Amazon is doing a lot of good for the European economy, says Mariangela Marseglia. According to the Vice President of EU Stores, there are over 127,000 European SMEs thriving on Amazon. “Thanks to a company like Amazon, their job is simplified because we allow them to export to foreign countries in a very easy way.”
Amazon is the market leader in the largest European ecommerce markets. Last year, revenue grew by 8.7 percent in Germany and 12.7 percent in the United Kingdom. Increasingly, its revenue comes from advertising sales, as the marketplace continues capitalizing on its reach.
Ecommerce and traditional commerce
When asked about the dominance of ecommerce and Amazon in particular, Marseglia predicts “a present and a future where ecommerce and traditional commerce will coexist”. Because people do not just go to the high street or shop online only. “They do both,” she says in an interview on Euronews’ The Big Question. She points to the 127,000 SMEs that sell on Amazon, often internationally: “We are not a killer. We are actually an ally, a catalyst for their growth.”
‘We are a catalyst for growth’
Marseglia declared that Amazon contributed 41 billion euros to the European gross domestic product (GDP), roughly equal to the entire economy of Latvia or Estonia. Last year, the company invested 55 billion euros in the European economy. It employs about 230,000 permanent employees across the continent.
Europe as a single market
Europe’s Amazon boss points out that it is harder for companies on our continent to survive compared to Amazon’s home market. “The US market is one big single market. I think we should do much more to strengthen Europe as a single market. The reality is that there is a tendency towards that, but we are still operating a little bit like 27 different marketplaces”, she explained.
‘We are operating a little bit like 27 different marketplaces’
“We can cope with that because we are big grownup guys”, Marseglia added. “But I am much more worried for the small companies that sell on our marketplace. For them it is much more difficult to cope with complicated legislation and different regulations.”
Deals and deal events
According to Marseglia, spending on Amazon clearly shows that customers are paying more attention to their expenses. They spend more on everyday essentials and wait longer to make larger purchases. “So instead of changing their washing machine every 10 years, it takes them a little longer.” She adds that customers in 2025 are very interested in deals and deal events like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday.
Last month, Amazon introduced its bargain destination Haul in the United Kingdom, and earlier this month in Germany. It is expected that Amazon will offer the “ultra-low-priced products” from Haul in other parts of Europe as well.
