Latest news and stories about e commerce in finance in Portugal for expats and residents.
The postal company CTT - Correios de Portugal reported a 41.6% decline in profits for the first half of 2026, totaling 12.9 million euros. The drop is attributed to restructuring costs and financial challenges related to international operations, including the Spanish firm Cacesa.
The national postal service (CTT - Correios de Portugal) reported a net profit of €50.7 million for 2025, an 11.4% increase driven largely by e-commerce and its banking division. The announcement comes as CEO João Bento prepares to leave the company after seven years at the helm. Shareholders should note that the board has proposed a dividend payment of 19 cents per share following the strong financial performance.
AliExpress is set to appeal a 550 million euro fine imposed by the European Commission, arguing the penalty for failing to curb illegal product sales under the Digital Services Act is disproportionate.
Online platforms must therefore indicate and include all VAT and customs duties due in the final price paid by EU consumers at the time of payment.
CTT's net profit fell 39.8% year-on-year in the first nine months of the year to 19.8 million euros, pressured by Brussels' new customs rules on e-commerce, which also forced a second cut to this year's guidance. The new rules regarding ‘de minimis’, meaning the end of the exemption, ...
Starting this Sunday, the European Union will impose a new two-euro fee on all orders from outside the bloc to mitigate the impact of online trade, particularly from China, on the European market. This fee applies to all non-EU orders regardless of value and is in addition to the three-euro tariff introduced in July for orders under 150 euros. The fee is charged per product category rather than per order. While the EU argues that platforms should absorb the cost, there is no mechanism to prevent them from passing it on to consumers. The measure aims to cover rising customs costs amid an influx of five million daily parcels, many of which fail to meet EU safety standards. Unlike the temporary July levy, this new fee is intended to be permanent, with the European Commission estimating that similar e-commerce duties could generate six billion euros annually for the EU budget between 2028 and 2034.
Fashion brand Marques’Almeida is expanding and reinforcing its online sales platform.
National retail, from supermarkets to small appliance stores, is now competing with global operators. Social media and digital platforms bring experiences from around the world to our smartphones, raising expectations for products and services. According to a study by the Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies (APED), the increasing internationalisation of retail is redefining the competitive landscape in Portugal. The report highlights that e-commerce and social media content creators are forcing the value chain to reinvent itself, leading to greater pressure for convenience, personalisation, and service quality. Furthermore, the study notes that sustainability criteria are becoming essential due to energy cost volatility, and that an ageing population is intensifying competition for talent within the Portuguese economy.
The E-Commerce Connect Iberia event aims to foster integration and collaboration between the Portuguese and Spanish markets.
The E-Commerce Connect Iberia event aims to foster integration and collaboration between the Portuguese and Spanish markets.
Eupago introduces the Bizum payment service in Portugal, enabling local merchants to reach a wider customer base in Spain.
The Spanish instant payment service Bizum is launching in Portugal through a partnership with the payment institution Eupago.
The European Central Bank reports that consumers in southern Europe are the primary users of Chinese e-commerce platforms, with Greece ranking first, followed by Portugal and Spain.
The retail chain Kiabi launches its online marketplace in Portugal, allowing new brands to sell through its platform.
Portugal ranks second in consumer usage of Chinese e-commerce and digital platforms.
The Chinese company is “surprised” by the EU's decision. The Commission states that AliExpress does not have enough staff to monitor illegal products. The €550 million fine is the highest to date.
Starting July 1, the European Union is implementing a temporary 3-euro customs fee on low-value imports from non-EU countries, particularly e-commerce goods under 150 euros. The measure aims to ensure fair competition for European businesses, improve safety compliance, and combat customs fraud, as millions of small parcels—mostly from China—enter the EU daily. The fee will remain in place until July 2028, when a new European customs system is expected to be fully operational.
The measure aims to ensure greater equity between European companies and external e-commerce platforms, such as those from China.
