Let's talk Marketplace

Which red flags have indicated the end of Wayrfair in Germany? Why is XXXLutz so successful in the marketplace business? Why are marketplace fees sometimes ridiculously high? Valerie discussed all these questions in this episode with Philip Kehela, co-founder and managing director of the furniture brand mokebo. Philip follows this strategy: If a new marketplace has points of contact with our categories, we will use it because our business model is designed to scale very quickly and with very little personal investment in marketplaces. He explains why mokebo produces almost exclusively in Germany, is growing much faster than the market and why he considers DIY marketplaces to be very worthwhile players. Newsflash: - The bevh is forecasting a slight increase in German e-commerce this year and attributes this growth almost exclusively to marketplaces - There are new indications that TikTok Shop could soon launch in Germany Note from the sponsor bol: Bol is a leading marketplace in the Netherlands and Belgium, offering over 42 million products in 28 categories to more than 13 million customers. Its focus on customer satisfaction and innovation has made it the regional market leader. The platform attracts retailers from neighboring countries by offering personalized support and local consumer insights. Retailers can benefit from bol's logistics service, returns management, and retail media options. A special promotion is available until February 28th: retailers receive a 50% discount on account creation fees and variable commissions through integrators like ChannelEngine, Rithum, Tradebyte, or Channable, valid until June 30th, 2025. Curious to learn more? Tune into podcast episode 97 next week to hear Alex Ciorapciu, Director of International Business, discuss selling on bol.   Chapters: 02:28 Philipp Kehela's Journey and Moquebo's Growth 05:53 Marketplace Strategies and Expansion 10:12 Newsflash 20:51 Impact of Wayfair's Withdrawal and Market Consolidation 27:02 E-commerce Performance and Market Strategies 30:02Marketplace Presence and Expansion Plans 34:57 Marketplace Commission Structures and Profitability 37:58 Trends in Home and Living Marketplaces

How does a small brand manage to do good business in the US? Niko Moll from the children's sunglasses brand Mausito has shown how it's done and in this episode he talks about his strategy: he focused on Amazon, accepted the marketplace's support, learned a lot about logistics – and paid a price. For example, because he spent far too much money on advertising. Or because he thought that if he could do the business in Europe, he could do it in the US. Nevertheless, he is now successful and enjoys advantages such as no VAT, low return rates and lower Amazon fees. He is also expanding the B2B business as a further mainstay, putting out feelers to other marketplaces such as Allegro and bol, and pushing ahead with his own webshop. Note from Sponsor Base.com: Anyone looking to expand into Eastern Europe will encounter a different marketplace landscape than in Western Europe. And therefore needs different marketplace integrations! The e-commerce SaaS solution Base.com can help: the platform specializes in marketplace integration and the automation of e-commerce marketplace processes such as order fulfillment and inventory management and can offer connections to over 250 marketplaces. The company was founded in Wroclaw, Poland, and scores particularly highly in terms of its many connections to marketplaces in the CEE region. Find out more at https://www.base.com or in episode 85 of “Let's talk Marketplace”. Note from Sponsor byrd: byrd is an European logistics provider with operations in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, UK, France, Italy and Spain. With seamless integrations into platforms like Amazon, Shopify and WooCommerce, byrd helps merchants optimize supply chains, reduce costs and offer fast delivery. They have a proprietary dashboard which enables you to see to track all your orders in real time. Furthermore, they offer specialized services like organic product certification or dangerous goods, shipping or handling of products with expiry dates or serial number tracking for electronics. Clients like Refurbed, WeAreKnitters and Bababoo and friends trust byrd to streamline their fulfillment processes. Find out more at https://www.getbyrd.com. Newsflash: -        TikTok chaos in the US: Offline, online, extended deadlines - what happens next?  - Zalando's figures for the final quarter of 2024 are promising. -  Galaxus is happy with the development of its internationalisation. Galaxus.de performed well in 2024   Chapters: 02:58 Marketplace Updates and TikTok's Uncertainty 05:58 Introducing Niko Moll and Mausito 11:27 Newsflash 20:49 Mausito’s Marketplace Strategy and Expansion Plans 25:11 Pricing Strategies and Consumer Trust 29:10 Logistics Challenges in the US 31:03 Sales Performance and Market Differences 32:13 Lessons Learned from Market Expansion 40:13 Future Internationalization Plans

Trends hinterherzulaufen ist keine gute Strategie – vor allem nicht für die Auswahl von geeigneten Plattformen für das Marktplatz-Business! Doch wie lässt sich eine gute Auswahl an passenden Marktplätzen treffen? Darüber diskutiert Ingrid in dieser Folge mit Julia Kühnberger von Cherry Europe und Johannes Blindhuber von PlentyONE. Julia baut gerade das Marktplatz-Engagement von Cherry aus, der Middleware-Anbieter PlentyOne unterstützt sie dabei. Zusammen berichten sie ganz praxisnah, worauf es ankommt: Etwa auf klar definierte Unternehmensziele, akribische Recherche zu den jeweiligen Markplätzen und den direkten Konktakt zu ihnen, außerdem auf realistische SLAs der Marktplätze und die eigene Fähigkeit, diese einzuhalten sowie auf die Kosten und die technische Umsetzbarkeit. Julia plaudert dabei aus dem Nähkästchen und verrät auch, was für sie K.O.-Kriterien sind, die gegen einen Marktplatz sprechen, warum sie auf Local Heros setzt und auch Plattformen wie Alibaba, Twitch oder TikTok Shop auf dem Schirm hat. Hinweis des Partners Taxdoo: Mit dem neuen Jahr werden für Marktplatzhändler einige umsatzsteuerliche Themen wichtig: So kommt die für Anfang 2025 geplante einheitliche Umsatzsteuer-ID erst 2028. Die ersten Prüfungen beim One-Stop-Shop werden aber voraussichtlich schon in diesem Jahr durchgeführt. Wichtig ist auch, die OSS-Fristen strikt einzuhalten; es gibt keine Fristverlängerungen wegen Feiertagen! Neu bei Amazon: Für Leistungen, die von Amazon Deutschland erbracht werden, gilt nun der klassische Vorsteuerabzug und nicht mehr das Reverse-Charge-Verfahren. Aber Achtung: Für alle anderen europäischen Amazon-Marktplätze gilt das weiterhin. Hilfe bei solchen Fragen bietet der TaxTech-Anbieter Taxdoo: https://www.taxdoo.com Newsflash: -        Wayfair zieht sich aus dem deutschen Markt zurück -        Decathlon baut seine Plattform mit Services wie Reparaturhilfen, universellem Warenkorb und Mietservice aus -        Meta testet die Integration von eBay-Angeboten in den Facebook Marketplace   Chapters: 00:00 Einführung in die Marktplatzauswahl 05:47 Newsflash 12:06 Strategien zur Marktplatzauswahl 18:00 Erfahrungen und Herausforderungen bei Cherry 23:48 KPIs und Erfolgsmessung im Marktplatzgeschäft 24:51 Internationale Expansion und Zielgruppen 25:50 Strategien zur Ansprache von Gamern 27:06 Kriterien für die Marktplatzbewertung 28:58 Herausforderungen bei der Marktplatzintegration 30:34 Logistik und Fulfillment-Strategien 31:41 Neulinge im Marktplatzmarkt 34:32 Zeitrahmen für Marktplatzanbindung 36:25 Evaluierung und Anpassung nach Marktplatzstart

Welcome to 2025! In the first episode of “Let's talk Marketplace” this year, Ingrid and Valerie have ventured an outlook on the coming 12 months in the marketplace business. To do this, they asked various relevant marketplaces about their plans and to-do lists for 2025. The top topics on the agenda in 2025 will again be internationalization and the markets in Central and Eastern Europe. For example, Douglas wants to expand into Lithuania and Hungary, MediaMarktSaturn into Poland and Turkey. In addition, providers such as BOL and B&Q are courting partners from other European countries. Other topics include logistics, technological challenges and retail media, where Amazon is once again leading the way with video advertising. Note from the sponsor Taxdoo: With the new year, a number of VAT-related topics will