e-commerce news and archive

Competition authorities give green light: Zalando on the verge of acquiring About You

The Berlin-based online retailer Zalando SE is set to complete its acquisition of competitor About You Holding SE in a matter of days. The e-commerce specialist announced on Tuesday evening that the European Commission had granted "final regulatory approval" for the planned merger of the two companies. Zalando emphasised that "all closing...

FeaturedMember

Business|Background

Innovative packaging companies helping fashion kick its plastic addiction

Opportunities for sustainability exist in all parts of the fashion industry and its supply chain. Not just in the production of items or logistics, but also in order packaging. Consider, for example, reusable packaging, alternatives to bubble wrap and seaweed-based polybags. These innovations, however, are not often in the spotlight, even though...

Member

Business

Aliexpress strengthens European presence with local warehouses

Chinese online marketplace AliExpress has brought its services closer to European customers. The company further expanded its European strategy with the launch of the new fulfilment channel, Local+. With this initiative, AliExpress aims to shorten delivery times by shipping products from local warehouses in Europe. To this end, the company...

Member

Business

Luxury and AI: Are superhuman customer advisors on the horizon?

With the emergence of chatbot applications driven by artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT or Gemini, web browsing and search habits have evolved considerably. The effectiveness of these tools and the new behaviours they induce have influenced purchases and raised the expectations of luxury brand consumers to a higher level of demand in terms...

Member

Business

AI personal shoppers hunt down bargain buys

Internet giants are diving deeper into e-commerce with digital aides that know shoppers' likes, let them virtually try clothes on, hunt for deals and even place orders. The rise of virtual personal shoppers springs from generative artificial intelligence (AI) being put to work in "agents" specializing in specific tasks and given autonomy to...

Member

Business

Slikk secures 10 million dollars to expand fast fashion delivery and Try & Buy model

Slikk, an online platform that delivers clothing and accessories within 60 minutes in Bengaluru (southern India), secured 10 million dollars in a series A round. Nexus Venture Partners led this round, with participation from Lightspeed. The founders announced this via the career platform LinkedIn. Slikk is using the investment to expand its...

Member

Business

EU wants to implement small levy for imported packages

The EU is one step closer to introducing a levy on small packages from outside the EU. The Financial Times reports that the EU is considering a levy of 2 euros per package. Various national customs authorities have recently sounded the alarm. The authorities are being flooded with packages arriving from outside the EU and called on the region to...

FeaturedMember

Business

Israeli firm MySize buys Spanish resale platform Percentil

Madrid – Spanish second-hand clothing platform Percentil has been saved from liquidation by its acquisition out of bankruptcy by Israeli technology company MySize. MySize, specializing in measurement services and AI-based solutions, aims to become a leading player in the European second-hand fashion sector, encompassing both C2C (Consumer to...

Featured

Fashion

Pinterest leverages AI to streamline fashion e-commerce

Pinterest is making a calculated play to shift how consumers discover and shop for fashion online, leaning into its visual-first heritage with an upgraded suite of image-based search tools. The platform’s latest product update, now live in key markets including the US, UK and Canada, positions it less as a social media outlet and more as a...

Member

Business

ChatGPT to offer buying advice in future

The AI chatbot ChatGPT is trying its hand as a buying advisor, thereby attacking Google’s business. The developer, OpenAI, demonstrated the new function with a search query: “What is the best espresso machine for under 200 dollars that comes close to the taste of coffee in Italy?” ChatGPT then suggested several models with photos, prices and...

Member

Business

Prada partners with Mytheresa in digital distribution pivot

Prada has joined forces with luxury e-commerce platform Mytheresa in a move that reflects a new approach to global digital distribution—one that prioritises selectivity, brand integrity, and customer experience over traditional wholesale reach. The partnership will make Prada’s women’s, men’s, and lifestyle collections available to Mytheresa’s...

Member

Business

DHL suspends parcel shipments over 800 dollars to US

Parcel service DHL is temporarily suspending shipments to the US, according to the service's website. Starting this week, all parcels with a value of 800 dollars or more destined for consumers will no longer be collected and shipped. DHL stated that this is due to the new customs regulations. Previously, parcels with a value above 2,500 dollars...