Insights

E-commerce fulfillment in EMEA: fast-forwarding success with world-class support

Growing opportunities for growing companies: how to maximize sales in EMEA with world-class fulfillment.

Are you interested in scalable fulfillment? Attractive offers already from 1500 orders per month.

“We have many conversations with e-commerce companies who want to grow, whether that’s through reaching new customers, or by selling new products, or both. The prospects are exciting but can also be daunting,” says Simon Volkwein, Regional Head of EMEA & UKI for the DHL Fulfillment Network. “I always tell them they’re lucky they operate an e-commerce model, because it’s a booming market, and with the right e-commerce fulfillment solution they can really capitalize on lots of opportunities.”

E-commerce worldwide is indeed buoyant: global market size is predicted to grow 14.88% CAGR from US$21.62tn in 2025 to US$75.12tn by 2034. (Source: Globenewswire). Simon tells us more about the regional pictures in EMEA.

Europe

E-commerce in Europe is quite established, with a market size of US$680bn in 2025 forecast to increase to US$1.02tn by 2028, a CAGR of 8.36%. (Source: Mordor Intelligence.)

680

billion US$ in Europe in 2025

1.02

trillion US$ forecast for 2034

In Europe, upwards of 50% of e-commerce trade is cross border, rising to well over 75% in some countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Turkey. “For many consumers across Europe, shopping from online retailers based outside their own country is very natural,” says Simon. “For sellers, having international orders to fulfill does give rise to some complexity in tariffs, customs and compliance, but once these are addressed, traders can open up a lot of opportunity.”

Certain categories lend themselves well to e-commerce in Europe. In the UK, for example, in 2024 e-commerce revenue in athleisure rose by 8.49% (Source: Grand View Research), in jewelry & watches market had an online share of 51.2% (Source: ECDB) and beauty and cosmetics had an online share of 42.5% (Source: ECDB). Fashion was the biggest category across the region based on e-commerce revenue. (Source: ECDB).

Across the five largest European e-commerce markets – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK – Amazon was the market leader in 2024, with net sales of over US$204bn. (Source: ECDB).

Middle East

“This is a region of huge potential!” exclaims Simon. E-commerce revenue is forecast to rise by 10.2% from US$59.6bn in 2024 to US$96.1bn in 2029. (Source: ECDB).

59.6

billion US$ in Middle East in 2024

96.1

billion US$ forecast for 2029

“There are great opportunities here to reach a whole new set of consumers, many of them wealthy. Saudi Arabia is really opening up. Dubai is worthy of a lot of attention, because it’s becoming a powerful logistics hub not only for the region, but globally. Because it’s in a perfect central spot geographically, it’s a great place from which to split and re-route stock. Savvy brands are using it as a jumping point to reach other locations, particularly with e-commerce shifting east.”

Simon notes: “E-commerce basket values in this region can be high, which is great, although orders aren’t necessarily very frequent. Many retailers would actually prefer to achieve lower basket values but more frequent orders, which represents the shopping habits of a loyal customer base who are returning again and again. This little-and-often model can help with inventory management. There are signs of this becoming a more common trend in the Middle East, like in Europe.”

Africa

“In Africa, mobile e-commerce is really high”, says Simon. “For many people, their primary way of getting online is through their phones. As a result, platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress have a adopted a mobile-first strategy in many African countries, which is seeing them gain traction.” The largest market on the continent is South Africa, where the e-commerce market will be worth around US$ 5.57bn in 2025, with significant growth to US$ 10.88bn projected by 2029.

5.57

billion US$ in Africa in 2025

10.88

billion US$ forecast for 2029

E-commerce trends

Regional differences aside, there are some trends that are seen across all markets, as globalization increases:

Online shopping is very much the norm. In Europe in 2024, for example, e-commerce had a penetration of some 67%. (Source: ECDB).
Online marketplaces such as Amazon, Temu, Shein, Zalando and AliExpress are going from strength to strength, as they provide a ready shop window for smaller businesses.
Cross-border e-commerce continues to grow.
Gen Z and millennial consumers are becoming more willing to pay more for sustainable shipping options. (Source: First Insightx)
80% of consumers prefer sustainable products. (Source: CapitalOne).

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How great fulfillment can enable growth

Scalability and flexibility

“Have you ever thought about how important it is to work with a provider that can scale up and down to suit your sales levels – whether that’s fitting in with a back-to-school promotion you’re running, or the Black Friday rush?” asks Simon. “If you can scale with them, these e-commerce fulfillment solutions will allow you to grow flexibly and minimize unnecessary costs.”

Multiple locations

“Have you explored the benefits of storing your stock in multiple locations, closer to your end consumers? A provider that has multiple warehouses and global or regional logistics services that span borders can help you reduce your transport lead times and costs, and also your last-mile carbon emissions: a sustainable e-commerce solution often sought by consumers,” Simon points out. “This can also be a fantastic way to fulfill any cross-border orders – and consider too that a bulk inbound delivery to a warehouse could be a great way to clear customs in bulk.”

Ease-of-use

“Look for a fulfillment provider that can get you on board quickly, integrating any e-commerce platforms you use such as WooCommerce or Shopify,” advises Simon.

Inventory management

“Good inventory management can help you plan, maximize sales by location, and avoid stock-outs,” says Simon.

Have you ever thought about how important it is to work with a provider that can scale up and down to suit your sales levels – whether that’s fitting in with a back-to-school promotion you’re running, or the Black Friday rush?

Simon Volkwein, Regional Head of EMEA & UKI for the DHL Fulfillment Network

The DHL Fulfillment Network’s got you covered!

“You’ve guessed it!” smiles Simon. “If you’re after scalability and flexibility, a company with a global network of warehouses (that’s growing all the time), a plug-and-play welcome for new customers, advanced inventory management tools as standard for all customers, best-in-class partners, and value-added services, then look no further than us!”

A case in point

For any company out there who is looking at the best way to capitalize on cross-border opportunities in EMEA, Simon has a success story to tell.

“Let me tell you about one of our customers – a market leader in their field – that was shipping all orders from one European country to four others. We plugged their numbers into our network optimizer, and then sat down with them to analyze the results in the context of their markets. The outcome? They moved their warehousing to two different countries: their core markets, in fact. This meant duplicating stock, resulting in a rise in warehousing costs of 14%. But – and it’s a big but – they reduced their transport costs by 51%! (There’s a European Commission report that says that cross-border shipping is three to five times as expensive as domestic shipping, and this is borne out here!) The overall picture now is that their fulfillment costs (including transport) are 28% lower, their lead times are up and their carbon footprint is down.”

Get on board

“If you are shipping upwards of 1,500 parcels a month, then look no further than the DHL Fulfillment Network,” urges Simon. “We have a team of in-country experts waiting to talk to you!”