Digital Markets Act, marketplaces boom & Amazon's acquisition of MGM
The number of online marketplaces seems to be multiplying these days: home24, Marie Claire, and Görtz are just a few of the retailers that are opening new e-commerce platforms that will offer third-party brands in addition to their own products.
This development meets the increased demand in Germany for online shopping. According to a new survey, the shopping mood of Germans has been very positive in 2022 so far and continues to trend upward. On the other hand, the BEVH’s forecast for online retailing is rather negative due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Logistical problems within the global supply chain as well as price increases for energy and the procurement of new goods pose severe challenges for many sellers.
A new digital law will come into effect in the EU. The so-called “Digital Markets Act” affects large tech companies such as Google, Meta (formerly Facebook) and Amazon and is intended to protect consumers and users as well as create fair competitive conditions between the big players in the EU.
Amazon itself has also announced to bring new guidelines on its platform into effect that aim to protect customers. They affect sellers and are intended to prevent price fixing. There is also an update related to the online giant’s entertainment division: Amazon has finally completed the acquisition of MGM Film Studios.
Updates: Amazon
New law to balance competition in big tech: Digital Markets Act
Last week, the EU agreed on the new “Digital Markets Act” (DMA), which will ban certain practices used by large platforms acting as “gatekeepers” in Europe and enable the EU Commission to carry out market investigations and sanction non-compliant behaviour. For example, the regulation will force big tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta to give companies access to the data it generates from them, provide advertising transparency, and end self-preferencing. The DMA is expected to come into force in October 2022.
New Amazon guidelines for sellers to prevent price fixing
Today, on 31 March 2022, new rules will come into effect for sellers on Amazon. Among others, a policy explicitly prohibiting price-fixing and search ranking manipulation will be added to the Sales Guidelines and Seller Code of Conduct. This applies to all Amazon marketplaces in Europe.
Amazon bets on retail media in stationary retail
Amazon is causing a stir in the DooH (digital out of home) industry in North America, as the e-commerce giant is now counting on displays and third-party advertising in its own stores. For now, these advertising options will only be available to existing Amazon suppliers whose products have an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number). Reportedly, the expansion of inventory marketing into other areas is being considered.
Why Amazon’s success in Germany will continue
Pattern recently launched its “German Shopper Report 2022”, summarizing German consumers’ buying behavior. Some key insights from the report that stand out: 96% of German online shoppers bought products on Amazon within the last 12 months, stating that the e-commerce platform offered the best prices for what they were looking for. Almost 44% of respondents said they would spend more money shopping online on Amazon in 2022. 60% of all surveyed consumers already have an Amazon Prime account.
Updates: E-Commerce
New online marketplaces: home24, Marie Claire, Görtz, Kaufland
Home and living brand home24 will start an online marketplace in Germany – the launch is planned for the summer of 2022. Fashion magazine Marie Claire will also open its own shopping platform for selected brands. In addition, German shoe store chain Görtz has expanded its “Görtz Connected” platform to include clothing brands. Supermarket giant Kaufland also plans to transform its German online platform into an international “Kaufland Global Marketplace” and is expanding to the Czech Republic and Slovakia during an initial test phase.
Forecast: The Ukraine war affects e-commerce more than COVID-19
According to the latest results of a member survey conducted by the BEVH (Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel), most actors in the German e-commerce and mail order industry expect increasing difficulties in the sector’s development. Respondents named rising energy and procurement prices as the main challenges. In addition, a third of the respondents report that their customer base is shrinking due to supply chain problems. Likewise, the “buying mood” of consumers is increasingly affected by the war. The survey’s findings can most likely be transferred to the other European countries.
What caught our attention
Amazon is testing a new layout for the gallery images on the PDP: The size of the images has increased significantly and they are positioned more centrally. This new layout also includes that the page moves when scrolling down, while the image remains in the center of the page.
Amazon is also testing a feature that allows users to scroll through a product’s image gallery directly from the search results page, even before landing on the PDP.
Remdash: Traffic & Conversion Rate
With Remdash, you can analyze your Traffic & Conversion Rate data from both Seller and Vendor Central. Our tool allows you to:
Compare product groups or single ASINs with each other
Compare global data and marketplaces data
Group data daily, weekly, or monthly
Combine data from Vendor Central and Seller Central
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Top 5 Keywords
In the US, online shoppers were recently mainly searching for Easter candy and summer clothing. In Germany, the feared consequences of the Ukraine war on food availability were reflected in the search results in mid-March. In Italy and Spain, on the other hand, there was an increase in searches for Father’s Day gifts during the time period that was analyzed.