In this webinar, ChannelEngine's Head of North American Partnerships, Matt Tomaszewski, joined Jorrit Steinz (Founder and CEO, ChannelEngine), Bryan Fucetola (Director of Network Growth and Client Success, Salsify), and Andreas Hönl (Director Commercial, ZEOS) to break down how ecommerce and marketplace selling are changing and what brands must prioritize to win in 2026. The session took place on 4 December 2025, bringing together experts from across the ecosystem to share timely, practical insights.
The conversation explored the rapid evolution of product discovery, the rise of agent-powered shopping, and the increasing operational complexity of multichannel commerce. Most importantly, the panel walked through how brands can build a smarter, more scalable strategy that supports profitable growth.
Jorrit Steinz,Founder and CEO at ChannelEngine
The discussion revealed a clear theme. Success in 2026 will depend on unifying operations, strengthening product data, adopting automation, and choosing marketplaces strategically rather than opportunistically. Ecommerce teams that remove silos, streamline logistics, and prepare their product information for AI-powered discovery will outperform.
As part of the conversation, Jorrit also emphasized how AI played a role in preparing and shaping his own contributions to the webinar. It reinforced a key message. Brands should not only optimize their product content for AI-driven discovery, but they should also actively use AI to accelerate internal workflows, planning, and decision-making.
Key Takeaways 💡
- AI-powered discovery is already reshaping the digital shelf: Consumers are not just browsing product detail pages anymore. They are chatting with AI-powered advisors like Perplexity, Gemini, and Amazon Rufus. These systems influence product visibility and purchases and rely on high-quality, consistent data.
- Marketplace expansion is accelerating, but complexity grows with it: Brands are rapidly entering new regions and niche marketplaces. While this creates growth opportunities, it also increases fragmentation. Companies that centralize systems and standardize workflows are scaling faster with fewer operational bottlenecks.
- Logistics and delivery expectations are rising fast: Different countries expect different delivery models. Marketplaces are raising the bar on customer experience, and operational performance now directly influences ranking and conversion.
- Internal silos remain one of the biggest risks: Marketplace teams, wholesale teams, and D2C teams often work toward conflicting goals. Unified data governance and shared KPIs allow brands to operate as a single revenue engine instead of fragmented units.
- Profitability requires smarter inventory planning: Flexible stock pools, dynamic replenishment, and selective inventory allocation help brands avoid stockouts, markdowns, and margin erosion.
🎥 Missed the live session?
Here's the recording:
Key learnings:
Bryan Fucetola,Director of Network Growth and Client Success at Salsify
1. Build AI-ready product content
AI-driven discovery requires brands to prepare content for both SEO and AEO. Product data must be:
- Complete across every attribute
- Rich in use case explanations
- Structured for conversational search
- Consistent across all endpoints and regions
- Updated frequently to avoid outdated signals in AI engines
Brands that invest in AI-ready content gain stronger visibility on marketplaces and search engines.
2. Treat multichannel expansion as a strategic program
Andreas Hönl,Director Commercial at ZEOS
Marketplace selling is no longer a test and learn environment. It demands a clear strategy. High growth brands:
- Define channel roles and pricing structures
- Allocate stock intentionally across priority markets
- Avoid rushing expansion without operational readiness
- Use automation rather than manual marketplace management
This allows teams to scale without sacrificing customer experience or profitability.
3. Unify logistics to support cross-border growth
Customer expectations differ significantly by region. Speed, delivery method, and payment preferences all impact conversion and marketplace ranking.
Andreas Hönl,Director Commercial at ZEOS
- Multi-channel fulfillment programs
- 3PL networks with regional specialization
- Centralized stock pools
- Carrier integrations and localized delivery options
This approach reduces overhead while increasing customer satisfaction.
4. Operational automation is key to scaling in 2026
Jorrit Steinz,Founder and CEO at ChannelEngine
Automation supports lean teams. It reduces human error, speeds up listing workflows, and ensures pricing, availability, and stock levels are updated in real time. Modern automation supports:
- Attribute and content mapping
- Pricing and availability optimization
- Stock balancing and replenishment
- Listing automation for new marketplaces
Generative AI further strengthens quality control and product content transformation.
5. Use intelligent inventory planning to protect profit margins
Andreas Hönl,Director Commercial at ZEOS
As Andreas highlighted during the session, demand signals are becoming more precise and more immediate. Brands improve profitability through:
- Replenishment modeling based on in-season trends
- Ring-fencing stock for high-margin channels
- Avoiding unnecessary overstock and discounting
- Allocating inventory dynamically rather than manually
This removes guesswork and supports healthier margins across the full calendar year.
Final thoughts
2026 marks a turning point in how customers discover and buy products online. AI-powered shopping, more marketplace diversification, and higher delivery expectations all demand a more unified and data-driven approach. Brands that invest early in automation, product content quality, and operational readiness will be well-positioned to scale profitably across markets.
