European eCommerce continues to grow. According to the European E-commerce Report 2025, the B2C market reached approximately €842 billion, confirming Europe as one of the world’s leading regions for digital commerce.
Behind this figure, however, lies a reality that is far less uniform than it may appear.
Each European country has its own characteristics in terms of purchasing habits, logistics networks, infrastructure, carriers, and delivery preferences. A model that works well in Germany may not be equally effective in Italy, Spain, or Poland.
For retailers and logistics operators, the real challenge is therefore not managing a single European market, but operating successfully within an ecosystem made up of deeply diverse markets.
In this article, we explore why the continued growth of eCommerce makes it increasingly important to adapt logistics strategies to individual national markets, and the role a logistics orchestrator can play in managing this complexity.
The European eCommerce Market Continues to Grow, but Remains Highly Fragmented
The more than €840 billion generated by the European eCommerce market reflects a rapidly expanding sector, but it does not fully describe its actual structure.
Western Europe continues to account for the largest share of European eCommerce, followed by Southern Europe, while Central and Eastern European markets are experiencing different growth dynamics and still display varying levels of maturity.
Significant differences also emerge within each geographical region. Market size, marketplace penetration, digital maturity, logistics infrastructure, and consumer expectations make every country a unique ecosystem. This fragmentation is one of the biggest challenges for businesses operating in international eCommerce.
Why There Is No Such Thing as a Standard European Logistics Model
If the market is not uniform, logistics cannot be either.
Consumer preferences vary significantly from one country to another, revealing a Europe that is far more diverse than many might expect.
In Poland, for example, parcel lockers have become the preferred delivery option for 56% of online shoppers, while home delivery is chosen by only 26%. In the Czech Republic, parcel lockers are preferred by 41% of consumers, exceeding the share of home deliveries. By contrast, home delivery remains the dominant option in Germany and Spain, while in France and Italy parcel shops also play a particularly important role, with almost one-third of online shoppers choosing them.
These figures clearly demonstrate that there is no single European delivery experience. Consumer habits differ, as do the availability of Out-of-Home networks, the logistics operators present in each market, and, consequently, customer expectations of retailers.
For companies operating internationally, this means one simple thing: replicating the same logistics model across every market is no longer enough.
Competitiveness increasingly depends on the ability to adapt to local market characteristics by offering delivery options that match consumer preferences and the infrastructure available in each country.
Every Market Requires a Different Strategy
Localising an eCommerce business today is about much more than translating a website or supporting different payment methods. It means designing a delivery experience that meets the expectations of customers in each individual market.
Delivery has become an integral part of the customer experience and is now one of the key factors influencing conversion rates, customer satisfaction, and loyalty.
This is one of the reasons why companies such as InPost have built their success in markets like Poland, where parcel locker culture is now firmly established, while other European countries continue to rely on different models based on parcel shops, home delivery, or hybrid networks. For businesses selling across multiple markets, the challenge is not choosing one model over another, but being able to offer the delivery experience consumers expect in their own country.
The Real Challenge Is Managing the Complexity of Out-of-Home Networks
This evolution brings another consequence. As parcel lockers and pickup points become more widespread, so does the number of operators, networks, and infrastructures that must be integrated.
For retailers and marketplaces, this often means developing and maintaining dozens of different integrations, resulting in higher costs, longer development times, and increasing operational complexity.
The risk is that technological fragmentation ends up slowing down the very flexibility the market demands.
Why Orchestration Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage
This is where the concept of orchestration becomes strategically important.
The objective is not to build new networks, but to connect the ones that already exist.
A logistics orchestrator enables different Out-of-Home networks to be integrated, managed, and coordinated through a single access point, making parcel lockers and pickup points from multiple operators available without requiring separate integrations.
The real value therefore lies not in the physical infrastructure itself, but in the ability to make it interoperable. This approach enables broader geographical coverage, faster international expansion, and reduced technological complexity.
How GEL Proximity Simplifies International Logistics
In an increasingly complex European market, the ability to orchestrate Out-of-Home networks has become a strategic advantage. This is precisely the role played by GEL Proximity.
Through a single integration, retailers, carriers, and logistics operators can access more than 1.000.000 parcel lockers and pickup points already available worldwide, without having to manage dozens of separate connections with local operators.
GEL Proximity acts as a true logistics orchestrator, connecting different networks, simplifying operational management, and making the Out-of-Home ecosystem more open, interoperable, and scalable.
Building a Truly European Logistics Model Means Managing Complexity
European eCommerce will continue to grow in the coming years. However, competitive advantage will not come from standardisation, but from the ability to adapt to different markets while leveraging local infrastructures without increasing technological complexity.
This is precisely where orchestration becomes the key enabler of a truly European logistics ecosystem.
Looking to simplify the management of your Out-of-Home deliveries across multiple markets? Contact us today!
