THREE.E

E-Commerce Forecast – Modest Growth, Big Opportunities: The E-Commerce Database (ECDB) has released growth forecasts for three key markets: Germany, the U.S., and the UK. The differences are fascinating and offer reasons for cautious optimism – even here in Germany. 🔍 Key Takeaways at a Glance: Germany: After a challenging 2024, a modest yet steady recovery is on the horizon. Consumers are becoming more cautious, seeking affordable alternatives, and gravitating toward marketplaces. U.S.: With projected growth rates of up to 7.0%, the U.S. remains a global leader, fueled by strong innovation and the international presence of its e-commerce platforms. UK: Despite slightly below-average growth rates (5.8%–6.9%), the UK market is well-positioned – especially in comparison to Germany. 🌍 What Drives Global Growth? The answer: Emerging Markets. Countries like India, Vietnam, and Mexico are in the expansion phase, pushing global growth rates up to 10%. 🤔 What Does This Mean for the German Market? While growth figures may seem modest in comparison, there’s reason for optimism. A stable, albeit slow, growth rate in a mature market offers opportunities: ·     Providers can excel with smart pricing strategies and innovation. ·     Marketplaces and platforms are gaining further significance. ·     Adapting to changing consumer behavior opens up strategic positioning potential. 💡 Conclusion: Germany may be growing more slowly, but the maturity of the market is its strength. Stability and quality are values that prevail in the long run – especially in a landscape marked by uncertainty.

Exciting times for THREE.E at the E-commerce Berlin Expo! 🚀 Our co-founders Femke Bohling, Marisa Eichberger and Miriam Hollerbach are on their way to connect, learn, and celebrate the best in the industry.

🌍 Shaping the Future of E-Commerce: Fair Competition for Europe The Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) has introduced a 10-point action plan in December, to strengthen fair competition in European e-commerce.  The focus: Protection against unfair practices by non-EU platforms, such as tax evasion, counterfeit products, and bypassing environmental and consumer protection standards. These proposals are crucial – but they also raise questions:  ✔ How can we ensure measures like the Digital Services Act (DSA) are consistently prioritized and enforced  across all EU countries? ✔ How can Europe modernize its customs and control systems to efficiently handle millions of incoming shipments?  ✔ And how do we go beyond regulation to promote innovation, sustainability, and digital transformation within Europes trade policy? A strong trading environment needs clear rules and enforcement, but it also requires a forward-looking perspective: Europe must leverage its strengths – innovation, quality, and sustainable business models – to remain globally competitive in the long term. 

🚨 Why Waiting for the Upswing Isn’t Worth It – and What Every Business Should Do NOW… Over the past three years, many businesses in Germany have been waiting for a significant economic upswing – but it still hasn’t materialized. Instead, we continue to face fluctuating growth forecasts and uncertain market conditions, making planning increasingly difficult. 📉 In the meantime, new challenges like increased competitive pressure and rising operational costs have emerged. This makes one thing clear: Waiting is not a strategy. Businesses need to secure their profitability and operate efficiently to remain competitive in the long term. 👉 What should businesses do now? To succeed in uncertain times, it’s not just about revenue growth – it’s about the continuous optimization of the P&L. Here are a few areas every business should focus on: ➤ Optimize Conversion Rate (CR): Small improvements can have a big impact on profitability. Alongside broader optimizations and A/B testing, ongoing onsite optimization – such as refining search and sorting functionality – should become part of your daily operations. ➤ Flexible Pricing and Promotions: Regularly adjust pricing and promotional campaigns based on product margins, country performance, and stock levels. These adjustments can significantly enhance your daily margins. ➤ Strengthen Customer Loyalty: Retaining existing customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Now is the right time to prioritize loyalty programs or app projects that boost customer shopping frequency and reduce marketing costs for outreach to existing users. ➤ Optimize Returns and Shipping Processes: Improvements in this area can significantly ease the burden on your bottom line. Understanding the most common reasons for returns and optimizing shipping and return costs can have a substantial impact. 🔑 Key takeaway: In a time when the big economic upswing remains elusive, it’s the small, consistent improvements that truly make a difference. It’s not about a “big bang” solution – it’s about detailed optimization. By ensuring profitability through steady progress, businesses can stay strong even in tough times. 