become important for marketplace merchants: for example, the uniform VAT ID planned for the beginning of 2025 will not come until 2028. However, the first checks at the one-stop shop are likely to be carried out this year. It is also important to strictly adhere to the OSS deadlines; there are no deadline extensions due to holidays! New at Amazon: For services provided by Amazon Germany, the classic input tax deduction now applies and the reverse charge procedure no longer does. But be careful: it still applies to all other European Amazon marketplaces. The TaxTech provider Taxdoo offers assistance with such questions: https://www.taxdoo.com Chapters: 03:06 Reflecting on 2024: Achievements and Growth 08:57 Marketplace Players: Insights for 2025 11:56 MediaMarkt's Expansion and New Verticals 14:59 Kaufland's International Growth and Marketplace Efficiency 17:59 eBay's Strategy to Attract Younger Sellers 21:00 Scroutz‘s Success and Future Plans 23:01 International Marketplaces: Opportunities and Challenges 26:14 Local Heroes: The Case of Globus 27:50 Redcare Pharmacy: A Quiet Player in the Market 30:22 Douglas: A Shift Back to Core Competencies 33:08 B&Q: Expanding Horizons for International Sellers 34:45 Outlook 2025: Hot Markets and Categories 38:18 Emerging Services and Trends in E-commerce

The news was like a shockwave: Zalando is buying About You. A week later, it's time to take a closer look at what the takeover means for the market, retailers and brands. Valerie and Ingrid have brought Stefan Wenzel, an experienced fashion and marketplace expert, into the podcast for this. Together they shed light on how the step is to be evaluated from Otto's point of view, what impact the merger of the number one and two has on fashion retail and whether it helps to compete against Shein (spoiler: rather not). They also discuss opportunities and risks for brands and retailers – Zalando is currently sending notices to successful brands and delaying the onboarding of new partners – and the rumor that Zalando could also take over Asos. Newsflash: -        Zalando has officially launched on TikTokShop in the UK, partnering with 55 iconic brands including Nike, Adidas, AllSaints, and Dr. Martens. -        Amazon will shortly be opening its new country website in Ireland, Country Manager will be Alison Dunn.    Note from the sponsor PlentyONE: PlentyONE is a German e-commerce service provider offering a complete solution for your omnichannel business – with a very strong focus on marketplaces. It covers the entire sales process across more than 150 sales channels and is suitable for manufacturers and brands of all sizes worldwide. In 2023, more than 116 million orders with a GMV of 9.8 billion euros were processed via the platform. In the coming months, PlentyONE plans to focus on expanding its innovative channel layer technology: this will ensure more efficient, standardized marketplace connections and relieve brands and retailers of complex system processes. More at https://www.plentymarkets.com  Note from the sponsor byrd: byrd is a e-commerce fulfillment provider that can handle logistics across all of Europe and is particularly good for tricky cases in addition to standard services. For example, when best-before dates for food or cosmetics need to be observed. Or when strict specifications have to be adhered to when shipping products that sport organics labels. A selection of more than 15 logistics options helps to find the best solution in each case. Integrations with partners such as PlentyONE, ChannelEngine and billbee make the solution particularly interesting for marketplace sellers. And that's why brands like Refurbed, Weareknitters, Manuka Honey, Bababoo and Friends and Lakrids by Bülow trust byrd. More at https://www.getbyrd.com Chapters: 01:10 Breaking News: Zalando Acquires About You 03:55 Expert Insights: The Impact of the Merger 11:35 Newsflash 17:34 Analyzing the Merger: What It Means for the Industry 24:58 The Impact of Mergers on Fashion Brands 36:07 Navigating the New Marketplace Landscape 39:55 Technical Integration and Market Dynamics 46:14 Future Prospects and Strategic Moves 50:28 Final Thoughts on Market Evolution

