Spain is often seen as a price-driven market. In reality, it’s a speed-driven one. In this episode of Let’s Talk Marketplace, Ingrid talks to Romain Aymeric (The Agent) about why fashion brands struggle in Spain not because they’re too expensive, but because they’re too slow. They discuss very honestly why trend speed matters more than discounts, how Spanish consumers react extremely fast to new styles, and why players like Shein win through timing rather than price alone. The episode also looks at why local grounding is essential, how Zalando had to recalibrate its approach, and why El Corte Inglés remains a strategic gatekeeper - making Spain a market that consistently rewards speed, relevance, and local strategy.

Note from the sponsor Kaufland Global Marketplace:

Maybe one of your good resolutions for 2026 is to finally expand internationally. With Kaufland Marketplace, you can sell quickly and easily in seven countries and scale your business. Kaufland removes multiple hurdles at once - with an integrated EPR service, professional translation tools, and the Kaufland Shipment Solution. And your software? Whether it’s PlentyONE, JTL, or Billbee - all major providers are already integrated. The workflows are in place. All of this - and much more - is available starting at a base fee of €39.95 per month. And the best part? If you use the promo code MP-UNI2026 when registering, new sellers can sell for three months without paying the base fee- but only until March 31. So register right now here on Kaufland Global Marketplace!

Note from the sponsor Octopia:

Marketplace growth is anything but easy: How can marketplaces quickly find suitable merchants? Who can assist with onboarding and logistics? This is where Octopia can assist, a fully integrated marketplace services suite. With 20+ years of know-how, over €2 billion GMV, 450 specialists and 10,000 vetted sellers, Octopia focuses on what matters most: acquiring sellers, onboarding them fast, and driving their performance so marketplaces can scale without complexity. Want to know why platforms like Rakuten, Allegro, CDON or FNAC Darty rely on Octopia? Listen to our podcast in two weeks, where OnBuy shares how it uses Octopia to support its European expansion - or check out our company portrait!

Agentic Commerce is fundamentally reshaping power dynamics in digital commerce. When AI agents take over purchase intent, product selection, and decision-making, platforms risk losing influence exactly where value is created today. In this episode Ingrid talks with Amazon expert Malte Karstan about whether Amazon is losing relevance in the agentic era - or deliberately choosing a defensive strategy to buy time. At the core of the discussion is a five-step commerce model that explains why agents primarily attack discovery, ranking, and retail media, not logistics or fulfillment. The episode puts Amazon’s blocking of bots and crawling into strategic context, draws parallels to Apple’s ecosystem logic, and explores APIs as a potential new gatekeeper model. At the center remains one key question: Is defense still a strategy in the age of Agentic Commerce - or already a risk to the future of platforms?

2025 was a defining year for both the marketplace industry and for Marketplace Universe itself. In this final episode of the year - and Valerie’s last before her maternity leave - Ingrid and Valerie take a clear, honest look at what shaped the past twelve months. They discuss the major industry shifts: the continued rise (and regulation) of Temu, Shein, and AliExpress; the accelerating AI shift from SEO to AI-readable content; the uneven rollout of TikTok Shop across Europe; and the renewed push for marketplace internationalisation. At the same time, they provide insight into their first full year as a small bootstrap startup: the successes and the challenges that Valerie's maternity leave brings with it. They share what worked, what they underestimated, and why transparency, early handovers, and a strong team made all the difference. A reflective, practical year-end episode about an industry in motion - and a business learning to scale sustainably.

A big thank you to all our loyal listeners! We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!