TikTok Shop polarises – is it chaos or the next big thing in commerce? Kristina Mertens sees clear potential. In this episode, she joins Ingrid and Valerie to discuss why Social Commerce is more than a trend and how creator communities drive real brand loyalty.

She shares how brands like 6PM or More Nutrition succeed by specifically tapping into content ecosystems. And she talks about her own TikTok experience – 11 seconds from video to purchase. They explore why About You’s quick retreat may have come too soon, what makes Social Commerce fundamentally different from classic marketplace logic, and why emotional community-building and AI-driven shopping agents are likely to coexist in the future. For marketplaces, the message is clear: evolve – or become just another data source.

Note from the sponsor Kaufland Global Marketplace:

Want to expand your marketplace business across Europe? Then Kaufland Global Marketplace is definitely worth a look. After launching in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Austria, Kaufland is now expanding its marketplace network to France and Italy – two of the largest e-commerce markets in Europe. France went live on August 12, Italy will follow in just a few weeks. And here’s the best part – there’s a special offer for new sellers: With the voucher code MP-UNI2025, you can sell without paying a base fee for 3 months on all Kaufland marketplaces. Valid only for new registrations until October 31, 2025. Register right now here: https://www.kaufland.com/join?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=B2BMarketplaceUniverse&utm_content=08_2025

Note from the sponsor Pixelmoda:

Founded in Milan in 2021, Pixelmoda specializes in AI-assisted image and video production. The key feature is that the AI does not generate the images, but supports the team and models in taking the best possible shots quickly by optimizing camera position, lightning, model poses, and so on. This significantly shortens production time and reduces costs up to 70 % for photo production and up to 90 % for video production. Pixelmoda produces over 14 million images and videos per year. Its customers include over 100 brands from more than 20 countries, including three of the top five global online marketplaces and lots of luxury brands. If you want to learn more about this, tune in next week. In Episode 126Ingrid and Valerie will be talking to Gianni Serratzi, CEO of Pixelmoda.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Social Commerce

05:57 The Rise of TikTok Shop

07:51 Social Commerce vs. Traditional E-commerce

11:24 The mistake of hasty withdrawal

14:45 The new way to shop on TikTok Shop

19:09 Logistics and Fulfillment in Social Commerce

24:59 The importance of social experience

30:26 The Future of Marketplaces and AI Commerce

ChatGPT is testing an enhanced shopping feature that includes checkout, Amazon is launching its AI agent Rufus, and Shopify is blocking its platform for AI bots. What we are witnessing these days is more of a revolution than an evolution, not least because of the rapid pace of change.

That's why Ingrid and Valerie are joined by AI expert Stefan Wenzel in this episode to take a look at the future. They talk about why the new e-commerce is no longer commerce, but a software protocol in which systems communicate with systems. They shed light on why brands will have to sell to machines in the future, why Retail Media 1.0 has had its day, and how the necessary visibility can be achieved. They also discuss why the battle for the customer interface has reignited and why Amazon could be left behind. And who could monetize customer access in the future.  

Note from the sponsor eBay:

On Friday, September 25, 2025, eBay OPEN is coming back to Germany. After a two-year hiatus, this great family reunion of eBay sellers is returning to Berlin, at BrewDog DogTap in Marienpark. Look forward to the complete eBay experience: great keynotes – including a strategic outlook from Saskia Meier-Andrae, CEO of eBay Germany – insights into AI and Gen Z trends at the highest level, and plenty of networking opportunities. And it's also a celebration – eBay is turning 30, so it's part conference, part festival. Ingrid will be there in person because she is on the jury of the eBay Awards for the sixth time in a row, which honors the best sellers in Germany. Secure your ticket now: https://www.visitberlin.de/en/event/ebay-open-2025  

Note from the sponsor bol:

Bol has established itself as a local hero in the Netherlands and Belgium and has become the market leader in the region thanks to a clear focus on customer satisfaction and innovation. As a generalist marketplace, it offers more than 42 million products in 28 categories and access to more than 13 million customers. This also makes bol attractive for retailers from neighboring countries. If you want to know more about bol, don’t miss the upcoming webinar: “Start Selling on bol Marketplace – Faster, Easier, Smarter” on September 23rd. Patricia Lay, Partnership Growth Manager at bol, and Hassan Imran, E-Commerce Manager at Neudorff Performances will share how international brands can successfully sell on bol and what it takes to get started. Register right now here! https://zoom.us/webinar/register/5917532143442/WN_Ma7kmG-TRQa8RQ_Dppb4Ew#/registration