✨ THREE.E among the Top 10 at the E-commerce Germany Awards! ✨ We are thrilled to have made it into the Top 10 in the "Best Agency Showcase" category! This nomination makes us especially proud: this year’s competition saw hundreds of companies applying and over 24,000 public votes being cast. We might be the underdog, but we are confident that the jury will recognize the passion and quality behind our work. In just eight months since our founding, we have proven that we deliver real value to our clients, create innovative solutions, and execute projects that leave a lasting impression. We’re looking forward to the gala on February 19, 2025 – a fantastic opportunity for meaningful conversations and new connections. A huge thank you to our team, clients, and partners who made this achievement possible. This is just the beginning – there’s so much more to come! 💪

💡 Revolutionizing Fashion: How ABOUT YOU and Zalando Plan to Build a Unified Ecosystem In the manager magazin (link in comments), David Schröder and Tarek Müller spoke in detail for the first time about their shared vision: creating a comprehensive ecosystem for the fashion and lifestyle industry – with a clear focus on solutions for both end customers and business partners. We find the approach to strengthening the B2B segment by combining ZEOS and SCAYLE Commerce Engine particularly exciting. The merger unites Zalando's expertise in fulfillment and marketplace operations with SCAYLE's e-commerce software solutions, offering a powerful all-in-one package for over 6,000 fashion partners – and beyond. Brands can avoid wasting resources on reinventing solutions that already exist in the market – solutions that are often more advanced and refined than in-house developments could ever be. Instead, they can focus on their unique USPs. This ZEOS x SCAYLE collaboration promises to meet industry demands and unlock significant international growth potential in the B2B market, both in Europe and globally. We are excited to see how this model will shape collaboration between brands and platforms in the future.

A Different Holiday Season – Lessons Learned for E-Commerce 🎄 Martin Gross-Albenhausen from the German E-Commerce Association (Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel Deutschland e.V. (bevh)) shared his insights in an interview with Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg on the challenges of the recent holiday season. Coupled with the preliminary BEVH estimates, the insights paint a complex picture of year-end shopping trends. Despite Black Week, online sales of goods dropped by 4.2% compared to the previous year. Some categories were hit harder than others, such as apparel (-8.2%) and entertainment (-5.7%). However, segments like leisure products (+0.8%) and toys (+2.7%) still managed modest growth. What stands out: 💡 More mindful shopping: Consumers are shopping more deliberately, focusing on budget-friendly options. 🐌 Slow start, weaker frequency: The holiday season began late, with a slight dip in order frequency. January remains crucial as a "bonus" shopping phase driven by gift cards and holiday bonuses. 🏪 Marketplaces lead the way: Online marketplaces and platforms that welcome third-party sellers saw the smallest revenue declines (-0.9%), while other retailers faced steeper losses. What does this mean for retailers? ▶️ Leverage the extended shopping season: The holiday season doesn’t end in December. Campaigns targeting January shoppers—focused on gift cards and post-holiday promotions—can sustain momentum. ▶️ Adjust pricing strategies: Highlight affordable products, bundles, and even premium offerings to meet varying customer expectations. ▶️ Rethink marketplace strategies: Platforms and marketplace models offer broader reach and can enhance resilience during uncertain times. The performance of the recent holiday season underscores the importance of flexibility and strategic adaptation to seasonal shifts in buying behaviour. Retailers who accurately target their audiences, react to higher price sensitivity, and capitalize on extended shopping windows and individual non-seasonal campaigns will remain successful—even in challenging times.

✨ Welcome to the team, Julian Weidenfeller! ✨ We are thrilled to welcome Julian Weidenfeller as our new Lead Business Consultant at THREE.E. With his broad expertise in artificial intelligence, data-driven market analysis and marketing, Julian brings a valuable combination of academic knowledge and hands-on experience to our team. As a lecturer at Maastricht University, he taught courses in marketing, market research, data analysis, and service design. He was also involved in AI projects and research on consumer psychology. His passion for generative AI and data-based decision-making makes him an incredible asset to our team, and we are confident that his fresh perspectives will elevate our projects to the next level. Having Julian on board strengthens our expertise, and we are excited to welcome him to our team! 🚀

📣 We need your support!  THREE.E is competing in the E-commerce Germany Awards 2025 in the "Agency Showcase" category, and your vote can make a difference! With our 3E approach – Expertise, Execution, and Enablement – we work tirelessly every day to deliver measurable success for our clients in e-commerce. In just seven months since our founding, we've already completed exciting projects and built long-term partnerships. Now, we have the chance to prove ourselves in the industry – and we need your help!  👉 Vote for us and help us shine a spotlight on the hard work of our team. Every vote means the world to us. Thank you for supporting us on this journey! 💪 

A recent statistic from ECDB reveals that the average conversion rate (CVR) in German e-commerce has been stuck for years. At the same time, marketing costs are rising, budgets are shrinking, and the efficiency of the entire setup is becoming a critical success factor. Why is this so important? Every percentage point increase in CVR directly boosts revenue and profitability. Yet, the potential often goes untapped. The biggest challenges: ❌ Lack of prioritization: CVR optimization often takes a backseat to campaigns or product development. ❌ Unstructured approach: Without clear benchmarks and an evaluation of impact vs. effort, efficiency falls by the wayside. ❌ Lack of ownership: One-off measures aren't enough – continuity and a clear roadmap are essential. How can it be done better? Our experience shows that even stagnating conversion rates can be turned around with a structured and prioritized approach. The key components: ✅ Audit & Roadmap: Identify and address the highest-impact levers. ✅ Clear prioritization: Benchmarks and an evaluation of impact and feasibility create focus. ✅ Ongoing process: CVR optimization isn’t a one-time project but a continuous effort.