Europe’s Marketplace Battle⚔️

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🧠 Big Story: 
Europe’s Marketplace Battle⚔️

📊 Key Data:
Fashion Newness = Survival

📖 Ecommerce players news:
🇺🇸 Amazon will cut 24 billion listings this year to lower costs and clean up the platform.
🇺🇸 Walmart now lets sellers use Amazon’s FBA, blurring lines between the two giants.
🇪🇺 Temu and Shein’s European sales are up 50%+ as US growth slows from tariffs.
🇫🇷 France will vote on a fast fashion law targeting Shein and Temu’s environmental impact.
🇩🇪 Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd may merge, shaking up Europe’s grocery market.
🇪🇺 EU fined Glovo and Delivery Hero €329M for anti-competitive “no-poach” deals.

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

Last week at Biznes na Plusie, we cut through the noise. First, a keynote on how Temu and Shein conquered Europe. Then, a real debate—how “borderless trade” mostly means loopholes for global Chinese giants and headaches for local business. More on the event here.

If you want to know who’s funding the future of marketplaces, check out our Top 50 Marketplace VCs & Investors: marketmaze.me/p/top-50-marketplace-vcs

Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s maze!

Europe’s Marketplace Battle⚔️

Think Amazon’s conquered whole Europe? Not so fast. The new DHL 2025 E-Commerce Trends Report—powered by insights from 24,000 shoppers in 24 countries—shows local legends like Allegro, Bol, and Trendyol aren’t just alive, they’re throwing punches. Europe’s Marketplace Battle: Amazon vs. Local Heroes is heating up, and the final round is wide open.

Amazon vs. Local Champions: No Monopoly Here

Amazon’s dominance in Europe looks absolute—up to 90% usage in Italy, 88% in the UK—but this is no monopoly. Allegro commands 87% in Poland, Trendyol matches with 88% in Turkey, and Bol holds 88% in the Netherlands. Even local icons like Alza (74% in the Czech Republic) and Elgiganten (52% in Sweden) prove shoppers still want a homegrown hero. This is a high-stakes faceoff: global scale versus local loyalty.

Global Giants, New Challengers

Amazon sits atop the world’s shopping charts, capturing 60% of global online shoppers and locking down 80%+ share in the US, UK, Germany, and Spain. But Temu (32% global), Shein (26%), and eBay (15%) are breaking into the winner’s circle, with Temu now a top-three player in Poland, the UK, and Germany. Local players like Allegro and Cdiscount still have muscle, but the game is shifting to speed, scale, and relentless expansion.

Marketplaces for Basics, Socials for Buzz

Marketplaces are the essentials HQ—40% of shoppers buy clothing, 35% electronics, and 30% footwear on these platforms. When the purchase is about hype, beauty, or impulse? Social platforms are rising fast: 37% buy clothing and 27% buy cosmetics on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Marketplaces own the basics; socials own the buzz and FOMO.

The Social Commerce Shakeup

Meta’s duo—Instagram (27%) and Facebook (25%)—are poised to scoop the most new shoppers by 2030. YouTube faces a customer exodus: 21% plan to buy more, but 32% expect to buy less. TikTok stays steady at 22% ready to buy more. Snapchat is the wildcard, with 42% saying “might use”—it’s a sleeper, not a write-off. The story? Meta dominates, YouTube risks irrelevance, and Snapchat is the surprise twist waiting to happen.

Fashion Newness = Survival

Fashion’s biggest risk in 2024? It’s not Temu. It’s not SHEIN.
It’s stagnation.

Pyxis’ e-receipt data uncovers how much brands rely on newness to stay alive.

Here’s what Pyxis found 👇

• Mass Premium (J.Crew, Free People, Nordstrom):
  ↳ 20-30% of quarterly sales from new SKUs

• Athleisure (Adidas, Athleta, Under Armour):
  ↳ 30-40% —

• Fast Fashion (A&F, Forever 21, Hollister):
  ↳ 50-60%

In a shaky economy, innovation isn’t just fuel - it’s a lifeline.

