Latest update: 05.08.2025 | by Lili
Wildberrie(s) season in Germany
Table of contents
+++ Note +++
Due to the war in Ukraine and the resulting economic sanctions against Russia, Wildberries is currently unavailable in Germany. We will continue to monitor the situation and report back here if any changes occur.
Wildberries in Germany - before the war in Ukraine
Wildberries, the biggest Russian online marketplace, wanted to take off in Germany in 2021. The Wildberries app was available in the German iOS App store, and potential customers could place their orders via de.wildberries.eu.
After Poland and Slovakia, Germany was the third EU country where Wildberries’ service became available. Regarding next destinations, the company had originally planned to expand into France, Spain, and Italy.
While relatively unknown in Europe, Wildberries is not unknown to us at globaleyez. We have already reported on the company back when it first set its sights on an expansion into Europe.
What makes Wildberries different
Wildberries is a mixed marketplace offering both online and offline services. For example, customers have the opportunity to order several sizes of a specific item, and - just like in a brick-and-mortar store - try them on at their chosen Wildberries pick-up point. They can keep the size that fits and send the others back without any hassle. Considering that shopping fails are one of the biggest reasons deterring customers from ordering online, it’s easy to see why this Wildberries feature is popular with shoppers.
Just like Amazon or eBay, Wildberries works with third-party sellers and offers a wide range of product categories like apparel, cosmetics, electronics, footwear, books, home decor, and much more.
The strategy is successful. Since its 2004 founding, Wildberries has become the largest online marketplace in Russia with over 48.000 employees and just under 15% share in the fragmented market in 2021.
It’s even more astonishing to consider that Wildberries seems to have achieved this without any major capital investments from third parties. Wildberries’ sole owner is the company’s founder and CEO, Tatyana Bakalchuk (after her divorce in 2024, she reverted to using her maiden name, Tatiana Kim), who went from Moscow English teacher to the richest Russian woman with a $4.6 billion fortune in 2025.
Counterfeits on Wildberries
Originally, Wildberries officially opposed counterfeits: as soon as a product was identified as a counterfeit, it was to be marked accordingly and no longer offered for sale. Currently, we can no longer find any references to this on the platform.
Whether or not the platform takes active action against reported counterfeits, the problem here is always: what if a counterfeit is not detected (or not reported)?
globaleyez is ready for situations like that. Our online brand protection services, including marketplace monitoring and test purchases, are geared towards detecting even well-concealed counterfeits and taking all necessary action against them to protect your brand.
Grey markets on Wildberries
Grey marketing is when a product is sold outside its official distribution network, distorting the market and causing brands immense loss in revenue and customer trust. Wildberries seems to be a very lucrative place for grey marketers. After all, among the platform’s vast amount of products acquired from all over the world, would Wildberries have the time and means to check if all sellers are authorized by brands?
Well, even if they don’t, brand protection experts at globaleyez do. Our comprehensive tools and services were designed to detect grey marketers on online marketplaces and prevent them from doing your brand any further harm.
Let’s look at an example.
This (no longer available) listing on Wildberries offered Dior’s Diorshow Maximizer 3D eyelash primer.
Screenshot of a former offer for Dior mascaras on Wildberries
This was the same (no longer available) product offer on Dior's website.
Screenshot of the original DIORSHOW MAXIMIZER 3D Mascara on dior.com
Comparing the two can help us decide if we’re dealing with a counterfeited product or a grey market issue. Although using a different promo picture, Wildberries seemingly displayed the same product as Dior. However, the similarities ended here.
Wildberries didn't offer a lot of information about the product, whereas the Dior site listed ingredients, usage advice, and lots more. This may not be a problem in itself; after all, it could be a simple choice of design on Wildberries’ part. Also, the origin of the product was not listed on Wildberries. Again, this may have a legitimate reason as well: everyone could assume the origin was Dior itself or an authorized seller.
But the price raised a red flag. Wildberries offered a 56% discount on the product. If ordered through the platform, this product cost 28.69€, down from an “original” 65.22€. However, Dior itself offered the mascara primer for 37€. Even this could have an honest explanation: an authorized seller offering a discount and using a dirty trick to make it look bigger. But it’s too big an issue to ignore.
In a situation like this, further investigation would be needed. For example, globaleyez’s test purchase, marketplace monitoring, sales tracking, and partner compliance services could help us determine if we’re dealing with a counterfeit, a grey market product, or an authorized seller going rogue.
Conducting a test purchase is the best way to find out if the product is genuine and offered via the legitimate distribution network. When we order the product, we document everything, including the original seller. To complement the test purchases, our marketplace sales tracking service shows the volume of sales of particular products and sellers. This way, we can learn exactly who is selling what and how much of it, separating the big fish from small timers.
We compile our findings into a thorough report and advise you on suggested next steps. All our documentation is admissible in court, which means that should you decide to take legal steps, we’re able to assist with that.
Conclusion
As seen in the above example, grey market sellers cause brands serious harm. The lower price distorts the market and makes it difficult for brands to calculate margins. Not to mention the uncontrollable competition and the loss of trust within the distribution network. Grey market sellers should be stopped, and globaleyez is ready for the task.
Reach out to us and find out how we can help protect your brand.