Let's talk Marketplace

Two Fashionistas Talking - SNOCKS and the Road to Marketplace Success, In this episode, Valerie takes the mic solo - joined by Laura Maria Schmidt, Lead Marketplaces at SNOCKS Group. Laura shares how SNOCKS evolved from a pure Amazon seller into a profitable multi-marketplace setup spanning 26 countries. Her key takeaways: Marketplace isn’t a side job, a dedicated marketplace team is essential. Ra...

Why does the French fashion and sports market tick differently - and what does that mean for brands? In this episode of Let's Talk Marketplace, Ingrid and Valerie discuss this topic in detail with Déborah Schinasi (founder of the consulting firm The Agent in Paris) - in a practical, pointed, and no-nonsense way. They discuss why storytelling and emotional commerce beat pure transactions, why the f...

Amazon introduces its new AI feature “Help Me Decide” – a shopping assistant that uses your browsing and search history to make suggestions for your next purchase. In addition to this news, Valerie and Ingrid also discuss why Bauhaus only launched its marketplace after two years of development and whether the DIY market is too late to the party. They talk about a real early starter in the refurbis...

The UK marketplace game follows its own rules - and most European brands still play by the wrong ones. In this episode, Valerie and Ingrid talk with Neil Lauderdale (ex-Pentland, Speedo, Ellesse, Canterbury) about what really drives marketplace success in the UK. They discuss why Zalando and ASOS are overrated, while Next, Very, John Lewis, Debenhams, and M&S shape the market - and how Decathl...

Amazon doesn't negotiate - it tests your limits. In this episode, Ingrid and Valerie, together with Amazon expert Martin Heubel, reveal what really goes on behind the scenes of the annual vendor negotiations (AVNs). They discuss why brands are facing tougher terms, shrinking margins, and higher investments, and what smart strategies can help turn the tide. Martin explains how sellers can set clear...

Pimkie is the first European brand to use Shein's Xcelerate program – and in return, it faces a lawsuit from its former owners and exclusion from the French industry association. Is this move a lifeline or a massive reputational risk? Ingrid and Valerie discuss this in today's news episode. They also analyze the latest Temu user numbers (spoiler: huge growth!), delve into Amazon and Mirakle’s AI e...

Without the right product images, nothing works. But: different style guides, missing samples, questions around color accuracy, videos - all of that can make costs skyrocket fast. Can AI help? Yes - when it acts as an on-set co-pilot for photographers and models, steering lighting, poses, style-guide compliance, and quality assurance. How this works in practice - and why it’s a real performance le...

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 TikT...

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....

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 avoidi...

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. Man...

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 fo...

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...

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 li...

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 high...

"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 f...

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, Alltr...

International verkaufen? Für viele ein Angstthema, für MeineMarkenMode längst Alltag – wenn auch mit reichlich Narben. In dieser Folge sprechen wir mit Timo Bethlehem, Geschäftsführer von MeineMarkenMode, und Julius Komp, CEO & Co-Founder des Cross-Border-Dienstleisters Exporto, über die realen Herausforderungen der Expansion in europäische Märkte: Steuerregularien, Zollformalitäten, Retourenp...

In this episode, Ingrid and Valerie discuss the most important marketplace news from May – and one topic clearly stands out: the proposed merger between Zalando and About You is now officially under scrutiny by the European Commission. Many brands have already received formal inquiries from Brussels. The two explore what this means for brands and the deal’s timeline – and talk about why About You...

“If you can't do better than Allegro, stay at home.” A clear message from Marcin Czyczerski – and a warning to Western platforms that think they can just start up in Poland. The former CEO of CCC/Modivo describes the unique features of the marketplace landscape in Poland – one of the most exciting and challenging e-commerce markets in Europe. Marcin explains why Allegro is so dominant and why...

The biggest challenge in marketplace strategy? Your own company. In this episode, Ingrid talks to Christian Leihner, former Head of Marketplace and E-Commerce at Unilever and Haier, about the internal obstacles that often cause marketplace initiatives to fail – long before the first SKU goes live. Together, we clarify why many marketplace teams consist of nothing more than “an intern and a dog,” h...

Temu is on everyone's lips: aggressive advertising, rapid expansion, low prices. But is that reason enough to become active there as a brand? In this episode, Ingrid and Valerie talk to Marius Eckel, Head of E-Commerce & Marketplaces at Selva Technik, about his decision not to use Temu for the time being – even though he is otherwise very open to new platforms. They discuss Temu's current stre...

How do you build a successful marketplace? For this episode, Ingrid and Valerie have switched perspectives and brought Pinki Choudhury, a true master of marketplace development, to the microphone. As the strategic mind behind successful marketplace launches such as Tesco, Kingfisher, and Castorama, Pinki knows exactly what she's talking about. She presents her “Super Eight” -  the most importa...

The de minimis rule in the US has expired, Trump has raised tariffs on China to up to 145% – what consequences will this have for the global marketplace business? Valerie and Ingrid explore this question in the new episode with the most important news in April. The US move is having far-reaching consequences – Amazon Haul is also affected, as is DHL. There's more news from Kaufland Global Mark...

Wie schützt man eine Premium-Marke auf Marktplätzen wie Amazon, Zalando oder DocMorris – und sorgt gleichzeitig für Markenbekanntheit?  Diesen Fragen geht Valerie in der neuen Podcast-Episode mit Alexander Hally von Weleda nach. Sein Fazit: Zwei entscheidende Erfolgsfaktoren sind fundiertes Marktplatz-Know-how und eine klare Strategie. Im Gespräch verrät er, warum Weleda auf Amazon konsequent auf...