One of Europe’s sharpest voices in investment and entrepreneurship, Carlos Blanco, notes that in the online retail sector it is now about buying shovels and picks rather than chasing gold. He points out that the pandemic boosted e-commerce and native brands, creating a moment of consolidation. Speaking to an audience eager to hear his take on the market, he shares the view alongside Freshly Cosmetics cofounder Miquel Antolín. The takeaway is clear: there is limited space left for simply launching a cream, sunglasses, jacket, or motorcycle brand. If a new entrant isn’t already ahead, it’s likely because Amazon commands roughly 30 to 40 percent of consumer purchases online, or because traditional players, having strengthened their digital capabilities in recent years, are now capturing about a third of their revenue online as well.
Skepticism remains, but opportunity persists — albeit with greater difficulty. Blanco urges aspiring founders to focus on tools that streamline operations for e-commerce teams, a philosophy echoed at eShow, a Barcelona fair that week billed as Europe’s premier gathering for e-commerce professionals. The event showcases how brands like Parfois, Freshly, Incapto Coffee, Unilever, Lidl, Castañer, Misako, and Pandora are executing digital strategies. The conclusions drawn point to a broader shift in mindsets and benchmarks.
A growing consensus among industry players is that physical stores and online shops no longer inhabit two separate universes. Instead, they form a connected system where an online escape can serve as a testing ground and a growth engine in its own right. The message is simple: the digital channel now feeds and magnifies the physical business, rather than competing with it in isolation.
The head of digital strategy at Parfois highlights this dynamic by using her brand’s street presence in handbags, accessories, and jewelry as a case study. Online, the company projects a fashion-forward image with a strong brand resonance. She notes that launching a new line online provides rapid feedback and predictive insight into likely success or failure. This is how e-commerce acts as a brand accelerator, not merely a sales channel.
Google and Meta, the Bank of the 21st Century
Luis Francisco López, leader of growth marketing at Lidl, explains that the retailer uses its online store primarily for non-core products, testing new categories and serving as a laboratory for experimentation. He emphasizes that competition for attention comes from platforms that behave similarly for all players, so a clear value proposition and a compelling product are essential. This sentiment echoes comments from Incapto Coffee’s Francesc Font, who argues that success tomorrow depends on reducing reliance on Google and Meta, which he describes as the 21st-century banking system.
Strategic thinking should begin with brands and product categories, López suggests, then move to channels and opportunities. Ana Laura Fleba, head of the digital commerce and marketing hub for Unilever Spain, underlines the need to map out a robust digitalization strategy for B2B operations, drawing on a portfolio that includes Knorr, Magnum, Mimosin, Parogencyl, and Skip. The focus for Unilever is now on aligning a scalable digital framework with its business-to-business selling model.
The case of Castañer and Pandora provides further insight into the evolving landscape. The Catalan espadrille maker Castañer recounts how a 2012 online sales portal failed to communicate with brick-and-mortar stores for five long years. The founder, Xavier Colomé, explains that the brand realized it was competing with itself and that the physical store perceived the online shop as a threat. Today, both ends operate on a shared platform, to the point where an online order can be fulfilled from store stock rather than a central warehouse, and a missing item can be requested through the store itself.
Similarly, Pandora treats media investment as essential. Raul Duque, senior vice president of global marketing for the world’s largest jewelry brand, outlines two paths to growth: distribution and media. With around €4 billion in annual sales and 7,000 points of sale, Pandora aims to elevate its brand through a stronger media presence. He notes that the internet catalyzed this transformation. Pandora allocates roughly a quarter of its budget to television, with the remainder funneled into digital channels. He adds that experimentation has become a core practice, noting that the return on investment has risen by about one-third and sales have increased by more than 160 percent through increased testing.
That spirit of experimentation is echoed in other strategic observations, underscoring how brands must recalibrate their approach to marketing, retail footprint, and digital channels in tandem. The core message is consistent: online platforms are not just a sales channel but a powerful ally in building brand equity, testing products, and scaling reach across markets.