The $20 Trillion E-commerce Question: What Still Matters in Retail.

Benedict Evans (ex-a16z, analyst) breaks down two decades of U.S. retail data and asks why, after all the hype, most shopping is still “old school.” You’ll see e-commerce’s growth curve, how “addressable” categories work, and why the next big thing sometimes just looks like the last thing. Clean charts, sharp takeaways, and a rare zoom-out on global retail value. 👉 Benedict Evans Presentations

US Is Amazon’s Most Beginner-Friendly Marketplace.

Marketplace Pulse dives into why new Amazon sellers have a much better shot in the U.S. than anywhere else—nearly 80% record sales in year one. The article breaks down the numbers by country, looks at what’s driving U.S. success, and why Europe or Asia are tougher battlegrounds. If you’re wondering where to launch next, this is pure data-driven advice. 👉 Marketplace Pulse

How AI Tools Are Changing the Way Consumers Shop.

eMarketer lays out just how likely U.S. shoppers are to use AI (like ChatGPT or Copilot) for product research—over 44% say it’s “very” or “somewhat” likely. The piece breaks down the survey by likelihood, age, and what this shift means for brands chasing online growth. Useful numbers for anyone watching how AI is nudging purchase decisions. 👉 eMarketer

Me, My Brand, and AI: New World of Consumer Engagement.

Accenture’s global survey of active AI users reveals where shoppers really go for purchase inspiration. Physical stores still top the list (19%), but Gen AI now trails by just one point (18%), beating social media and marketplaces. The report explores how recommendations shift, and what brands need to win when algorithms and habits collide. 👉 Accenture

🇺🇸 Amazon's Bend the Curve Cuts 24B Listings. Amazon’s “Bend the Curve” project, led by CEO Andy Jassy, was supposed to cut 24B “unproductive” product listings by Dec 2024, reducing the total from 74B to under 50B, saving $22M in AWS costs in 2024 and $36M in 2025. The initiative targets poor-selling or inactive items, but a 2024 “creation throttling” feature blocked 110M new listings from 12K sellers, causing some confusion. 👉 Business Insider

🇺🇸 Walmart Lets Sellers Use Amazon FBA. Walmart updated its policy to allow marketplace sellers to use Amazon's FBA for order fulfillment, requiring neutral packaging. This change simplifies logistics for sellers but highlights the competitive tension between the two retail giants. 👉 ChannelX

🇺🇸 Amazon Tests Humanoid Robots for Deliveries. Amazon is developing humanoid robots to automate package delivery, with testing in a new facility. This move could reduce reliance on human workers but raises job displacement concerns. 👉 The Verge

🇩🇪 Amazon Launches Budget Platform in Germany. Amazon Haul offers products under 20€, targeting budget shoppers with free shipping over 25€. It competes with Temu and Shein but involves longer delivery times. 👉 About Amazon

🇩🇪 Germany Challenges Amazon's Price Controls. Germany's regulators claim Amazon's price caps on sellers may violate EU laws, affecting competition. Amazon disagrees, citing stable prices and customer benefits. 👉 Retail Brew

🇪🇺 Temu and Shein Surge in Europe Amid US Slowdown. Temu and Shein are growing rapidly in Europe with sales up over 60% and 50% respectively, while US growth slows due to tariffs. Both are increasing ad spending in Europe. 👉 Modern Retail

🇵🇱 AliExpress Gains Ground in Poland. AliExpress is expanding in Poland, attracting local merchants and becoming a top platform alongside Allegro. One in three Polish e-commerce users shops there. 👉 GuruFocus

🇺🇸 Temu and Shein Lose US Users After Tariff Changes. New tariffs hit Temu and Shein hard, cutting US daily active users—Temu’s DAUs dropped 25% and Shein’s 15% in Q1 2025. They’re shifting focus to Southeast Asia to recover. 👉 Tech in Asia

