E-commerce and Marketplaces in EMEA: Europe, Middle East & Africa Trends for 2026

Understanding how EMEA e-commerce marketplaces are evolving is essential for brands planning 2026.
The region combines three different maturity curves:

• Europe → mature, efficient, high expectations
• Middle East → fast-growing, mobile-first
• Africa → emerging, high-headroom

This article provides a structured overview across:

• Market maturity and growth
• Amazon’s position
• Marketplace leaders by region
• Retail media investments
• Strategic implications for 2026

For related reading, see:

• The Hidden Costs of Amazon Ads
• Amazon Ads Attribution Confusion

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1. E-commerce in EMEA: maturity, growth and structural differences

1.1 Europe — a mature region entering an efficiency phase

Europe is one of the most established e-commerce regions globally. Western Europe shows stable penetration, advanced last-mile networks and strong competition between marketplaces and retailers.

Key characteristics:

• High expectations around delivery, returns and customer service
• Strong local retailers (grocery and non-food) alongside global marketplaces
• Category-led maturity: electronics, home, books more advanced; FMCG still uneven
• Growth is incremental, driven by optimisation rather than new users
• Cost pressure in media, logistics and operations

Europe does not grow through adoption anymore — it grows through execution discipline.

1.2 Middle East — fast growth, mobile-first and expanding

The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing digital markets in EMEA.

Key characteristics:

• Very high mobile commerce usage
• Younger population with high online purchase frequency
• Government-backed digitalisation (Saudi Vision 2030, UAE digital strategy)
• Strong demand in fashion, beauty, electronics, grocery

Execution speed and localisation define success.

1.3 Africa — emerging, high-headroom, infrastructure-sensitive

Africa sits at an earlier stage but with strong long-term potential.

Key characteristics:

• Lower overall penetration but rising mobile commerce
• Logistics and payments still uneven across markets
• Marketplace consolidation ongoing
• Higher long-term headroom but higher execution complexity

South Africa is the most developed market, while Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt show early growth dynamics.

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2. Amazon and Other Marketplaces in EMEA

2.1 Amazon in Europe

Amazon is dominant in Western Europe (UK, DE, FR, IT, ES).
In newer markets (NL, SE, PL, BE) growth is ongoing but local champions remain strong.

Where Amazon is not dominant:

• Poland → Allegro
• Netherlands → Bol.com
• France → Cdiscount still relevant in electronics

Amazon is essential but not sufficient for complete EU penetration.

2.2 Amazon in the Middle East

Amazon operates through:

• Amazon.ae (UAE)
• Amazon.sa (Saudi Arabia)

Advertising formats and shopper expectations are becoming more aligned with European markets, but competition differs.

2.3 Marketplaces in Africa

Africa is not Amazon-led.
The dominant players are:

• Takealot → South Africa
• Jumia → Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and other markets

Local trust, payment formats and logistics define competition.

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3. Marketplace Landscape by Region and Country

3.1 Europe

United Kingdom

• Amazon
• eBay
• ASOS
• OnBuy
• Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda (strong online retail ecosystems)
• Argos, Currys (electronics & appliances)

Germany

• Amazon.de
• Otto
• Zalando
• Kaufland Marketplace
• MediaMarkt / Saturn

France

• Amazon.fr
• Cdiscount
• Fnac/Darty
• ManoMano
• La Redoute

Benelux

• Bol.com
• Coolblue
• Amazon.nl / Amazon.be growing

Poland & Central/Eastern Europe

• Allegro (dominant in Poland)
• Alza.cz / Alza.sk
• Mall Group
• eMAG (Romania/Bulgaria)

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3.2 Middle East

United Arab Emirates

• Amazon.ae
• Noon
• Namshi (fashion)
• Ounass (luxury)

Saudi Arabia

• Amazon.sa
• Noon
• Jarir Bookstore
• Extra.com
• Centrepoint

These are mobile-first markets with rising retail media adoption.

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3.3 Africa

South Africa

• Takealot
• Superbalist (fashion)
• Amazon preparing market presence

Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt

• Jumia (multi-country reach)
• Konga, Kilimall (market-specific)

Africa has fewer cross-border marketplace networks and relies heavily on localised ecosystems.

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4. Retail Media and Advertising in EMEA

4.1 Retail media in Europe — advanced, growing and diversifying

Retail media is now a core European channel.

Investment dynamics (public data + structured estimates):

• Retail media spend in Europe: approximately €13–14 billion in 2024
• Growth rate: +20–36% year on year
• Forecast for 2027: around €25–30 billion
• Amazon Ads remains the largest single network
• Retailer media networks expanding aggressively

Key retailer media networks:

• Carrefour Links
• Tesco Media & Insight
• Nectar360 (Sainsbury’s)
• ASDA Media
• Kaufland Media
• Rewe Retail Media
• Albert Heijn / Delhaize (Ahold)

These combine onsite, offsite, CRM and closed-loop measurement.

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4.2 Retail media in the Middle East — fast acceleration

The Middle East is still in a build-out phase but growing quickly.

Key players:

• Amazon Ads Middle East
• Noon Media
• Majid Al Futtaim (Carrefour ME) → omnichannel retail media (app, web, in-store screens, CRM)

Investment dynamics:

• Estimated retail media spend heading toward $3–4 billion by mid-decade
• Strong app-driven inventory
• High engagement with shoppable formats

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4.3 Retail media in Africa — emerging but rising

Africa is early-stage but moving fast.

Key players:

• Takealot Media Group
• Jumia Ads
• Retail-owned digital screen networks

Investment dynamics:

• South Africa’s broader online advertising and retail media environment is already valued in the low-single-digit billions of USD
• Early-mover advantage for brands willing to test

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5. Strategic Implications for 2026

5.1 Europe → precision and operational discipline

• Focus on feed accuracy and catalogue hygiene
• Localised content and category-specific messaging
• Strong pricing alignment and promo discipline
• Multi-market retail media frameworks, not country silos
• Category-based expansion strategy (where to go deeper, where to stay basic)

5.2 Middle East → speed and localisation

• Mobile-first user experience
• Local payment and pricing formats
• Early activation on Noon and Amazon
• High-impact formats: video, app placements, influencers with shoppable links
• Assortment tuned to local demand (climate, culture, income levels)

5.3 Africa → early investment, long-term gain

• Local operations and partners matter more than media spend alone
• Payment, logistics and last-mile partners are critical
• Returns may be slower in the short term, but headroom is high
• Strong advantage for brands willing to build presence before markets saturate

5.4 Retail media → the central connector

Retail media connects:

• visibility
• consideration
• conversion

It links product, supply chain, content and media.
To manage EMEA effectively, brands need:

• unified measurement frameworks across regions
• clear rules for budget allocation between Europe, Middle East and Africa
• alignment between marketplace strategy and media strategy

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6. Conclusions

Europe, Middle East and Africa represent three different e-commerce realities, each requiring its own strategic approach.

• Europe → efficient, disciplined, mature
• Middle East → fast, mobile-driven, expanding
• Africa → emerging, fragmented, full of potential

The brands that will grow in 2026 are those able to build regional frameworks, aligning:

• marketplaces
• content
• pricing
• supply chain
• retail media

Success in EMEA does not come from a single playbook.
It comes from managing three different speeds at once and translating marketplace and retail media opportunities into disciplined execution in each region.

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FAQ on EMEA E-commerce Marketplaces