Marketplace Talk: May's Ecommerce News

🤖 AI-driven ecommerce traffic surges 393% as ChannelEngine bets on agentic commerce

AI is rapidly reshaping ecommerce discovery. Adobe Analytics reports that traffic from AI sources to U.S. retail sites grew 393% YoY in Q1 2026, converting 42% better than traditional traffic.

To help sellers adapt, ChannelEngine launched new AI-powered product data tools and early integrations with emerging agentic commerce protocols connected to Google AI Mode, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT shopping, and PayPal’s LLM checkout. As AI shopping grows, structured product data is becoming increasingly critical for marketplace visibility and performance.

“AI is quickly becoming a new gateway to ecommerce discovery. As platforms like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Google AI Mode influence purchasing decisions, brands will need to optimize not just for marketplaces and search engines, but also for AI-driven recommendation systems powered by structured product data.”

Jorrit Steinz,
Founder & CEO

📦 Amazon to invest €15 billion in France to expand logistics network

Amazon announced a €15 billion investment in France over the next three years, including the construction of four new distribution centers and upgrades to its existing logistics network.

The expansion aims to improve delivery speeds, increase product availability, and support marketplace sellers across France. Amazon says the investment will also create more than 7,000 permanent jobs.

The move is part of Amazon’s broader European expansion strategy, following major investments in countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland as competition across ecommerce marketplaces continues to grow.

“Amazon’s continued logistics investments across Europe show that speed, proximity, and fulfillment capacity remain critical competitive advantages. As marketplaces raise delivery expectations, sellers will increasingly need scalable local infrastructure to stay competitive.” 

Hugo Denoyelle,
Senior Sales Lead France

🧩 Allegro partners with OpenAI to accelerate AI-powered ecommerce

Polish ecommerce giant Allegro has announced a partnership with OpenAI to develop new AI-driven shopping and seller tools across its marketplace platform.

The collaboration will support Allegro’s efforts to improve shopping experiences, help sellers optimize performance, and accelerate product innovation. The company has already introduced AI assistants for buyers and is preparing to launch an AI-powered seller assistant that provides real-time insights, offer optimization, pricing support, and logistics recommendations.

The move highlights how marketplaces are increasingly investing in AI to improve personalization, automation, and operational efficiency as competition across European ecommerce continues to intensify.

📱TikTok Shop rapidly gains ground in Spain’s ecommerce market

TikTok Shop is growing quickly in Spain, with research from NielsenIQ showing that nearly one in five Spanish ecommerce businesses now sell through the platform. TikTok says there are already 21,000 local sellers active on TikTok Shop in Spain.

The platform has become particularly influential in categories like beauty and fashion, driven by discovery commerce formats such as livestream shopping and creator-led content.

TikTok Shop’s rapid growth highlights how social commerce is becoming an increasingly important sales channel, especially for brands looking to reach younger audiences through entertainment-driven shopping experiences.

“TikTok Shop’s rapid adoption in Spain proves that social commerce is moving beyond experimentation into a serious revenue channel. Discovery-driven shopping is reshaping how younger consumers engage with brands, especially in categories like fashion and beauty.”

Niels Floors,
Director Strategic Development

🤝 ChannelEngine and Increff partner to accelerate marketplace growth across MENA

ChannelEngine has announced a global partnership with retail technology company Increff, aimed at helping brands streamline inventory management and scale marketplace operations, with a strong focus on the fast-growing MENA ecommerce market.

By combining Increff’s inventory intelligence and demand forecasting tools with ChannelEngine’s marketplace automation platform, brands can better align supply with marketplace demand, reduce inefficiencies, and improve multichannel operations across platforms like Amazon, Noon, and Trendyol.

The partnership reflects the growing importance of connected inventory and marketplace systems as brands expand across the Middle East’s rapidly evolving ecommerce landscape.

“The MENA region represents one of the most dynamic e-commerce markets globally. By partnering with Increff, we are combining deep retail intelligence with powerful marketplace automation. Together, we enable brands to expand their reach across marketplaces while operating with greater accuracy, efficiency, and profitability.”

Niels Floors,
Director Strategic Development

❌ Amazon shuts down grocery operations in Singapore to focus on cross-border ecommerce

Amazon will close Amazon Fresh and its local fulfillment operations in Singapore on July 6, shifting its focus toward cross-border ecommerce from markets like the US, Japan, and Germany.

The move reflects changing consumer demand in Singapore, where Amazon says shoppers are more interested in international product selection than local grocery delivery. Services including partnerships with Little Farms and AS Watson will also end.

The decision highlights Amazon’s broader strategy of prioritizing areas with stronger scale and differentiation, while continuing to invest heavily in cross-border commerce and AWS infrastructure across Asia.

🚀 Otto opens its marketplace to Polish sellers

German marketplace Otto is preparing to open its platform to sellers in Poland, following its recent expansion into the Netherlands earlier this year. A pilot program with selected Polish sellers will begin next month as Otto continues its gradual international expansion strategy.

The marketplace still maintains strict entry requirements, including vetting all sellers and requiring German-language customer service. International sellers can now join using local entities and VAT numbers through the OSS procedure.

Otto also confirmed that sellers from Austria, France, Spain, and Denmark will gain access later in 2026, signaling a broader push to expand its marketplace assortment and strengthen its position in the competitive German ecommerce market.

“Otto’s expansion into Poland reflects a broader shift among European marketplaces toward international seller recruitment. For brands, this creates new cross-border opportunities, but also higher expectations around localization, customer service, and operational readiness.”

Mitchell Dröge,
Alliance Manager

📈 eBay Q1 sales and GMV exceed expectations as AI investments accelerate

eBay reported strong Q1 2026 results, with revenue rising 17% YoY to $3.09 billion and GMV increasing 14% to $22.2 billion, driven largely by growth in collectibles, automotive parts, and recommerce categories.

The marketplace also highlighted growing momentum behind its AI-powered tools. eBay says its “Magical Listing” feature has significantly increased seller listing activity, while its beta agentic search experience is driving higher shopper engagement and purchase behavior.

The results reflect how marketplaces are increasingly using AI to improve both seller productivity and product discovery as competition in ecommerce continues to evolve.

“eBay’s results highlight how AI is becoming deeply embedded across marketplace operations, from seller onboarding to product discovery. Marketplaces are no longer just testing AI features, they are using them to directly improve engagement, efficiency, and conversion.”

Jordi Vermeer,
Director Revenue (North America)

🚚 ChannelEngine expands partnership with Monta to add integrated fulfillment services

ChannelEngine has expanded its partnership with fulfillment provider Monta, allowing brands to combine marketplace connectivity with integrated fulfillment services across Europe and the UK.

The partnership gives sellers access to localized warehousing, picking, packing, shipping, and returns management through a single ecosystem, helping simplify cross-border operations and improve delivery speed in markets like Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the UK.

As marketplace competition grows, integrated fulfillment is becoming increasingly important for brands looking to scale efficiently while maintaining strong customer experiences.

“Expanding into new marketplaces is one thing, executing locally is another. With fulfillment capabilities now available across Europe and the UK through our partnership with Monta, we’re enabling our customers to start faster and scale more effectively in some of the world’s most competitive ecommerce markets.” 

Jorrit Steinz,
Founder & CEO