The fourth edition of the “Top 500 Fashion, Beauty & Luxury Retail Europe” ranking, published by Cross-Border Commerce Europe in September 2025, highlights the strong performance and transformation of the sector. The report shows that the Top 500 cross-border companies experienced remarkable growth, with their online turnover increasing by 32% year-on-year, rising from €71 billion to €93.7 billion. This growth was further supported by the entrance of new players, as the number of companies included in the ranking increased by 7.5% compared to the previous year.
Overall, the European Fashion, Beauty and Luxury market (covering both online and offline channels) is valued at €734.5 billion and is expected to grow by 2% by 2026. Within this, online sales remain the driving force, as the EU27 plus the UK recorded €224 billion in online fashion, beauty, and luxury sales in 2024, of which €96 billion came from cross-border trade. This figure is expected to reach €234 billion by 2025–26, representing 5% growth. Importantly, 30.5% of total European sales in this category are already generated online, and the sector represents 23% of all products traded through e-commerce across Europe.
Cross-border trade within the sector continues to strengthen. In 2024, cross-border online sales rose from €82 billion to €96 billion, a 17% increase, and projections expect this to grow further to €105 billion by 2026, representing 45% of the online market. Within the €93.7 billion generated by the Top 500 players, marketplaces accounted for €53.6 billion, which is 57.2% of the total. Consumer-to-consumer resale platforms contributed another €15 billion, equal to 17% of the market, with this figure forecasted to grow to €18 billion within the next year.
Breaking down the market by category, fashion remains the largest segment, accounting for €511.5 billion of the total trade, with 25.7% conducted online, or €131.4 billion in value. The beauty market represents €137 billion overall, of which 37.2% (€51 billion) is generated online. Luxury accounts for €86 billion in total trade, with nearly half of it—48.8%—already being transacted online, equivalent to €42 billion. When considered as a share of the entire online trade, fashion makes up 58.6%, beauty represents 22.7%, and luxury accounts for 18.7%.
The Top 500 cross-border ranking features a mix of global B2C and C2C players operating across 30 European markets, including the EU27, the UK, Switzerland, and Norway. Among the most prominent companies are Amazon, Zalando, Temu, Shein, Ssense, Sinsay, eBay, AliExpress, Vinted, Notino, The Ordinary, Cerave, Oriflame, and E.L.F. Beauty. Amazon remains the dominant leader and holds the number one spot for the second year in a row. Despite intense competition from Shein and Temu, it continues to expand its cross-border fashion and beauty offerings. Recently, Amazon has even begun experimenting with discount shopping segments, mirroring the low-cost strategies of its Chinese rivals while using Chinese manufacturing to compete on affordability and product variety.
The future of the market will also be shaped by sustainability regulations. From 2027 onwards, the European Union will require Digital Product Passports (DPPs) for textiles, cosmetics, and packaging. These passports will provide full transparency across a product’s cycle, from raw material sourcing to end-of-life recycling. Supported by QR codes and blockchain, DPPs will verify ethical and sustainable claims while encouraging circular business models such as refills and resale. Luxury brands like Stella McCartney and beauty players such as Rituals Cosmetics are already implementing these technologies, setting the tone for the sector’s transition toward verified sustainability.