🇫🇷 France Targets Fast Fashion with New Bill. France’s anti-fast fashion bill, up for a vote on June 10, 2025, takes aim at Shein and Temu’s environmental toll after a €5B market churned out 3.2B garments in 2023. It’s been softened but still stings. 👉 The Fashion Law

🇺🇸 Walmart’s Pre-Loved Luxury Sales Surge 200%. Walmart Marketplace’s secondhand luxury sales jumped 200% in 2025, adding 15,000+ SKUs via new partnerships. It’s gunning for eBay and Amazon in the resale game. 👉 ChannelX

🇪🇺 Refurbed Hits €2B in Sales, Turns Profitable. Refurbed, a refurbished goods platform, raked in €2B in sales and saved 270,000 tonnes of CO2, hitting profitability in Europe. Sustainability pays off big time. 👉 ChannelX

🇬🇧 Topshop Plans 2025 Relaunch with Nostalgia Focus. Topshop, bought for £135M by ASOS, is set to relaunch in August 2025 with pop-ups and new stores, betting on quality to win back fans. It’s a nostalgia play with teeth. 👉 The Drum

🌐 Secondhand Fashion Market to Hit $367B by 2029. The global resale apparel market is exploding, driven by tech and Gen Z demand, but fakes remain a headache. It’s on track to reach $367B soon. 👉 Fashionista

🇺🇸 Etsy Updates Policies to Boost Seller Trust. Etsy’s 2024 report rolls out appeal processes and better security starting July 1, 2025, to keep sellers happy and cut churn. It’s about trust, not fluff. 👉 Patreon

🇪🇺 EU Fines Glovo and Delivery Hero €329M for Anti-Competitive Practices. The European Commission slapped Glovo and Delivery Hero with a €329 million fine for shady moves like a no-poach deal and splitting up markets. It’s the EU’s first crackdown on no-poach agreements in tech labor, showing they’re serious about keeping the gig economy fair. 👉 EU-Startups

🇩🇪 Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd in Talks for Potential Mega-Merger. Word on the street is that Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, the two halves of the German grocery empire, might team up to form a powerhouse with over €100 billion in yearly sales. Nothing’s set yet, but if it happens, Europe’s grocery scene could look very different. 👉 RetailDetail EU

🇺🇸 Grubhub Introduces Multi-Store Ordering and Alcohol Delivery. Grubhub rolled out a cool update letting you order from multiple spots at once and even get booze delivered. They’re also tossing in flower delivery to sweeten the deal, all to keep up in the cutthroat delivery game. 👉 Restaurant Dive

🇺🇸 Instacart Slashes Valuation to $13B as It Prepares for IPO. Instacart chopped its value down to $13 billion from a high of $39 billion in 2021, gearing up for its stock market debut. Tough competition and a shifting market forced the grocery delivery giant to get real with its numbers. 👉 PYMNTS

🇺🇸 Misfits Market Buys The Rounds to Expand Food Waste Mission. Misfits Market, a grocery service big on cutting food waste, snapped up The Rounds for $100 million to boost its eco-friendly game. The Rounds brings reusable packaging to the table, helping Misfits grow its sustainable delivery vibe. 👉 TechCrunch

🇹🇷 Turkish Delivery Workers Hit with 30% Pay Cut, Sparking Protests. Delivery folks at Getir and Yemeksepeti in Turkey got slammed with a 30% pay cut when they were hoping for a raise, and they’re not happy—protests are popping off. It’s a raw deal that shines a light on the rough side of gig work. 👉 Bianet

🇮🇪 Deliveroo Tests Drone Delivery in Dublin with Manna. Deliveroo teamed up with Manna to try out drone deliveries in Dublin, promising food drops in minutes. If this takes off, it could mean faster burgers and fewer traffic jams for urban eaters. 👉 New Food Magazine

🇺🇸 DoorDash’s Tony Xu Emerges as Food Delivery Consolidator. DoorDash, run by CEO Tony Xu, now owns over 50% of the US food delivery market, thanks to buyouts like Caviar and Wolt. They’re the big dog now, shaping how your takeout gets to you. 👉 CNBC

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