It's December and what do many marketplace people do? They are looking for a new job! Don't believe us? Then take a look at the number of job changes that are circulating in the industry in these weeks. That's why Valerie and Ingrid have dedicated the new episode of their podcast “Let's talk Marketplace” to the topic of jobs and brought Marketplace Universe's HR manager, HR specialist Natalia Dobrova, to the microphone. Together they highlighted why talent scouting is so challenging in the marketplace business, how good and, above all, realistic job descriptions are created, and what these job specifications have to do with the subsequent employment contract. They also discussed the very different work cultures in the US and Europe and the advantages of Marketplace Universe's fast, transparent, and trustworthy job matching. Newsflash: - Black Week broke many records. 60% of purchases occurred on marketplaces, with Amazon leading at 85% of users.   - TikTok has lost its bid to strike down a law that could result in the platform being banned in the United States.  Note from the sponsor Storfund: Liquid capital is a huge issue in e-commerce: with payment periods of 14 to 60 days, merchants often wait weeks for their money – which is then missing to order new goods and grow further. Storfund wants to solve this problem: The company pays the merchant the amount that it has already earned from sales but has not yet received. In return, the merchant pays a fixed fee to Storfund and is immediately liquid again. Storfund is a British company that was founded in London in 2018, but is now also active in the US and Central Europe. The company's services are aimed specifically at marketplace merchants – Storfund has set up integrations with 35 marketplaces, including Amazon, Kaufland and Otto. Find out more at  or in episode 86 of “Let's talk Marketplace”. Chapters: 00:00 The Rise of Online Marketplaces During Peak Season 03:37 Introducing Natalia: Insights from an HR Expert 10:30 Navigating the Job Market in E-commerce 18:35 Building a Strong Marketplace Team 29:22 The Importance of Job Descriptions in Hiring 32:06 Understanding Organizational Structures and Responsibilities 35:33 Balancing Expectations in Job Descriptions 38:38 The Impact of Remote Work on Job Performance 41:14 Cultural Differences in Work Ethics 47:31 The Importance of Job Matching in Marketplaces

„Das ist keine Welle und auch kein Tsunami, das ist ein Anstieg des Meeresspiegels!“ Das sagt der renommierte Handelsexperte Professor Dr. Gerrit Heinemann über den rasanten Aufstieg der chinesischen Factory-to-Consumer-Companies wie Shein und Temu. Denn selbst eine riesige Welle geht irgendwann wieder zurück - die chinesischen Player hingegen sind nach Europa gekommen, um zu bleiben. In dieser Podcast-Folge diskutiert Gerrit mit Ingrid und Valerie, welchen Kardinalfehler deutsche Brands gemacht haben, warum sich Shein vermutlich über die EU totlacht und warum Shein nachhaltiger ist als ökozertifizierte westliche Brands. Außerdem sprechen sie darüber, wie Brands auf Shein reagieren sollten und warum Gerrit in dem Aufsteig Sheins einen staatlich geförderten Wirtschaftskrieg Chinas Westen sieht. Jepp, eine echte Tacheles-Folge. Newsflash: -        The Platform Group hat den insolventen Luxusuhren-Anbieter CHRONEXT übernommen. -        TikTok Shop soll noch im Dezember in Spanien starten. -        MediaMarktSaturn erweitert sein Retail Media-Angebot um In-Store-Ads. Hinweis unseres Sponsors Base.com Wer nach Osteuropa internationalisieren möchte, trifft dort auf eine andere marktplatz-Landschaft als in Westeuropa. Und braucht damit andere Marktplatzintegrationen! Helfen kann die E-Commerce SaaS-Lösung Base.com: Die Plattform hat sich auf Marktplatzintegration und die Automatisierung von E-Commerce- Marktplatzprozessen wie Auftragsabwicklung und Bestandsverwaltung spezialisiert und kann Anbindungen zu über 250 Marktplätzen anbieten. Das Unternehmen wurde im polnischen Breslau gegründet und kann mit besonders vielen Anbindungen zu Marktplätzen in der CEE-Region punkten. Mehr dazu unter https://ww.base.com oder in Folge 85 von „Let’s talk Marketplace“. Kapitel: 00:02 Einführung in das Thema 02:50 Vorstellung des Gasts 10:16 Newsflash 25:08 Aufstieg chinesischer Firmen wie Shein 30:33 Gründe für Sheins Erfolg 37:29 Sheins Öffnung zum Marktplatz 40:04 Reaktion von Brands 44:33 Know-how und On-Demand-Produktion

