February #2 - The State of Marketplaces

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#1 E-commerce in Germany worth €99 billion

German ecommerce has gone through a strong growth in 2021. Gross sales of ecommerce products amounted to 99.1 billion euros, which is a growth of 19 percent compared to 2020. Almost every seventh euro available to German consumers for household expenses was spent on products online. Read here

Why is this important?

Gross sales of goods in German ecommerce have grown significantly, showing that ecommerce has become the new 'normal' in the country. The spike caused by Covid was, nonetheless, an unprecedented boost for the market, and many experts predict that growth in e-commerce will slow down in the next year. This does not change the fact that the market grew at a rapid pace and the new values are likely to remain.

#2 EBE 2022: the first speakers are confirmed – meet them!

The Ecommerce Berlin Expo 2022 is coming up, and we have some exciting news. The agenda is almost finished, and the first speakers are already confirmed – we’re proud to announce them here! Let’s have a closer look at them. Read here

Why is this important?

It is sometimes necessary to show off your own project, and this year we have a very good reason for doing so. We assume that the restrictions can be expected to calm down by May – and we'll meet in person at E-commerce Berlin Expo 2022.

And we have an incredible lineup this year.

Our speakers included representatives from Zalando, Otto, MediaMarktSaturn, Douglas, SKY, MYTOYS, Wish, and the list goes on. This is the most robust agenda we've ever had - and it isn't a buzzword. And it's entirely for free.

#3 Top insights and findings from the European E-commerce Report 2021

E-commerce had played an extraordinary role in society unlike ever before, providing consumers with safe access to goods when people’s health was severely restricted. As a result, sales have increased significantly, but tourism and events have suffered due to the lockdown. With a turnover growth rate of 10%, e-commerce in Europe still grew significantly, but with a slight decrease from last year’s 14%. Nevertheless, forecasts indicate that growth will continue to rise in 2021, with an expected growth rate of 12%. Read here

Why is this important?

This report includes regional breakdowns of internet users and online shoppers throughout Europe. Such data should be followed cyclically, with a special focus on the share of European turnover broken down regionally so that we can see the big differences between Northern and Southern Europe as well as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

#4 Key Takeaways from The State of Marketplaces in 2021 report [Battery Ventures]

To say that the marketplace has grown last year is like saying nothing. Companies want their products to be available in as many places as possible. Those who have not been present on the Internet so far have noticed that it is an absolute must have. Quick implementations triumphed, because every day without a sale for business owners was a loss. Read here

Why is this important?

During the last few months, merchants who were not active online needed to find a way to quickly maintain their sales channels. Platforms offered visibility, improved purchasing processes, and recognizable brands. In turn, this resulted in an increase in the importance of marketplaces, new IPOs, and a lot of consolidation in the FBA market. As the marketplaces mature and grow, they pose many challenges for manufacturers, retailers, and brands – so it will be interesting to watch.

A Pandemic Has Divided The Marketplace Into Two: “Stay-At-Home” vs. “Recovery” Businesses.?

Source: The State of Marketplaces – 2021, Battery’s report

#5 Douglas - Becoming the leading beauty platform with a marketplace model [case study / video]

Douglas is the leading premium beauty platform in Europe and scaling its platform and marketplace model step-by-step across the continent. Based on the #FORWARDBEAUTY.digitalfirst strategy Douglas combines its online-shop, marketplace partners and offline stores on a connected and data-driven digital platform. Watch here

Why is this important?

Max describes Douglas' transition from a brick-and-mortar retailer to a digital company, emphasizing the curated marketplace and its effect on all key performance indicators. With regard to points #4 and #6, this is a great example of how global brands can deal with the growing importance of marketplaces. Douglas uses its reach to expand the scope of its Internet offering by creating its own channel over which it has control within its market segment.

#6 Consumer markets: a glimpse into the future [PwC report takeaways]

COVID-19 accelerated every industry as people quickly adapted to meet health and safety requirements. Consumers already embracing e-commerce jumped onto the internet in greater numbers, purchasing groceries s online. Also, changes in the way we work, shop, and live have become ingrained. Many months after, we see the future of consumer markets more clearly. This article will highlight 5 significant trends and outline a strategy for overcoming them. Read here

Why is this important?

According to the report, e-commerce sales are expected to grow from 13.9% in 2019 to 22.4% by 2023. The PwC report emphasizes how the change in consumer habits accelerated (with the pandemics being one of the reason for it) and in what direction experts predict the changes will go in the future. It also discusses how global brands like Pepsico and Protect& Gamble meet consumers' expectations - 80% of global respondents want brands to "solve society's problems."

Source:? PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey, March 2021

#7 The 2022 Overview of Amazon in Germany

This success has been built over the years and is partly due to Amazon’s strategic approach to development. Any e-commerce business, no matter where it starts, can learn from Amazon to grow its business and attract and retain more customers. So how does Amazon work in Germany? Read here

Why is this important?

Due to the focus on marketplaces in this issue, it would be worthwhile to describe how it looks on the DE market. Amazon is not only the largest online retailer, but also the most trusted. The company's revenue is three times higher than Otto's, the second-largest player in the country. In fact, their dominance stands out even from other European countries and constitutes the majority of the German e-commerce market.

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