Takeaways:

• The emergence of AI shopping agents signifies a profound transformation in e-commerce, moving from traditional commerce to a system where machines engage in transactions on behalf of users.
• Retail Media 1.0 is becoming obsolete, as the new paradigm demands brands to adapt to a landscape where visibility hinges on their ability to engage with AI-driven interfaces.
• The competition for consumer interaction has intensified, with major platforms like Amazon and ChatGPT vying for dominance in delivering a seamless shopping experience.
• Brands must recognize that future customer engagement will increasingly involve selling to AI agents, necessitating a reevaluation of marketing strategies and customer interactions.
• The evolution of commerce as a software protocol suggests that direct human-to-brand interactions will diminish, giving rise to system-to-system communications that redefine the shopping experience.
• Data has become the currency of the new e-commerce landscape, compelling brands to leverage high-quality content and product information to maintain relevance in AI-driven search results.

People who don’t take the time to reflect often fail to see the true value of community in business – or take its benefits for granted. Both perspectives overlook the full potential of exchange, connection, and trust. That’s exactly why, in this episode, Ingrid and Valerie highlight the very real business impact of networking and community: From insights you’ll never find on a dashboard, to avoiding costly mistakes, to building unexpected business relationships that would never have happened otherwise. They share real-life stories from their own experience – about people who connected through community but would’ve never met otherwise. About how true peer-to-peer exchange can build the trust needed to accept a market reality – like the surprisingly low relevance of Zalando in the UK. And one thing is clear: There’s one ingredient that should never be missing from any community... Fun.

Note from the Marketplace Universe Brand Leader Community:

The Brand Leader Community Softlines for marketplace managers responsible for brands in the fashion, shoes, sports, and Accessoires launched in June with Season 1. A curated circle of approx. 25 peers from leading fashion & sports brands with Invite-only access. Currently, leading marketplace heads from brands such as s.Oliver, Mammut, Speedo, Hunckemöller, Oui, Berghaus, and Armedangels are among those taking part. Season 2 will start in December. If you would like to participate, you can find more information here: https://marketplace-universe.com/leaders-circle-softlines/

Note from  the sponsor exporto:

Internationalization and its challenges are a big concern to brands and sellerrs. Shipping, returns processing, tax regulations and one-stop shop procedures – all of this can cause quite a headache. Service providers such as exporto can help. exporto has spezialised cross-border e-commerce logistics in Europe. With automated technology and a strong partner network, exporto ensures that online retailers can ship internationally as smoothly as they do in their home market. And the best part? Exporto has an attractive discount for you: If you register with exporto by August 31 and sign a contract, you won't pay any basic fees for the first two months. Register right now here: https://mag.exporto.de/marketplace-universe-offer

Note from the sponsor Kaufland Global Marketplace:

Want to expand your marketplace business across Europe? Then Kaufland Global Marketplace is definitely worth a look. After launching in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Austria, Kaufland is now expanding its marketplace network to France and Italy – two of the largest e-commerce markets in Europe. France went live on August 12, Italy will follow in just a few weeks. And here’s the best part – there’s a special offer for new sellers: With the voucher code MP-UNI2025, you can sell without paying a base fee for 3 months on all Kaufland marketplaces. Valid only for new registrations until October 31, 2025. Register right now here: https://www.kaufland.com/join?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=B2BMarketplaceUniverse&utm_content=08_2025

The marketplace business continues to produce remarkable success stories – such as those of Carolin Langer and LaCaTho. With an average shopping cart value of only $4, her business is profitable, scalable, and growing. In this episode, she talks about how she started out on eBay and now supplies over 40,000 customers a year with bee-friendly seeds. For her, automation is a must, not an option. Many tools make her work easier, but they are all reviewed every six months. There are clear responsibilities in her small team, with everyone having a specific area of responsibility – for eBay, Amazon, and Shopify. And because Carolin loves to shoot short videos of seeds, flowers, trees, and bees everywhere she goes, she is able to market her products without expensive ads – which are simply not feasible with such low-priced products. Instead, they generate a decent amount of sales in their own shop via TikTok. She also reveals how she manages her time – she works full-time as a mechanical engineer.

