Week of October 9 to 15, 2026
An electric week: hackers pushed the fridges of 700 French supermarkets up to 50 °C, while Yuka moved into the online grocery sites of 14 retailers and the owner of Tupperware France bought Duralex. In London, the founder of easyJet launched easyShop to take on Amazon, and Wayfair was hit with a £4.8M fine for fake countdown timers. And in Germany, the former head of Printemps takes the helm at Douglas. Here's what mattered this week.
đą E-commerce & Shopping
đ„¶ Cyberattack on supermarket fridges: 700 stores hit. In France, on the night of October 11 to 12, hackers remotely forced the defrost cycle of refrigeration systems in IntermarchĂ©/Netto, CoopĂ©rative U and E.Leclerc stores, pushing some equipment up to 50 °C and destroying fresh and frozen products. Minister Roland Lescure reported 700 affected stores, around 7% of food retailers, and ANSSI confirmed that internet-exposed Copeland/Dixell and Danfoss controllers had been compromised. Losses run to "several million euros" according to AFP, and no one has claimed the attack. (ecommercemag.fr)
đ„ Yuka scores arrive on the online grocery sites of 14 retailers. In France, Yuka now displays its scores on 11 sites, including IntermarchĂ©, Carrefour (own-brand products), Chronodrive, Houra, La Fourche and Greenweez; Biocoop, Naturalia and Picard will follow by early 2027. The scores are provided free of charge, on condition that they appear on every product, including those rated 0/100. In cosmetics, Caudalie, Typology and Respire already display them. (ecommercemag.fr)
đŠ Amazon opens its 10th French distribution site in Beauvais. In France, the site inaugurated on October 9 represents more than âŹ200M of investment and targets 1,000 permanent jobs, more than 500 of which are already filled. Entry-level pay is above âŹ2,000 gross per month. It is part of Amazon's plan to invest more than âŹ15B in France. (pointsdevente.fr)
đ± Back Market launches "Outlet" for working but scuffed devices. In France and the UK, the platform now offers scratched or worn smartphones and MacBooks in its app, cheaper and with a one-year warranty. It also unveiled Back Bot, an automated inspection tool built with Apkudo that can grade up to 10,000 devices a month, and Back Check, which tests a MacBook in 5 to 10 minutes. Back Market reports âŹ3B in business volume for 2025 (+32%). (maddyness.com)
đ„ The owner of Tupperware France buys Duralex. In France, the OrlĂ©ans commercial court selected on October 14 the bid from CĂ©dric Meston, through his holding company TomĂ©-Revive, backed by Xavier Niel. 155 jobs out of around 220 are saved and the cooperative (SCOP) structure is kept. The plan totals around âŹ15M, including âŹ4M from the State via the FDES fund. (maddyness.com)
đ A Shiseido subsidiary is seeking âŹ2.6M from Shein. In France, BeautĂ© Prestige International has sued Shein for unfair competition before the Marseille commercial court, accusing it of reselling its fragrances on its marketplace outside the authorized distribution network. Shein argues it is a mere "host". The ruling is expected on January 26. (fr.fashionnetwork.com)
𧞠King Jouet bets on "kidults". In France, adults accounted for 32% of the retailer's in-store sales in Q1 2026, up from 21% in 2025. The KingDultes network now has six stores, including a "TCG Lair" with a bar and gaming tables opening in Lyon at the end of October. The kingdultes.com site, launched this summer, offers more than 3,000 products. (ecommercemag.fr)
đïž La Redoute furnishes Nexity's new homes in 3D. In France, more than 350 La Redoute furniture and decor items are built into the virtual tours of Nexity's new-build homes, available to order directly with a 15% discount and delivered to the new home. According to a YouGov survey, 65% of respondents say this increases their purchase intent. (ecommercemag.fr)
đ§ Save launches its refurbished smartphone site. In France, the repair chain opens an e-commerce site backed by its 130 stores, with a 2-year warranty and in-store technical support. "Before being sellers, we are repairers," says CEO Rodolphe Surdez. (ecommercemag.fr)
đł 55% of French consumers have already paid in installments. In France, according to an Ifop study for Oney, 55% of French people have used a split or deferred payment solution over the past two years. E-commerce sites are the leading sign-up channel (51%), ahead of physical stores (47%). 75% plan to use one within the next two years. (ecommerce-nation.fr)
