The top 10 cross-border retailers in Europe

 

Cross-Border Commerce Europe (CBC) has released its seventh annual TOP 500 B2C Cross-Border Retail Europe report. The document ranks retailers based on four main and seven secondary parameters, including actual cross-border sales figures in Western Europe, Scandinavia, and the UK, SEO indicators, the number and proportion of cross-border users, organic search traffic, brand authority, and logistics solutions.

 

The report shows that cross-border commerce is booming in the EU. In 2024, the market reached a value of 275.6 billion euros, representing 36% of all online sales, and a whopping 39% growth from the previous year.

 

Interestingly, despite the significant growth of the market, there was no change in the ranking of the top ten best-performing retailers.

 

 

1. IKEA

The Swedish home furnishing company needs no introduction. Available in almost every European country, IKEA reports a cross-border turnover of 5.2 billion euros, securing it the top spot on the list again.

 

 

2. Lidl

Best known for its budget-friendly grocery stores across Europe, Germany-based Lidl is also a powerhouse of cross-border online commerce on the continent.

 

 

3. H&M

H&M, the well-known Swedish fast-fashion company, is increasingly popular with consumers for its low prices and wide variety of readily available designs. With fashion, jewellery, and accessories responsible for 43% of all cross-border turnover, it’s no wonder that H&M has yet again secured the third spot on the list.

 

 

4. Zalando

Another fashion company, German retailer Zalando is ranked fourth by the CBC and certainly contributes to the prominence of fashion sales in the overall statistics.

 

 

5. Jysk

Founded in 1979 in Denmark, Jysk is a home furnishings retailer present in 50 countries today with both physical stores and an online shop. The company prides itself on its Scandinavian roots and business culture, which places great importance on satisfying both customers and employees. Jysk reports an annual turnover of 5.6 billion euros, up by 7.6% from the previous year.

 

 

6. Notino

Notino is a retailer specialising in perfumes, make-up, and other beauty products. Founded in 2004 in the Czech Republic, Notino is currently available in 24 countries, both in the form of physical stores and as an online marketplace.

 

 

Screenshot of the homepage of notino.co.uk

 

 

The company has surpassed an annual turnover of 1 billion euros in 2024, an increase of 30% compared to the previous year. Notino offers a great selection of products from budget-friendly manufacturers to luxury brands like Dior and Versace.

 

 

7. Lego

Another iconic Danish brand, Lego is an immensely popular maker of colorful building blocks ranging from the simplest children’s toys to intricate replicas of real-life buildings and complicated machinery.  The company has come far since its founding in 1932. Today, Lego products can be purchased - among other options - via the company’s own online marketplace. The opening of this Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales channel allows Lego to take up the role of a brand-manufacturer and build closer connections with its customers.

 

 

8. Adidas

German sportswear giant Adidas is well-known amongst consumers for its quality clothing, footwear, and accessories in a wide variety of sports. Just like in the case of Lego, Cross-Border Commerce’s report states that Adidas is a brand-manufacturer and notes the importance of developing its own DTC channel.

 

 

9. Decathlon

Similar to Adidas, Decathlon is a sportswear retailer with both physical stores and an increasing online presence. Based in France, Decathlon is popular with consumers for offering quality products from both cheaper in-house brands like Quechua and more expensive international brands like Timberland and Columbia.

 

 

10. Zara

The last name on the top ten is another fast-fashion powerhouse, Zara. Lately, the Spanish clothing and design company has tried to become more sustainable by facilitating the C2C sale of pre-owned Zara products.

 

 

Positive impacts of cross-border commerce

Brands trading cross-border can experience a multitude of positive impacts. For example, widening your reach increases both your customer base and the number of suppliers you have access to.

 

This allows you to pick the most cost-effective solutions for raw materials, optimizing your resources. In addition, a wider customer base from separate markets diversifies your income and makes you less vulnerable to changes affecting local economies.

 

 

Illustration of a freighter ship with containers docked in the harbor

 

 

Cross-border trade also brings along the competitive advantage of wider brand recognition and an international audience to strengthen your brand’s image and reputation.

 

Consumers, on the other hand, appreciate cross-border commerce due to the broader selection of goods, brands, and sellers they have access to. This usually also means more competitive pricing and better deals. In addition, the increased competition drives brands and sellers to continuously innovate and offer a better shopping experience for consumers.

 

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Negative side effects of cross-border commerce

Unfortunately, international trade also has a few drawbacks that your brand needs to be aware of. First and foremost, entering a new market means that you have to get used to different regulations.

 

These include customs, taxes, product safety regulations, and any other rules that brands in that market need to adhere to. Learning about and adapting to them can be challenging, especially if you have limited resources in that area.

 

Check out what companies running a business in the EU have to bear in mind!

 

Besides regulations, you also have to adapt to different consumer expectations. From shopping habits to product expectations, consumers in your new market are quite likely different from what you’re used to. Make sure to adapt your communication to better suit the habits of your new target market, including good quality translations, varied currency and payment options, etc.

 

 

Illustration of tax, payment, and regulation documents

 

 

And let’s not forget about the big issue: the dangers to your IP rights. The wider your products are distributed, the higher the chance that fraudsters will get their hands on them. This could lead to serious problems like counterfeiting, grey market structures, and many other harmful, unauthorized distribution scenarios.

 

Your brand could stand to lose a lot: your reputation, your revenue, the trust of your customers and business partners.

 

Consumers could lose even more. In case of cheap and potentially toxic counterfeits, consumers often risk their health and sometimes even their lives, should the subpar ingredients of a fake face cream poison them, or if a fake car part breaks while driving on the motorway.

 

But even if the fake product “only” stops working in a safe situation, users won’t have access to decent customer service. In addition, ordering counterfeit or grey market products may have hidden costs for them, as these products can be stopped and seized by customs.

 

 

How online brand protection measures assist with cross-border trade

As we’ve established, cross-border trade gives fraudsters ample opportunities to infringe on your IP rights. Luckily, there are quite a few steps you can take to nip those opportunities in the bud.

 

“Effective brand protection strategies, leveraging technology and international cooperation, are essential to maximizing the positives and minimizing the negatives in cross-border trade.”

Oliver, Managing Director at globaleyez

 

globaleyez’s online monitoring services are designed to detect IP-infringing content, whatever form it manifests in. Suspicious product listings, social media posts, pictures, ads, fake shop domains, and HTML content are all flagged and examined to determine whether they infringe on your IP rights.

 

In case we need more information, we run a test purchase to learn more about the seller and the product in question. And finally, we enforce your rights and ensure the removal of the infringing content from the internet.

 

As you can see, online brand protection measures ensure that your brand maintains its integrity across countries and markets. Thanks to effective cross-border enforcement, we eliminate infringing and fraudulent content to ensure consistent quality and brand authenticity for all of your customers, wherever they may be located. This creates the necessary trust you need to build customer loyalty.

 

Our measures also provide effective protection for your revenue. With fraudsters and grey market structures eliminated, all of your rightful revenue arrives at your brand and your authorized resellers, ensuring consistent business growth.

 

 

Conclusion

Cross-border trade is an ever-increasing part of e-Commerce. Brands active in cross-border trade have a lot to gain, but the advantages don’t come without significant challenges.

 

Combat those challenges with an effective online brand protection strategy! Get in touch with us and let’s set up perfectly tailored measures to protect your brand and help you grow.