Multichannel companies from the Nordics make up Europe’s top three best-performing cross-border ecommerce sellers. These are Sweden-based Ikea, Denmark’s Jysk and H&M, also from Sweden. Behind them, Germany’s Zalando is the first pure player on the list.
This is according to the eighth edition of the TOP 500 B2C Cross-Border Retail Europe report, published by Cross-Border Commerce Europe. The ranking is based on a set of criteria, including sales, SEO indicators, the number of international markets and cross-border visitors. Secondary parameters such as brand authority and local customer options are also taken into account.
Europe’s cross-border top 10
Ikea, with stores active in many European countries, tops the list, just as it did last year and the year before. Jysk, also a furniture retailer, climbed from fifth to second place, while H&M remains in third place. Lidl, which ranked second last year, has dropped to ninth place.
Ceconomy’s MediaWorld (known as MediaMarkt in other markets) is new to the top 10, thanks to the international expansion of its successful marketplace. Danish jewellery brand Pandora is also a new entrant. Decathlon and Lego have dropped out of the top 10.
Cross-border ecommerce in Europe
Notably, Cross-Border Commerce Europe estimates total cross-border ecommerce spending in 2025 (B2C, excluding travel) at 108 billion euros, “representing 25 percent of the overall online market”. Last year, the organization reported 275.6 billion euros in cross-border sales, which at the time accounted for 36 percent of the entire European ecommerce market.
25 percent growth
The new top 500 accounts for 86 billion euros in cross-border online sales, an increase of 17 billion euros, or 25 percent, compared to a year earlier. Despite this, the market has entered “a phase of gradual stabilization and slower growth, reflecting broader macroeconomic pressures and a shift toward profitability and operational efficiency”, according to Cross-Border Commerce Europe.
‘The sector is entering a phase of slower growth’
It is notable not only that the top three companies in the ranking all originate from the Nordics, but also that they all have roots in physical retail. Zalando, which plans to add Bulgaria as its 28th market in the near future, is the first online-born player on the list.