KuantoKusta seeks to democratise access for small merchants to the entire consumer base across Portugal. The digital platform, founded in 2025 as a price comparison site, is committed to facilitating the entry of these retailers into e-commerce through its marketplace, which currently hosts 1,200 stores. Simultaneously, it offers consumers the ability to compare prices, consider purchases, and complete transactions, all within the KuantoKusta platform, which invested approximately 150,000 euros in technology last year and plans to spend nearly 300,000 euros this year. According to Rita Faria, KuantoKusta generated 40 million euros in sales for associated retailers last year, a growth of around 15% compared to 2024. The platform currently features a catalogue of two million products across 16 categories. The business is heavily influenced by peak shopping seasons like Christmas or Black Friday, but generates around 23,000 orders in a typical month, with that figure potentially doubling during peak periods. Currently, the star category on KuantoKusta is Health and Beauty, which has become the primary driver by value. The Pets category is the standout performer, recording 46% growth in volume and 51% in value in the first four months of this year compared to the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, the Image and Sound category shows a trend towards premiumisation, with the average transaction value rising by over 15%. Data from KuantoKusta indicates that inflation and the geopolitical climate have shifted consumption patterns, with the growth in Health and Beauty driven by a focus on wellness and more accessible pricing. While demand for technology products remains high, consumers are making more conscious purchases, leading to a decrease in the average transaction value to around 90 euros. Bynd has a 30 million euro fund to invest in tech startups, and Porto City Council, Sonae Sierra, and Solive launch 331 affordable rental homes.
The Portuguese company Bloop, a marketplace that acts as a social shopping network, announced this Tuesday its entry into the Spanish market, a strategic step that marks the start of the internationalisation of the platform founded by Francisco Rodrigues. Launched at the end of 2025, Bloop has surpassed 60,000 downloads and brings together around 200 active sellers.
Counterfeit goods in the design sector cause 420 million euros in losses in Portugal, with the clothing sector accounting for the largest share of the impact, according to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Data from the EUIPO indicates that in Portugal, counterfeiting causes annual losses of 337 million euros in the clothing sector and 83 million euros in the bags, jewellery, and watch sectors. Globally, in the European Union, the fashion and clothing sector suffers estimated annual losses of 12 billion euros, while counterfeit bags, jewellery, and watches cost genuine manufacturers approximately 2.7 billion euros in lost sales each year. Survey results show that half of EU consumers value good design, and about three in four (73%) are willing to pay more for a product with enhanced design. However, driven by the expansion of e-commerce and the influence of social media, more counterfeit products have emerged, with about 13% of Europeans stating they have intentionally purchased such items, a figure that rises to 26% among younger consumers aged 15 to 24. Portugal was the 5th EU country with the most counterfeit items seized in 2024.
Sociedade Ponto Verde estimates that in 2024, at least 6.2 million euros remained unpaid to the packaging management system by producers and packers whose packaging entered the country via e-commerce. This figure is expected to nearly double by 2028. Sociedade Ponto Verde is responsible for...
Agentic artificial intelligence will turn online stores upside down. The impact will be most profound for retailers and the labour market. Investors are forcing tech companies to rethink their revenue sources.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has already established itself in e-commerce, but its impact does not depend solely on the sophistication of the models. This conclusion emerged from the panel at the 8th Talk .IA, organised by ECO and dedicated to the intersection of technology and e-commerce: gains only truly appear when AI is integrated into operations.
InPost began 2026 with strong revenue momentum, reaching 910.5 million euros, a 31% year-on-year growth that accompanies a 32 percentage point increase in managed parcel volumes, totalling 359.2 million in the first quarter. Performance was driven by international growth and the rapid expansion of its locker network across Europe, according to the European logistics company that delivers parcels out-of-home using automated lockers and local small businesses (pack points). Business outside of Poland, where the company was founded, now accounts for 53% of group revenue. Adjusted EBITDA stood at 212.7 million euros, down 4% year-on-year, reflecting strong performance in Poland and the Eurozone alongside investments related to operational transformation in the UK following the integration of Yodel. Founder and CEO Rafał Brzoska highlights that, across all geographies, they continue to grow above the e-commerce market, expanding their pan-European out-of-home logistics platform and the convenience offered to both consumers and merchants.
The partnership was announced in December 2024 but is only now being concluded. It is an alliance between CTT and DHL to create a giant in the e-commerce sector on the Iberian Peninsula.
Online retail continues to show an upward trend in the Portuguese market.