Note from  the sponsor exporto:

Internationalization and its challenges are a big concern to brands and sellerrs. Shipping, returns processing, tax regulations and one-stop shop procedures – all of this can cause quite a headache. Service providers such as exporto can help. exporto has spezialised cross-border e-commerce logistics in Europe. With automated technology and a strong partner network, exporto ensures that online retailers can ship internationally as smoothly as they do in their home market. And the best part? Exporto has an attractive discount for you: If you register with exporto by August 31 and sign a contract, you won't pay any basic fees for the first two months. Register right now here: https://mag.exporto.de/marketplace-universe-offer

Note from  the sponsor base:

Base is a SAAS e-commerce solution provider originally founded 2006 in Poland. The platform offers features such as automations for order management, inventory management and fulfilment, a marketplace management tool for lots and lots of B2B and B2C channels, and integration options to include other backend tools in real-time. Base is present in 11 countries, the solution is already used by companies such as OBI, Kärcher, MediaMarkt, Samsung, Decathlon, Intersport, Develey. If you would like to learn more about Base, join us at our Connect Event with Base on September 17 in Cologne. Register right now: https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/1wBV5bM8AALuEq8GfFLwj7tLJ80w9AZL4cf4DN1nvG4uMLrSOfA5NxaV1X0qvNAC7

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Marketplace Dynamics

02:46 Carolin Langer's Journey: From Side Hustle to CEO

06:38 The special market situation of LaCaTho

12:27 Marketplace Strategies: Automation and Customer Experience

17:32 Volume in the main and off-season

21:06 Bestsellers and the tricks of algorithms

24:31 The power of Videos and of TikTok

31:46 Scaling and Future Plans for LaCaTho

ChatGPT is testing in-chat shopping – from product search to recommendations and even checkout via Stripe. No webshop, no marketplace – just conversation. Shopify reacts immediately, blocking AI shopping agents. The battle for the customer interface has officially begun. In this episode, Ingrid and Valerie discuss how AI agents are shifting the power dynamics in e-commerce – and what this means for marketplaces, sellers, and brands. They also unpack the stories behind these headlines:

• Galaxus pushes international expansion despite heavy losses
• Tesco builds a massive new distribution center
• bol.com opens up to non-EU sellers
• Zalando & About You – merger approved, but many questions remain

Note from the sponsor eBay:

Selling internationally sounds easy – but the reality often tells a different story. Because shipping abroad is not the same as being truly ready to scale across borders. That’s why our partner eBay has put together a super helpful whitepaper that helps you check your international readiness with a detailed checklist and gives concrete advice on pricing, customer service, inventory, returns – and even how to identify the right markets and products. One highlight: With the eBay Product Research Tool, you can analyze three years of sales data by country and category. So if cross-border commerce is on your radar, download the free whitepaper “From Germany to the World” by eBay right now: https://www.ebay.de/sml/whitepaper-internationalverkaufen

Note from  the sponsor base:

Base is a SAAS e-commerce solution provider originally founded 2006 in Poland. The platform offers features such as automations for order management, inventory management and fulfilment, a marketplace management tool for lots and lots of B2B and B2C channels, and integration options to include other backend tools in real-time. Base is present in 11 countries, the solution is already used by companies such as OBI, Kärcher, MediaMarkt, Samsung, Decathlon, Intersport, Develey. If you would like to learn more about Base, join us at our Connect Event with Base on September 17 in Cologne. Register right now: https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/1wBV5bM8AALuEq8GfFLwj7tLJ80w9AZL4cf4DN1nvG4uMLrSOfA5NxaV1X0qvNAC7

Chapters:

01:00 AI's Impact on Marketplace Shopping

07:40 Galaxus's Internationalization Strategy

09:41 Tesco's New Distribution Strategy

11:49 Zalando and About You Merger

15:30 Bol's Expansion to Non-EU Sellers

What do you do when wholesale for brick-and-mortar sales suddenly causes you to lose the Buy Box? There's only one thing to do: get out of brick-and-mortar sales. That's exactly what Anna Maria from BabyForte did after large online pharmacies snatched the Buy Box away from her on Amazon. Local pharmacies reacted immediately and negatively to her cautious price adjustment. Since then, she has been focusing fully on her online business again. In this podcast episode, she talks about the three phases a D2C brand goes through when it is being built up, why she continues to invest in her web shop, why she relies on a clearly defined brand portfolio, and why she is not looking for investors at the moment. She also reveals why her team spends every week analyzing click rates.

Takeaways:

• Anna Maria Zillinger elucidates the necessity for D2C brands to pivot away from brick-and-mortar sales when faced with the loss of the Amazon Buy Box.
• The significance of a meticulously defined brand portfolio is underscored by Anna Maria as vital for sustaining competitive advantage in e-commerce.
• Investment in a web shop remains a strategic priority for Anna Maria, emphasizing the importance of direct consumer engagement.
• Anna Maria's team employs weekly click rate analyses to optimize product visibility and enhance marketing effectiveness on digital platforms.

