 NIVEA Joins TikTok Shop in Europe. NIVEA, a German brand, launched on TikTok Shop in Germany, France, and Italy in 2025, selling 30+ skincare items. It’s the first cosmetics brand there, using in-app buys to reach younger shoppers amid US platform scrutiny. 👉 GlobalCosmeticsNews

🇩🇪 Euronics Plans Used Electronics Site. German retailer Euronics will launch a second-hand electronics platform in 2025 to fight falling sales, said COO Brendan Lenane. Shoppers can buy refurbished goods online or in-store, boosting sustainability. 👉 Lebensmittelzeitung

🇫🇷 La Redoute Names Béatrice Héricourt CEO. Béatrice Héricourt became La Redoute’s CEO in 2025, reporting to Nicolas Houzé, to grow its French and global e-commerce. With 25 years in retail, she’ll focus on home and fashion sales, says Galeries Lafayette Group. 👉 FashionUnited

🇬🇧 Deliveroo launches Tesco Whoosh delivery service. Deliveroo started Deliveroo Express with Tesco in Apr 2025, trialing Tesco Whoosh in Ireland with 3K+ products delivered in 45 min over 4.5km. Grocery is 16% of Deliveroo’s value, growing fast, says Suzy McClintock. 👉 Retail Gazette

🇬🇧 Deliveroo adds Wagamama loyalty to app. Deliveroo integrated Wagamama’s Soul Club at 148 UK sites, a first for restaurant loyalty, following Morrisons and Boots. Carlo Mocci says it’s a big step for customer value, exciting Emma Colquhoun. 👉 The Grocer

🇩🇪 Lidl settles price transparency case. On Apr 10, 2025, Lidl agreed to show clear prices in brochures after a lawsuit, fixing ads like 5.50€ app vs 7€ regular. Gabriele Bernhardt says customers need easy price info. 👉 Eulerpool

🇦🇺 Uber Eats expands to 67 regional towns. Uber Eats plans to reach 100+ Australian towns by 2025, adding $45M for restaurants and $19M to GDP. Ed Kitchen says it’ll help 1M residents and small businesses. 👉 Uber

🇺🇸 DoorDash rolls out Coco robot deliveries. DoorDash and Coco launched robot deliveries in LA and Chicago on Apr 10, 2025, after 100K+ Helsinki runs. Harrison Shih and Zach Rash aim for green, fast delivery with 1K+ robots. 👉 DoorDash

🇺🇸 DoorDash uses AI for better menus. DoorDash’s AI tools, launched Apr 10, 2025, boost sales 44% with better photos, used by 41% of retailers. Arpit Dhariwal says it simplifies menus; Steve Rezvani loves quick descriptions. 👉 Tech Informed

🇩🇪 Kaufland expands to France, Italy. Kaufland’s marketplace hits France and Italy in summer 2025, with 3K sellers, 32M monthly visits, and 15.6% sales growth in Poland. It aims for 140M customers with easy translations. 👉 Wiadomosci Spozywcze

🇺🇸 Etsy blends AI with curated collections. Etsy launched AI-curated collections, using shopper trends and human touch, says Nick Daniel. It builds on their holiday gift tool for better shopping. 👉 Retail Dive

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