đŠ PrestaShop teams up with CAWL, CrĂ©dit Agricole's payment solution. In France, CAWL joins the PrestaShop Partners program and the platform's marketplace, which claims around 230,000 merchants. The offer is currently limited to businesses registered in France that bank with CrĂ©dit Agricole. (ecommerce-nation.fr)
đ LVMH returns to growth, driven by Sephora. In France, the group reports Q3 revenue of âŹ18.5B, up 1% organically. Fashion & leather goods fell 5%, while selective retailing, led by Sephora, grew 8%. (lvmh.com)
đ© Fnac Darty: 75% of product families more durable. In France, Fnac Darty's 9th After-Sales Service Barometer shows durability scores up 6 points on average, driven by large appliances (+10.5 points). Only home cleaning declined, with robot vacuums scoring 48/200. 48% of repairs are done without replacing a part. (univers-habitat.eu)
đïž easyJet's founder launches easyShop to take on Amazon. In Europe, Stelios Haji-Ioannou launches easyShop.com in 21 countries, a marketplace operated by OnCommerce (OnBuy) with no inventory or private label. A single seller account covers all 21 markets, with VAT calculated automatically. Hundreds of merchants are already live. (channelx.world)
đ Shopify: AI-referred traffic converts 80% better. Worldwide, according to Shopify's "The Entrepreneur Effect" study, sessions coming from AI convert 80% better than organic search, with a 14% higher average order value. 75% of AI-driven sales are for products outside the 100 largest categories. The Shopify ecosystem generated $1.2 trillion in economic activity over one year. (shopify.com)
â±ïž Wayfair fined ÂŁ4.8M for fake countdown timers. In the UK, the CMA imposed ÂŁ6M in fines under the DMCC Act, including ÂŁ4.8M for Wayfair over "Flash Deals" whose prices stayed the same or dropped after the deadline. Appliances Direct was fined ÂŁ1.2M for pre-ticked paid add-ons. (gov.uk)
đ Shein UK is now bigger than ASOS. In the UK, Shein UK posted ÂŁ2.58B in revenue in 2025 (+26%) according to its filed accounts, with ÂŁ45.2M in pre-tax profit. That is more than ASOS's worldwide revenue for its last financial year (ÂŁ2.478B). (theindustry.fashion)
đź Zavvi enters administration. In the UK, BDO was appointed administrator of the pop culture e-tailer on October 12. Sales have stopped, outstanding orders will not be delivered and the German site has also closed. Around 70 jobs are lost. (neuhandeln.de)
đȘ Kingfisher names OBI's former boss as CEO. In the UK, Kingfisher (B&Q, Castorama) appoints Sebastian Gundel, former CEO of OBI, as chief executive from February 1, 2027, replacing Thierry Garnier, who is joining Ahold Delhaize. (kingfisher.com)
đ Jean-Marc Bellaiche takes the helm at Douglas. In Germany, the former CEO of Printemps will become CEO of the beauty group on November 1, succeeding Sander van der Laan. (douglas.group)
đ Temu, Shein and AliExpress lose 35.5% in Germany. In Germany, according to bevh, the three platforms' combined revenue fell to âŹ566M in Q3 after the end of the customs duty exemption. Their market share dropped from 5.3% to 3.1%, while German e-commerce grew 2.9% to âŹ18.47B. (bevh.org)
đ Cyberattack at Ahold Delhaize. In the Netherlands and the US, the group took systems offline on October 12. The websites and apps of its US banners (Food Lion, Giant FoodâŠ) were down for several days, and Albert Heijn faced disruption to delivery and loyalty services. No data theft has been confirmed. (grocerydive.com)
âïž Missouri sues Temu. In the US, Missouri's attorney general accuses Temu of collecting location data without consent, being able to access the camera and microphone, and selling counterfeits. The state is seeking a permanent injunction and civil penalties. (stlpr.org)
đ US holiday sales set to top $1 trillion. In the US, the NRF forecasts November-December sales up 4.2% to $1.013 trillion. Bain expects more than $85B over the Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend (+8.75%), and according to ICSC, just over 60% of consumers plan to use AI tools, up from 47% last year. (bain.com)
đŁ Marketing & Ads
â¶ïž YouTube Shopping launches its affiliate program in France. In France, creators with at least 500 subscribers in the Partner Program can now tag up to 60 products per long-form video, with checkout completed on the merchant's site. YouTube claims 43 million monthly users in France, 68% of whom say they discover products through creators. Back Market, Badoit and Klorane are among the first brands. (ecommerce-nation.fr)