Note from the sponsor Taxdoo:

Every marketplace trader can tell you a thing or two about it: different tax rates, different responsibilities, tax advisors who are inexperienced in e-commerce. The taxtech company Taxdoo wants to remedy this situation. Taxdoo offers a comprehensive platform for online retailers who need to carry out legally compliant and efficient sales tax reporting and accounting processes. The software analyzes all sales, fees, and payments, resulting in a transparent and audit-proof solution, is seamlessly integrated with many marketplaces and can handle all EU and UK sales tax processing, including OSS exports. If you want to know more about VAT, read our blog article, in which you will also find a table with all VAT rates in the EU, UK, and Switzerland. Find out more here:

https://marketplace-universe.com/vat-traps-7-critical-rules-every-marketplace-seller-in-europe-needs-to-know/

Note from the sponsor MediaMarkSaturn:

Even though it's only summer, Cyber Week is coming around faster than you think! That means: Plan early. Because the time between November 24th and December 1st is not just a sales boost – it’s a full-on operational challenge. The most common mistakes? As Alexander Klinger from MediaMarktSaturn knows it’s not enough stock, no prep for returns and customer inquiries, poor product content and shipping KPIs all over the place. MediaMarktSaturn shares participation details 4 to 6 weeks ahead. Secure visibility, top homepage deals are handpicked – only sellers with strong KPIs and competitive prices stand a chance. And use Retail Media wisely. They work, but only if you book them early. For more practical tips see the full interview on Marketplace Universe:

https://marketplace-universe.com/good-cyber-week-preparation/

What happens when a traditional company like plant protection specialist Neudorff enters the international D2C market? Sure, the first step is Amazon. But what's the second? Local heroes like bol in the Netherlands. In this episode, Tamer Memis and Hassan Imran report on how a digital offshoot becomes a speedboat, why in-house logistics is part of the core business, and how it is possible to go live on bol in less than three weeks. (Spoiler: They did their homework beforehand.) Patricia Lay from bol explains why this is only the case for a few sellers, how bol helps foreign retailers get started, and why bol now also allows non-EU sellers.

Note from the sponsor Taxdoo:

Imagine this: 1,000 orders and one incorrect VAT rate, and suddenly you've lost $4,000. This is a real risk for many cross-border sellers in Europe. That's because VAT in e-commerce is complex. That's why we've teamed up with our partner Taxdoo to break down what marketplace sellers really need to know about VAT. In our detailed analysis, we discuss when OSS helps and when it doesn't, when a marketplace collects VAT and when you as a seller are still liable, and why an incorrect VAT rate has a direct impact on your prices and margins. You can find the article with a complete overview of EU VAT rates as well as tax rates for the UK and Switzerland here: https://marketplace-universe.com/vat-traps-7-critical-rules-every-marketplace-seller-in-europe-needs-to-know/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to bol and Neudorff

07:55 The Onboarding Process for International Sellers

10:47 Underestimated market: Netherlands

14:27 Market Dynamics: The Dutch E-commerce Landscape

21:22 Challenges for International Sellers in the Dutch Market

25:01 Future Prospects for bol and International Sellers

27:05 Turning logistical necessity into a success

Men focus on AI, women on community and content – that was the impression left by this year’s K5 keynote. While the male speakers see AI as the ultimate game changer that could make online shops obsolete and secure the dominance of large platforms, the female speakers envision the future in creator and content-driven commerce. In this episode, Ingrid and Valerie discuss these perspectives and highlight where the common ground lies: in action, in speed, and in the importance of content. They also take a closer look at a perspective that is often completely overlooked – that of the consumer who simply wants, - or needs- , to buy at the lowest possible price.

Note from the sponsor PlentyONE:

Selling on Amazon, Ott0, Zalando, or Kaufland? Then you already know: every marketplace has its own rules, fees, and expectations. But what if you had one clear, structured overview that compares them all – side by side? Our partner PlentyONE, has created exactly that: a free whitepaper that helps you find the right platforms for your products, categories, and strategy. It covers Marketplace access requirements, fees & commissions, fulfillment rules & SLAs - and much more – from Amazon to Zalando. It provides many insights into multichannel commerce and helps you to work out your individual roadmap for a successful multichannel strategy. Get the white paper right here: https://www.plentyone.com/de/multichannel-whitepaper?utm_source=marketplaceuniverse&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=CP_MKT_Whitepaper_Multichannel &utm_content=podcast-spoken-ad

Note from the sponsor bol:

Bol has established itself as a local hero in the Netherlands and Belgium and has become the market leader in the region thanks to a clear focus on customer satisfaction and innovation. It offers more than 42 million products in 28 categories and access to more than 13 million customers. This also makes bol attractive for retailers from neighboring countries. Want to know more about bol? Then look forward to our podcast episode 119 next week, in which we talk to Patricia Lay, Partnership growth manager at bol and, Hassan Imran, e-commerce manager at Neudorff ePeformances, about his experiences with selling on bol.

