Monday 25th August | Join Free
It’s Monday, welcome to today’s brief. We’re looking at how friction in commerce, from tariffs to checkout flows, is reshaping global trade and customer expectations. Postal suspensions in Europe highlight the fragility of cross-border logistics, while eBay, Furniture.com, and new data on one-click checkout all reinforce the same lesson: winning sales means removing obstacles, not adding them. Let’s jump in 👇
In today’s issue:
📦 EU Postal Services Halt US Shipments Over Tariff Shift
🚗 eBay Pushes Free Returns on Auto Parts via Seller Mandate
🛋️ Furniture.com Pivots to Marketplace With AI Checkout
⚡ 84% of Shoppers Want One-Click Checkout
+plus three deep dives and two tools that could help you resolve conversion funnel leaks and discover the story behind a trend.
📦 EU Postal Services Halt US Shipments Over Tariff Shift LINK
TL;DR: European postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, France, Austria, and soon the UK are suspending package shipments to the US after the de minimis exemption (duty-free entry for packages under $800) expired.
Why It Matters: The exemption covered 1.36 billion packages worth $64.6B in 2024, much of it low-value ecommerce. With its end, even modest cross-border shipments face new duties, paperwork, and uncertainty, disrupting small businesses, marketplaces, and DTC exporters. DHL has already stopped handling US-bound parcels for business customers, citing unresolved questions around duty collection and customs data requirements. This creates an immediate barrier for European brands selling into the US and could accelerate demand for localized fulfilment, 3PL partnerships, or alternative routes to bypass postal bottlenecks.
Your Move: If you ship from Europe to the US, prepare for delays and higher costs. Explore US-based warehousing or cross-border logistics providers with customs expertise to maintain continuity. Also communicate proactively with customers about potential shipping disruptions and duties.
🚗 eBay Pushes Free Returns on Auto Parts via Seller Mandate LINK
TL;DR: eBay is promoting free 30-day returns for Vehicle Parts & Accessories, but the policy is mandatory for sellers on new fixed-price items over $10.
Why It Matters: eBay is framing the move as a shopper-friendly upgrade, touting flexible returns, free labels, and fast refunds to boost buyer confidence. But sellers shoulder much of the burden: they cover return costs when items are misdescribed or damaged, and only get a 50% label subsidy on “change of mind” returns if using eBay’s shipping program. Seller pushback is growing, with some warning of a shift to “used/open-box” listings to avoid compliance. The move highlights the tension between marketplaces chasing Amazon-like customer guarantees and the costs shifted onto merchants.
Your Move: If you sell on eBay, review your listing categories and return policies to ensure compliance while minimizing margin erosion. Consider whether product classification tweaks (new vs. open-box) or tighter product data can reduce exposure to costly returns.
🛋️ Furniture.com Pivots to Marketplace With AI Checkout LINK
TL;DR: Furniture.com is shifting from aggregator to marketplace, using Firmly’s AI-powered multi-retailer checkout to let shoppers buy from several furniture brands in a single transaction.
Why It Matters: Online furniture buying is notorious for friction, scattered carts, fragmented checkouts, and complex delivery logistics. By embedding Firmly’s agentic AI, Furniture.com plans to eliminate the need to bounce between retailer sites while still allowing brands to keep customer data and loyalty. This mirrors the network effects seen in real estate marketplaces (e.g. Apartments.com) and should position the platform as a trusted discovery-to-purchase hub. Features like real-time inventory syncing, potential cross-retailer promotions, and upcoming fit-check tools should further reduce returns and boost retention. With user return rates already doubling year-over-year, the model could reset expectations for big-ticket ecommerce.
Your Move: If you sell large or complex products, explore marketplace integrations and agentic checkout solutions that reduce friction without stripping away customer relationships. Test whether simplifying checkout and consolidating shopping journeys increases repeat purchase rates.