[Mind Retail info] Ouidrop rolls out drive-through robotics at E.Leclerc and prepares for Series A Europe Mind Retail learned the French start-up, which specialises in robotics technology for grocery drive-throughs, has signed new deals with E.Leclerc supermarkets. The rapidly growing start-up, whose staff doubled in a year, is also about to begin a Series A process in September.
Danish grocer Salling accelerates VC investments, following in the footsteps of Vinted Europe Eager to better source retail innovation and accelerate time to market, Danish grocer Salling (2024 turnover: €9.7 billion,…
Biometric payment: Handwave raises US$4.2 million and signs with Visa Europe In the wake of Amazon One, Latvian start-up Handwave aims to democratise biometric payment and authentication using the palm of the hand. The past weeks have seen major announcements by the Founders, both former Worldline employees. Here are the details.
Jean-Yves Gras, Colissimo: “By October 2025, we will offer photos of packages in mailboxes or at home upon delivery” Europe In an e-commerce market that is growing in volume but disrupted by the pull of out-of-home consumption, Colissimo is adopting innovative AI digital twin and package tracking technologies. The goal is to optimise delivery efficiency, reduce parcel fraud and smooth out peak loads. In an interview with mind Retail, C.E.O. Jean-Yves Gras details his tech, data and customer journey roadmap for the coming months.
After Jennyfer and Boardriders Europe, Beaumanoir takes over Naf Naf Europe On August 7, 2025, the commercial court approved Beaumanoir‘s takeover bid for Naf Naf (amount undisclosed). At the helm of Caroll,…
Conversational agents: Contentsquare acquires Loris AI to strengthen platform Europe On July 30, French unicorn Contentsquare, a specialist in online user experience, announced a ninth acquisition with the purchase of Loris AI (amount undisclosed).…
After France, Italy fines Shein €1 million Europe On August 4, the Italian Competition Authority fined Infinite Styles Services, a subsidiary and manager of Shein‘s websites in Europe,…
[E-commerce Barometer 2025] France, United Kingdom, Germany… traditional markets return to 2021 peak Europe In 2024, online product sales doubled (up by 5.4%) in the 6 main Western European markets of the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, driven by lower inflation and higher volumes. In 3 years, the peak of 2021 was matched or exceeded in the vast majority of countries tracked by mind Retail. While electronics confirmed resilience, FMCG stabilised. Despite aggressive sales by Shein and Temu, online fashion grew in value in Germany and France, gaining market share. Where 12 points of market share separated France and the UK in 2023, the gap is now only 5 points.
Delipop bankruptcy: a warning for urban logistics start-ups? Europe Dissolved on July 30 by the Paris Commercial Court, the start-up Delipop, which pooled pedestrian drive-through pickups for several food retailers such as Carrefour and Intermarché via automated lockers, had not found economic stability. This is a strong warning about limitations of automated click & collect solutions in the face of the rise of individual lockers promoted by Mondial Relay, Vinted Go, and others.
EU-US tariffs: a 15% compromise, but luxury goods, cosmetics, and wine remains unclear Europe The framework agreement reached on July 27 between Trump and von der Leyen imposes tariffs of 15% on European exports. While aerospace and spirits are expected to be exempt, the extra costs for pharmaceuticals, wines, cosmetics and luxury goods is unclear. In return, the EU committed to massive investment in America and increasing imports from the U.S.A.
