Europe Wants Greener Clothes... But Not the Bill 💶

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🧠 Big Story: 
Europe Wants Greener Clothes... But Not the Bill 💶

📊 Key Data:
Amazon’s EU Surge🚀

📖 Ecommerce ecosystem news:
🇺🇸 Pinterest's AI Turns Catalogs into Shoppable Collages.
🇪🇺 Europe Plans Social Media Ban for Kids Under 15.
🇺🇸 PayPal Adds Hotel Booking to App with Selfbook.
🇺🇸 HubSpot’s CRM Integrates ChatGPT for Data Insights.
🇨🇳 Chinese Rocket Delivers Taobao Packages in Test Flight.
🇸🇦 DHL Invests €500M to Boost Gulf E-Commerce.

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

Europe Wants Greener Clothes... But Not the Bill 💶

Europe wants greener clothes, but no one wants to foot the bill. The latest Zalando x GlobeScan study drops a reality check: 71% of Europeans talk a big sustainability game, but price tags still call the shots. If you think fashion’s eco-revolution is just one influencer away, keep reading—this is about money, not mantras.

High Hopes, Hard Reality

71% of EU shoppers claim they want to buy greener, and 74% want to wear their clothes more responsibly. Yet there’s a stubborn gap between good intentions and everyday choices—just 66% say their past year’s fashion was even “fairly” sustainable. Economic anxiety, confusing product information, and rising skepticism keep sustainability stuck at the aspiration stage, not the checkout.

Price Tag: The Silent Bouncer

Let’s get real: 41% of Europeans say sustainable fashion is just too expensive. Another 27% struggle to spot eco-friendly options, 24% don’t even know where to shop, and 21% feel lost about what “sustainable” actually means. And with brands tiptoeing around regulations—hello, “green hushing”—consumers are more likely to give up than shell out for pricey planet-friendly pants.

What Really Drives the Cart

What actually influences buying decisions? Zalando and GlobeScan used MaxDiff analysis—a survey method that reveals the true hierarchy of consumer priorities. The higher the score, the more important the factor. The verdict? “Value for money” (5.7) and “fit” (5.5) blow sustainability out of the water. Even “durability” and “discounts” outscore green options. Eco-materials, ethical labor, and organic fabrics barely register. For most, being green is nice—but saving money, finding the right fit, and scoring deals still rule the closet.

What Shoppers Actually Want

Shoppers want sustainable fashion to be the easy choice: 38% want affordable prices, 33% demand more sustainable materials, and 32% want green packaging. Durability, repairability, and some style can sweeten the deal, while reward programs and clear info would help. Only 4% say none of this matters—everyone else is ready for change if brands make it effortless.

The Public Policy Playbook

EU citizens are loud and clear: 42% want governments to slash taxes on sustainable fashion. 39% call for better recycling and repair infrastructure, 36% want public education, and a third demand a simple, EU-backed eco-label. Carrots, not sticks—just 24% support bans on unsustainable fashion. The takeaway? Make going green cheaper, simpler, and obvious—because voters (and shoppers) love a good shortcut.

Amazon’s EU Surge🚀

Amazon just pulled off a blockbuster in Europe:
€130B in revenue for 2024.

Nikolai Tahmin just pulled the latest revenue and growth numbers…
and the results speak for themselves.

• Belgium steals the show—€537M, up a wild 702%.
• Germany leads at €39.6B.
• UK and France follow with €36.7B and €21.7B.
• Even smaller markets like Poland and Sweden (+12% each) caught a serious tailwind.

What’s fueling this surge?

Two key reasons:

• Expanded distribution + faster delivery networks across Europe
• More seller-friendly tools + infrastructure for cross-border growth

Amazon’s EU playbook is simple: Expansion. Speed.
And a touch of Bezos ambition.

World Bank: Global Growth Headed for Its Weakest Decade Since the 1960s.
BBC’s Faarea Masud reports the World Bank expects global growth to limp along at just 2.3% in 2025, the lowest pace in 60 years. Nearly two-thirds of countries saw their growth outlook downgraded—thanks to Trump’s sweeping tariffs, battered investor confidence, and shaky consumption in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. While China holds steady, the World Bank warns further tariff hikes could freeze global trade, stoke inflation, and send markets into a tailspin, even as the chance of a full-blown recession stays below 10%. 👉 BBC News

The Hidden Power of Color in Brand Trust.

Adobe unpacks how color choices influence whether we trust—or skip—a brand. The article pulls from data showing that 1 in 2 consumers make decisions based on color schemes, and blue consistently ranks as the color most likely to win trust. If you think branding is just logos, you’re missing the real decision driver. 👉 Adobe Express Blog

Europeans Brace for Economic Headwinds—But Essentials Still Win.

BCG’s April 2025 sentiment study shows Europeans cutting back on almost everything but groceries and home care. Net spending on non-essentials like apparel and alcohol keeps sliding, while food budgets climb. If you want to know where wallets are actually opening, this is the map. 👉 BCG

Walmart’s Marketplace Seller Map Is Shifting Fast.

