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TODAY’S MAZE
Happy Wednesday! Shein is under the microscope as European regulators launch a formal probe into the fast-fashion giant’s platform design and user safeguards.
With massive fines looming, Brussels is cracking down on addictive designs. Can marketplaces thrive in Europe while facing this increased scrutiny?
In today’s MarketMaze focus:
EU probes Shein marketplace
Salesforce acquires AI startup
Amazon shelves warehouse robots
Retail labor scarcity risks
Reels dominate Instagram ads
+Handpicked recent news you need to know
LET’S ENTER THE MAZE!
- Artur Stańczuk, MarketMaze Founder
MAZE STORY
The Maze: The European Commission launched a formal investigation into Shein for violating the Digital Services Act. The probe examines how the marketplace manages content risks and addictive features for its 145 million users.
Regulators are scrutinizing gamified reward systems that potentially harm user well-being by encouraging addictive shopping behaviors similar to recent actions against Temu.
The retailer faces fines reaching 6% of global turnover, roughly 2.2 billion dollars, if regulators find the platform failed to mitigate systemic risks effectively.
Shein recently updated detection tools and age-restricted product safeguards to address concerns from French authorities regarding illicit items listed on the marketplace.
Why it matters: Brussels signals that move-fast-and-break-things no longer applies to marketplaces entering Europe. Brands must prioritize compliance as regulators shift from monitoring content to policing the psychology of platform design.
After the European Commission opened a Digital Services Act investigation into Shein over addictive design and content risk management, which type of platform do you expect will face similar scrutiny next in the European Union?
- 🛍️ EU Fashion Marketplaces (large apparel platforms targeting Gen Z shoppers in France, Germany, Spain)
- 📦 Cross-Border Discount Apps (China-based low-price platforms shipping directly into the EU)
- 📱 Social Commerce Platforms (TikTok Shop–style in-app shopping feeds operating in the EU)
- 🧸 Kids-Focused Apps (platforms with heavy under-18 audiences across EU markets)
- 🛒 EU General Marketplaces (broad platforms serving 20+ million EU users monthly)
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MAZE STORY
The Maze: Salesforce signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cimulate, an AI-powered product discovery startup, to bring autonomous agents to its commerce suite and improve retail experiences across its global ecosystem.
The engine analyzes behavior patterns by combining real customer data with simulated journeys to surface more relevant products throughout the entire online shopping process.
Salesforce expects to close the transaction in the fiscal year 2027 following recent revenue growth driven by the adoption of its Agentforce platform.
The acquisition enables prioritizing intent-driven search and conversational discovery over legacy systems that rely on basic keyword matching for enterprise sellers.
Why it matters: This deal validates the move toward agentic commerce where AI handles the heavy lifting of discovery. It prioritizes shopper intent over static metadata to drive higher conversion rates for brands.
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MAZE STORY
The Maze: Amazon discontinued its Blue Jay warehouse robot project just months after its high-profile launch. The retail giant is now shifting focus toward modular systems to power same-day delivery.
The multi-armed Blue Jay system utilized AI robotics technology to pick items before facing implementation challenges and high costs.
Teams are transitioning to the Orbital initiative, a modular floor-mounted framework designed to operate within micro-fulfillment centers at Whole Foods locations.
This strategic pivot helps Amazon compete with Walmart by supporting chilled inventory and perishable goods in dense urban environments.
Why it matters: Speed-to-market often beats specialized hardware in the race for same-day dominance. Pivoting to modular systems enables scaling faster while reducing the overhead of monolithic automation.
DATA TREASURE
The Maze: Demographics are a hidden operating constraint. Shrinking working age populations will quietly raise costs and force retailers to rethink how much service and speed they can sustainably deliver.
By 2050, working age populations are projected to fall sharply in major markets like Germany, China, and Japan, while the US grows modestly, creating uneven labor pressure across global retail footprints.
Labor scarcity pushes wages up and increases churn, making productivity per employee a board level metric rather than an HR concern.
Automation and AI are moving from efficiency tools to survival tools, with large parts of buying, planning, and admin work becoming automated to protect margins.
Why it matters: Fast and convenient is harder to execute when labor shrinks. Retailers that simplify operations and raise output per worker will outlast those built on labor heavy models.
DATA TREASURE
The Maze: Attention moved and ads followed. Short video is no longer a format choice on Instagram, it is becoming the default surface where time and inventory concentrate.
Reels more than doubled its share of US Instagram ad impressions from 2024 to 2025, while Feed and Explore lost ground, signaling a structural shift in where brands can buy reach.
Time spent increasingly flows to algorithm driven video, rewarding formats that hook in the first second and punish slow or static creative.
Pricing dynamics shift as video inventory scales faster than demand, favoring advertisers with strong motion assets and penalizing brands stuck in image led playbooks.
Why it matters: Creative is now strategy. Ecommerce teams that cannot tell their product story in motion will pay more for less attention as platforms hardwire video into the feed.
BRIEFING
🏬 Everything else in Ecommerce & Big Tech
🇸🇪 Klarna is set to shrink its workforce from 3,000 to under 2,000 by 2030 as CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski leverages AI to replace natural attrition.
🇺🇸 Berkshire Hathaway slashed its Amazon holdings significantly in the final quarter of 2025, reducing the position's value from $2.2 billion to roughly $525 million.
🇮🇳 BCG projects the Indian retail market will more than double to $2.36 trillion by 2035, with growth accelerating rapidly in smaller cities beyond major metros.
🇬🇧 Boohoo Group is raising £35 million from shareholders to reduce net debt and fund a turnaround plan for its portfolio, which includes Debenhams.
🇩🇪 Zalando named actress Lily Collins as its first global brand ambassador to lead new creative and style-focused campaigns for the Berlin-based online retailer.
🇺🇸 Perplexity is shifting its focus toward high-margin business subscriptions for professionals like doctors and CEOs, distancing itself from an ad-supported model.
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MarketMaze team