For the new episode 89 of “Let's talk Marketplace”, Ingrid took on the role of podcast guest: She presented her new marketplace quadrant “Consumer Electronics” in detail. For example, she explained where the database comes from and why the electronics industry is so special. After all, the quadrant boasts an impressive 58 marketplaces! She also discussed the leading providers and the most important local heroes in some markets. Valerie, for her part, took the opportunity to introduce Ingrid as an external guest: What are you best at in the marketplace environment? What is a fun fact about you? And what exactly does Marketplace Universe do? And why are the women in the industry so important to her? So if you want to get to know Ingrid and Marketplace Universe better AND learn more about the most relevant B2C marketplaces for Consumer Electronics in Europe, this episode is for you! You can find the new Marketplace Quadrant for Consumer Electronics on our website. Newsflash: - The French player Fnac Darty has taken over its Italian insolvent competitor Unieuro.  - Perplexity has launched an AI-based shopping assistant in the US that can be a taste of things to come with AI-powered marketplaces.  - French retail groups Mulliez and Les Mousquetaires have forged a major retail media alliance.  - According to a Kearney study, Amazon sellers made a loss of 258 million euros in 2023 because of Black Friday.   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Black Week Challenges 03:00 Founding a Company: The Bureaucratic Struggle 05:59 Empowering Female Founders in E-Commerce 08:56 Marketplace Universe: Our Mission and Vision 18:00 Marketplace Universe: Connecting Sellers and Brands 26:05 Newsflash 30:03 The Evolution of Consumer Electronics Marketplaces 40:57 Local Heroes in Consumer Electronics 44:58 Chinese Marketplaces and their Impact

In dieser Episode von "Let's talk Marketplace" tauchen Valerie und Ingrid mit Lisa Haak, Head of Seller Community und Brand Relations bei eBay, tief in das Thema Markenstrategien auf eBay ein. Lisa teilt spannende Einblicke, wie eBay sich von der berüchtigten „Blackbox“ zu einem vertrauenswürdigen Partner für Marken entwickelt hat. Von autorisierten Händlern über B-Ware und Secondhand bis hin zu Retail Media – eBay bietet Marken heute ein echtes „Buffet“ an Optionen. Lisa verrät außerdem, warum Marken wie Dyson oder Bosch Vorreiter sind, wie das neue Markencockpit den Durchblick verschafft und was es mit Pre-Loved-Produkten auf sich hat. Außerdem teilt Lisa ihren Lieblings-Business-Hack: Sie wurde durch ihren Partner großer Eintracht Frankfurt-Fan und hat festgestellt, dass ein bisschen Smalltalk über Fußball wahre Networking-Wunder bewirkt – gerade in männerdominierten Branchen. Also, bei der nächsten Konferenz? Einfach mal nach dem SSV Jahn Regensburg fragen. 😉 Newsflash: Amazon Fresh wird in Deutschland eingestellt, stattdessen kooperiert Amazon jetzt mit dem Lieferdienst Knusper. TEMU wagt sich an Lebensmittel und plant das Gleiche auch für Europa – spannende Entwicklung oder verpufft es wie Amazon Fresh? Amazon Haul: Der Billigklon für alles unter 20 Dollar ist in den USA live. Meta kassiert eine EU-Strafe von 797 Millionen Euro wegen Bevorzugung des Facebook Marketplace. Information zu unserem Partner Storfund Wer kennt es nicht? Die Peak-Season läuft, die Verkäufe boomen, aber das Geld vom Marktplatz kommt erst in Wochen. Da greift Storfund unter die Arme. Der Finanzdienstleister zahlt dir deine Umsätze sofort aus – keine Wartezeiten, keine Cashflow-Sorgen. Storfund schließt die Lücke zwischen Verkauf und Auszahlung durch die Marktplätze, sodass du liquide bleibst, um Ware nachzubestellen oder ins Wachstum zu investieren. Für Händler, die schnell nachbestellen müssen, ohne Out-of-Stock zu gehen, kann das eine echte Rettung sein. Interesse? Mehr Infos gibt's hier. Information zu unserem Partner Taxdoo: Steuern – ein Thema, das keiner so richtig mag, aber jeden betrifft. Gerade wenn du grenzüberschreitend verkaufst, kann die Umsatzsteuer schnell zum Stolperstein werden. Hier kommt