Marketplace Pulse analyzes the surge of Chinese sellers joining Walmart’s marketplace while U.S. share drops below 70% for the first time. The piece is data-rich, tracing the structural changes in seller geography—and what it means for competition, prices, and product diversity. Walmart’s new normal looks a lot more global. 👉 Marketplace Pulse

🇺🇸 Pinterest's AI Turns Catalogs into Shoppable Collages. Pinterest launched an AI tool called "auto-collages" that transforms product catalogs into shoppable visuals, boosting engagement with Gen Z. The feature, part of Pinterest Ads Labs, sees users save collages twice as often as standard Pins, driving 16% revenue growth in Q1 2025. 👉 TechCrunch

🇪🇺 Europe Plans Social Media Ban for Kids Under 15. Europe is pushing to restrict TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube access for kids under 15, with France leading on parental consent rules. The EU is developing an age-verification app to protect kids from cyberbullying and harmful content, following digital ministers’ talks. 👉 Zamin

🇬🇧 TikTok Adds 500 UK Jobs with New Office. TikTok will open a 135,000 sq ft UK office in 2026, creating 500 jobs and investing £140M in property. With 30M UK users, it contributes £1.6B to the economy, but faces a US ban threat with 170M users at stake. 👉 SCMP

🇺🇸 Amazon Doubles Prime Video Ads to 4-6 Min/Hr. Amazon increased Prime Video’s ad load from 2-3.5 to 4-6 minutes per hour. 👉 Adweek

🇺🇸 Pinterest’s AI Predicts Shopping Trends. Pinterest’s upgraded Trends tool uses AI to forecast purchase trends, helping advertisers target shoppers effectively. CEO Bill Ready credits AI for 16% Q1 2025 revenue growth, with auto-collages enhancing visual search engagement. 👉 PYMNTS

🇸🇦 Amazon Ads Boosts Twitch Sponsorships. Amazon Ads launched Twitch Creator Sponsorships in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Turkey, targeting 70% of Twitch’s 18-34 audience. The program offers 50% off subscriptions and a matchmaking tool to connect brands with streamers. 👉 CampaignME

🇺🇸 DoorDash Buys Symbiosys for $175M to Grow Ads. DoorDash acquired Symbiosys for $175M to expand ads on platforms like Amazon and Meta, hitting $1B in ad revenue. Symbiosys’s bidding model strengthens DoorDash’s retail media, following Criteo’s 2016 HookLogic deal. 👉 AdExchanger

🇩🇪 Amazon’s Ad Revenue in Germany Hits 3.62B Euros. Amazon’s German ad revenue grew 23.6% to 3.62B euros in 2024, over 9% of its 39.6B euro total revenue. The launch of Amazon Haul in Germany bolsters its retail media, with global ad revenue at $56.2B in 2023. 👉 EcommerceNews

🇺🇸 PayPal adds hotel booking to app with Selfbook. PayPal teams up with Selfbook to let users book hotels in its app, offering exclusive discounts and Buy Now, Pay Later options. Travel payments jumped 84%, and Selfbook will use PayPal’s payment suite for credit card processing. 👉 TechCrunch

🇪🇸 Temu, Shoppingfeed Help Spanish Brands Go Global. Temu and Shoppingfeed’s partnership automates sales for Spanish brands across 1,000+ channels. Temu, in 90+ markets, expects 80% local European sales, aiding brands like Samsung.
👉 Marketing4eCommerce

🇺🇸 HubSpot launches ChatGPT CRM connector. HubSpot’s new CRM tool works with ChatGPT, helping 250K+ businesses analyze data; 75% of users already use ChatGPT. It supports marketing, sales, and support teams with privacy protection and is available for all HubSpot tiers. 👉 BusinessWire

🇨🇦 Shopify supports USDC stablecoin payments. Shopify merchants can accept USDC via Coinbase’s Base blockchain, holding $3.6B, with no extra fees. Payments convert to local currency or stay in USDC, using a smart contract for security. 👉 Ledger Insights

🇺🇸 Square AI enters open beta for US sellers. Square AI, now in open beta, answers business questions instantly for US sellers, offering charts and secure data handling. It’s built into the Square Dashboard, with plans to integrate with tools like ChatGPT. 👉 Square

🇺🇸 Pattern unveils AI ecommerce tools at summit. Pattern introduced four AI tools—GEO Scorecard, Chessboard, TrendVision, and The Portal—at Accelerate 2025 in Utah. These tools optimize content, analyze sales drivers, create social media posts, and enhance product photos for brands. 👉 BusinessWire

🇨🇳 Chinese Rocket Delivers Taobao Packages in Test Flight. SEPOCH’s XZY-1 rocket carried 20 kg of Taobao goods, flying 2.5 km in 125 seconds before landing off Shandong. The reusable rocket aims for orbital deliveries by late 2025, targeting emergency and remote areas. 👉 China Daily

🇸🇦 DHL Invests €500M to Boost Gulf E-Commerce. DHL’s €500M ($571M) plan through 2030 strengthens logistics in Saudi Arabia and UAE, focusing on e-commerce and trade. CEO John Pearson sees the GCC as a key hub linking Asia, Europe, and Africa. 👉 The Loadstar

🇩🇪 FedEx Uses AI Robot for E-Commerce in Cologne. FedEx’s AI sorting robot in Cologne processes 1,000 packages hourly, easing worker strain. It’s the first such robot in Europe, with similar tech in Memphis and 17 US sites. 👉 Air Cargo News

🇺🇸 Intelligent Audit’s Catalyst Saves SMBs on Shipping. Intelligent Audit’s Catalyst platform audits parcel invoices, helping SMBs recover overcharges, which affect 80% of businesses. CEO Hannah Testani says it maximizes every shipping dollar. 👉 PR Newswire

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