Scaling into the EU: fulfilmentcrowd x IMRG EU Expansion Report 2026

The EU’s eCommerce market offers a lucrative opportunity for scaling brands to tap into commercially mature customers throughout several countries.

Since Brexit, selling into the EU has been less straightforward for UK brands; however, a huge opportunity remains for businesses that can get it right.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with the UK’s largest eCommerce association, IMRG, to bring you the EU Expansion Report 2026.

By reading the report, you’ll learn which countries your products best suit, the benefits of stock localisation, how to expand effectively, and much more.

Why we’ve created this report

Following an €842 billion turnover in 2024, and a projected 7% growth for 2025, the EU’s eCommerce market provides a major selling opportunity for brands across multiple sectors.

Customer appetite throughout the bloc is strong, but it’s balanced out by language barriers, differing cultures and increasingly strict regulatory expectations.

Although the opportunity is undeniable, sellers still have issues executing EU growth:

• 68% of shoppers still experience friction when buying cross-border
• Delivery, returns and unexpected costs and the biggest blockers
• Compliance is getting tighter, not easier

With this report, we hope to bring ambitious brands the information and tools they need to compose their own EU expansion plans – and execute them.

What you’ll learn 

A big part of growth is knowing where to find demand. For UK retailers, the EU remains the most immediate opportunity for international expansion, but expectations around service and delivery can differ considerably country-by-country.

Inside the report, you’ll learn which countries to aim for first based on your product sector, giving you a much more targeted approach to EU expansion.

You’ll also learn about marketplaces – a far more accessible starting point for EU growth – and how they can support your brand in getting off the ground in Europe.

As regulatory pressures increase across the EU, stock localisation plays an increasingly important role for growing brands. By reading the report, you’ll get a roadmap for stock localisation, learn when to localise stock and the understand benefits of doing so.

From top to bottom, the EU Expansion Report 2026 gives your brand a headstart on its EU growth plans, offering an insight into what drives purchases across Europe and how to take advantage of customer demand.

Where many retailers go wrong

When the time comes to expand, many UK brands approach EU expansion with the same methods that brought domestic success.

What this report shows you is that what converts in the UK doesn’t automatically convert in other EU countries.

Here’s a sneak peek of some of the expectations the report outlines:

• German customers have high expectations for delivery and service
• Nordic markets contain highly engaged online shoppers willing to purchase cross-border
• Swiss buyers have a strong online presence, with a large proportion purchasing monthly

In the report, we outline the opportunities per country and where your product category is most likely to succeed, giving your brand a headstart on its next growth phase.

EU Expansion Report 2026

“What doesn’t work is applying the same approach as in the UK. Each market has its own mentality. Even platform algorithms differ; what performs well in Germany won’t necessarily work in the UK. The key is to get local expertise, because marketing is fundamentally different market to market.”

Andreas Kreickmann, Head of Development (DE), fulfilmentcrowd

Your roadmap to EU expansion

As well as insights into country-by-country behaviours and expectations, our report breaks down how your brand can take advantage of the EU market with a step-by-step roadmap to success.

Selling into the EU can give your brand the launchpad it needs for its next stage of growth, but can also quickly become difficult to manage if not handled properly. At this stage, growth can slow and operations end up lagging behind.

The report provides:

• How and where to start with expansion
• What to measure before choosing your next market
• Localisation tips, benefits and strategies
• How to stay compliant during EU growth

All in all, you’ll learn where EU opportunities exist for your brand, and how to take advantage of them.

The report, step-by-step 

Here’s a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of what the report consists of:

• Meet the IMRG and fulfilmentcrowd experts
• Identifying opportunities by country
• Localisation as the core unlock
• How to be compliant when selling into the EU
• Summary of findings and steps ahead

If you’re serious about EU growth, this report – in partnership with IMRG – is a great place to start.