Note from the sponsor eBay:

On July 10, we’re inviting a select group of decision-makers to join us for our final live Connect Event  before the summer break – the eBay „Entscheider Dinner“. This exclusive dinner is designed for meaningful conversations, new connections, and fresh marketplace insights in a relaxed setting. A few seats are still available for brand representatives who want to be part of this handpicked group. If you’d like to join us for an inspiring summer evening full of ideas, exchange, and excellent food – register now: https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/2XDfDE0vbHe8h96aXSfyWrvp8zpVs4yHFNCmobskstDVlYZklO5oapv41ZpvF2zPJ

Chapters:

00:00 Adventures at K5 Conference

03:10 Insights from the K5 Conference

05:23 The Future of E-Commerce: AI and Shopping Agents

12:00 The Role of Community and Content in Commerce

18:03 Speed vs. Strategy in E-Commerce

23:54 Understanding the Average Consumer

30:01 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

"E-commerce isn’t complex." A bold statement – especially coming from the Vice President Marketplace at MediaMarktSaturn. But Christian Kollesch means it. In this episode, he explains what’s behind it: the strategic repositioning of the MediaMarktSaturn marketplace, the expansion into new verticals like DIY and Baby & Kids, and the ambitious goal to become Europe’s leading platform for refurbished electronics. He also shares how this transformation is being executed – with hands-on seller support, access to first-party data, and unique services such as Space-as-a-Service. Last but not least, he talks about the marketplace’s international rollout, which is recently live in Belgium and Poland and will soon expand to Turkey and Hungary, all while tripling GMV within just one year. For more Information: https://faq.mediamarkt.de/app/answers/detail/a_id/17006/~/was-ist-der-mediamarkt-marketplace%3F

 Chapters

00:00 Introduction to MediaMarkt's Marketplace Expansion

05:50 The Shift in Marketplace Strategy

10:06 Marketplace Growth and Performance Metrics

14:00 Seller Dynamics and Quality Management

17:01 Competitive Pricing and Seller Advantages

21:19 Marketplace Strategy and Seller Support

25:06 Expanding into New Vertical Categories

28:24 Brand Integrity and Customer Expectations

30:00 Onboarding Process for Sellers

32:46 Quality Control and Seller Performance

35:34 Vision for Refurbished Products Market

Five marketplaces in one fell swoop – after 1.5 years of preparation, AlphaTrail is taking the next big step in multichannel distribution. In this episode, Valerie talks to Michael Grundwürmer, CEO & Co-Founder of AlphaTrail, about how the former Amazon-only brand has developed into an international premium brand for bicycle parts and is simultaneously launching on eBay, Otto, Decathlon, Alltricks, and bol. They discuss the biggest challenges, such as finding a suitable logistics provider, the unimagined possibilities of AI, and the power of clear focus – which always trumps pure speed.

Note from the Sponsor ChannelEngine:

Marketplace fees, middleware costs, pick & pack, shipping, returns processing, and even storage fees - anyone who sells on marketplaces knows that it's often not easy to understand what you're really left with at the end of the day. That's because hidden profit killers can lurk everywhere. To help you get more profit out of your marketplaces, ChannelEngine has compiled 5 tips for greater profitability on marketplaces in a new e-book. It shows how low-margin products can become real profit drivers and why clearly calculated minimum prices are crucial for your profitability. Click here for the 5 tips for greater profitability on marketplaces: https://marketplace-universe.com/5-tips-for-better-marketplace-profitability/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to AlphaTrail and Its Journey

09:00 Diving Deeper into AlphaTrail's Product Strategy

15:13 Marketplace Strategy and Expansion Plans

20:28 Exploring Marketplace Strategies

24:52 The Role of AI in E-commerce

28:06 Understanding Customer Behavior Across Marketplaces

33:16 Data-Driven Decision Making in E-commerce

34:38 Maintaining a Lean Business Model

37:15 The Future of AI in E-commerce