STRATEGIC ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE NETWORKS AND MARKETPLACES IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the strategic transformation processes of European marketplaces and identify the characteristics, key challenges and directions of strategic maneuvering in the context of digital restructuring. The study used structural-analytical and comparative-historical approaches, content analysis of empirical sources, graphical modeling, and generalization of statistical indicators from open data and industry research. The study revealed a number of characteristic features and quantitative indicators that outline the current dynamics of European marketplaces. The study showed that in 2023, more than 23% of European companies carried out e-sales, and about 19% of total revenue was accounted for by e-sales, which indicates a gradual but stable integration of digital channels into the business structure. Significant differences between countries were recorded: in Sweden, Denmark, and Lithuania, more than 35% of enterprises actively use both web sales and electronic data exchange channels, while in Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia this figure does not exceed 15%. It has been determined that marketplaces such as Allegro, Zalando, Bol.com have demonstrated a steady growth rate of traffic (over 100 million visits per month) and active changes in the service model towards flexible logistics, their own financial infrastructure and integration with local small and medium-sized businesses. It has been found that the share of hybrid sales models has increased especially in the segment of interaction between companies, which indicates the expansion of the functional field of marketplaces. The correlation between the level of digital readiness of a country and the volume of e-commerce is also recorded. The structural features of popular marketplaces (Allegro, Zalando, OTTO, eMAG, Bol.com) are identified and their performance in 2020–2024 is outlined. Additionally, the annual financial dynamics were analyzed: Zalando's revenue in 2024 exceeded EUR 10.5 billion, and Allegro reached PLN 14.7 billion in gross value of goods in the third quarter of 2024. The practical significance of the research results lies in the possibility of their application to improve marketplace development strategies in countries with different levels of digital maturity and infrastructure readiness.