đŹ ChatGPT Ads: a sobering first report. In France, according to the agency Webloom, which tracked eight advertisers in September, ChatGPT's reporting sometimes showed double the conversions measured by the advertisers, and ROAS never exceeded 1. All four lead-generation advertisers paused their tests, but nearly 80% saw their branded searches on Google increase. (journaldunet.com)
âïž Leboncoin will have âŹ705M in claims against Google heard in Paris. In France, the Paris Court of Appeal overturned a 2025 ruling on October 14: a French court will be able to rule on the claims of eight European Leboncoin subsidiaries in its adtech dispute with Google. (mind.eu.com)
đïž Black Friday: 49% of shoppers plan to use AI. In France, according to YouGov, 30% of French people plan to shop during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, and 49% of them intend to use AI, up from 33% in 2025. 42% would let AI find the best price, but only 9% would let it fill their cart. (yougov.com)
đ Christmas 2026: stores hold their ground. In France, according to OpinionWay for Shopfully, 82% of holiday shoppers will include a physical store in their journey and 18% will buy online only. 30% are considering using AI, including 47% of under-35s. (comarketing-news.fr)
đș Cityz Media launches an AI-driven DOOH offer. In France, "Retail Moments" selects screens and time slots in shopping centers based on footfall data and Orange mobile data. The ad sales house will also sell advertising on every bus in Paris and Ăle-de-France from November 1. (fr.themedialeader.com)
đŻ Google Ads opens retailer audiences to brands. Worldwide, retailers and marketplaces can now share their first-party segments with brands running retail media campaigns in Google Ads. These audiences are limited to commerce media network campaigns. (searchengineland.com)
đ€ AI & Tech
𧩠WiziShop can now be run from ChatGPT or Claude. In France, the platform launches an MCP server giving access to more than 410 features: products, orders, promotions, SEO and design. A merchant can edit up to 100 products or create 200 promo codes in a single request, with products hidden by default and a preview before going live. (ecommerce-nation.fr)
đ Contentsquare separates human and AI traffic. In France, Contentsquare unveils an "AI-first" platform that distinguishes human visitors from AI agents, includes AI sources in attribution and makes its data available via MCP in Claude, Copilot and ChatGPT. Its "Sense" agent detects friction points and estimates their financial impact. (fr.themedialeader.com)
đ¶ Wavo raises âŹ10M to turn inventory into cash. In France, the Lyon-based startup buys SMEs' inventory and sells it back to them as sales come in, for a 2 to 5% fee. The round is led by Eurazeo. Wavo has already financed nearly âŹ35M of inventory for around a hundred clients. (maddyness.com)
đ Shopify opens its catalog and Shop Pay to every AI agent. Worldwide, Shop MCP lets any agent search the Shopify Catalog (more than one billion products), build a cart and pay with Shop Pay, with no API key needed for search. Merchants can switch off access channel by channel and remain the seller of record. (shopify.dev)
đ§ș Google launches Universal Cart. In the US, Google rolls out a single cart across Search and Gemini that brings together products from multiple merchants, with price-drop and back-in-stock alerts. Checkout runs on its UCP protocol. (techcrunch.com)
đĄïž American Express wants to keep AI shopping agents in check. In the US, Amex introduces its "Intent Intelligence Framework": the customer records their instructions (merchant, budget, product) and a "proof of intent" token blocks any purchase that deviates from them. According to Amex, 66% of US consumers are willing to let an agent find the best price. (techcrunch.com)
đ Duvo raises $32M to automate retailers' back office. In Europe, the startup founded by TomĂĄĆĄ Äupr, founder of Rohlik, raises a Series A led by Balderton. Its AI agents automate tasks that run through ERPs, supplier portals and emails, at Morrisons, Boden and Notino. (tech.eu)
đ Agenda
đą Tech for Retail on November 30 and December 1. In France, the 6th edition will take place at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, with more than 420 exhibitors including more than 75 startups. (fr.fashionnetwork.com)
đŠ âŹ2 fee on small non-EU parcels from November 1. In Europe, a âŹ2 handling fee will be added from November 1 to the âŹ3 flat rate per tariff line in force since July. (bevh.org)
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