Taxdoo ins Spiel: Die Plattform automatisiert deine Umsatzsteuer-Prozesse und sorgt dafür, dass alles fristgerecht und rechtssicher abläuft. Taxdoo erfasst alle Verkäufe, Gebühren und Zahlungen deiner Marktplatz-Accounts und wertet sie aus. Taxdoo macht es dir leicht, auf Marktplätzen wie eBay, Amazon und Zalando zu verkaufen, ohne im Steuer-Dschungel zu versinken. Und wenn mal was schiefläuft? Taxdoo hilft nicht nur bei den aktuellen Meldungen, sondern bringt auch vergangene Monate in Ordnung. Mehr Infos gibt's hier. Kapitel: 00:15 – Begrüßung & warum Fußball Smalltalk im Business rettet 02:17 – Vorstellung von Lisa Haak und ihr Weg zu eBay 14:29 – Newsflash: Lebensmittel, Amazon Whole und Meta-Strafe 25:16 – Warum eBay früher als „Blackbox“ galt und wie sich das geändert hat 33:00 – Autohändler, B-Ware und Secondhand: eBays Marken-Buffet 46:28 – Markencockpit: Insights und Kampagnensteuerung für Marken 52:22 – Tipps für den Einstieg auf eBay & warum Durchstarterprogramme sinnvoll sind 57:04 – Abschied und Vorschau

At the end of the year, many vendor negotiations with Amazon are on the agenda – and these are truly no walk in the park! Because Amazon, of course, has its own interests in mind – not those of the brands. But if you go into the talks well prepared, you have a better chance. Martin Heubel – formerly a vendor manager at Amazon himself and now an independent Amazon consultant – explains in this podcast episode with Valerie what is important in the negotiations. For example, he reveals who should and should not participate in the talks and when, which key figures should underlie the talks and where they can be obtained. He describes the approach and tricks of vendor managers and reveals specific methods that can be used to ountert hem. Newsflash: -     Shein grew by 68 percent in Europe in 2023, with sales of 7.86 billion euros. -     Amazon is starting its Black Week earlier than usual on November 21. -     Amazon has adjusted its requirements and deadlines for products with the Prime logo for the Christmas season. Note from the sponsor ChannelEngine: ChannelEngine is a marketplace technology service provider that was founded in the Netherlands in 2013. It is now active throughout Europe, in the USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Dubai. ChannelEngine acts as a marketplace integrator and provides marketplace middleware: Brands and retailers can use it to connect to more than 950 different online marketplaces and social media platforms worldwide. It also offers automated processes for product listings, product ranges, management and fulfillment as well as repricing. ChannelEngine thus makes it easier for its customers to grow faster and more easily on marketplaces. More information is available here or in our webinar with ChannelEngine. You will find the record here Note from the sponsor Taxdoo: On November 1, the Amazon VAT-compliant service provider Avalara terminated its contractual relationship with around 30,000 European Amazon sellers. Those affected by this must act immediately: otherwise, they will certainly fall behind with their November returns in countries such as Spain, France, Italy and Poland. So it's time to choose a new provider, for example the tax tech expert Taxdoo. The good news is that with an existing ID, the change can actually be made within a few weeks, and returns for November can still be made. Taxdoo offers a comprehensive platform for online merchants who have to carry out legally compliant and efficient Value Added Taxreporting and accounting - including for marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay or Zalando. More at Taxdoo or via Jonny Hofberger. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:55 Amazon continues to clear out vendors 05:55 Annual Review Meetings Overview 10:07 Newsflash 21:33 Strategies for Successful Vendor Negotiations 33:31 Understanding True Costs of Serving Amazon 34:41 Sales Growth and Profitability Metrics 36:06 Market Share and Category Visibility 40:31 Investment Decisions and Co-op Marketing 42:11 Performance Analytics and ROI 44:05 Setting the Agenda for Negotiations 47:27 Escalation Strategies in Negotiations 54:30 Data Sources for Vendor Negotiations