GLOBAL BRANDS LOOKING FOR UNIFIED FULFILMENT
Edition 006 | January 2026
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Things ecommerce brands can't ignore in 2026
Nothing says “fresh start” like a new wave of regulations, platform updates and compliance changes. While most teams are still easing into the New Year, global logistics is already shifting, and upcoming reforms will redefine how brands sell, ship and scale across borders.
In 2026, compliance is no longer a back-office task. It’s a competitive edge. The brands that get ahead will move faster, minimise disruption and unlock growth others can’t access. Below is the 2026 compliance landscape, decoded for founders and operational leaders.
The end of Regime 42
Regime 42 has long given non-EU importers a way to import goods into one EU member state (most commonly France as a gateway) and immediately dispatch them onward to another member state without paying import VAT upfront at the border. That has ended. For brands, this means:
➡️ More upfront VAT exposure
➡️ More rigorous border checks
➡️ A need for airtight documentation
If you rely on multi-country fulfilment or land-and-ship models, this is one change you cannot sleep on. The smoother your VAT and customs flow, the faster your parcels move. The rougher it gets, the more your customers feel it.
"With the removal of Regime 42, brands will feel VAT up front, not at delivery. Getting ahead of this change is about anticipating cash flow and customs delays,” says Antony Day, Global Logistics & Carrier Manager at IFGlobal.
Through our Solutions Partner network, we link brands with VAT and customs specialists, so you can set up alternate low compliance import models efficiently, rather than scrambling under pressure.
Find out how we can support you.
Goodbye to the €150 de minimis threshold
The EU is removing the €150 duty exemption on low-value goods. Every shipment will now require full duty calculation and product classification, with no shortcuts! This will impact:
🟣 DTC brands shipping from outside the EU
🟣 Marketplace sellers using low-value parcel strategies
🟣 Any business relying on “fast and cheap” entry routes
This ends the era of hidden costs and surprise fees for customers, and puts the onus on brands to price and declare properly.
“The days of hoping cheap parcels go unnoticed are over. Smart brands will bake duties and VAT into pricing and operations, or risk losing customers at customs or checkout,” notes Philip Rossiter, CFO at IFGlobal. "We help brands evaluate whether adopting IOSS or another compliant import strategy increases retention and improves revenue predictability."
If your pricing or margins depend on avoiding duties, now is the time to re-run your numbers. Some brands will need to reprice. Others will need to restrategise. The smartest will do both.
VAT goes digital (and more automated)
2026 is accelerating digital VAT reporting. This means you can expect:
➡️ Real-time VAT transaction reporting
➡️ Country-specific e-invoicing requirements
➡️ Tighter enforcement on cross-border inconsistencies
If you’ve been able to “get by” with manual processes, that era is ending. Digital VAT compliance is no longer for the enterprise segment... it’s for everyone. The good news is automation reduces errors and saves real money. The brands who implement systems early will spend less time fixing problems later.
Marketplaces are getting stricter
Amazon, Zalando, and other platforms are tightening compliance rules at SKU level. Marketplaces are shifting accountability from themselves to you. If your compliance folder isn’t in order, 2026 is the year you’ll feel it.
➡️ Stricter product safety and technical documentation
➡️ Mandatory traceability records
➡️ Instant deactivation for missing certificates
➡️ Increased demands for importer-of-record clarity
Founders who keep their catalogue clean will win visibility. Everyone else will spend their time fighting listing suspensions.
This aligns with EU drives to make platforms responsible for unsafe goods and compliance failure, particularly low-value imports. At IFGlobal, we guide documentation audits and compliance readiness so you're retail-ready and your marketplace listings stay live and follow evolving rules.
New regulations under the EU Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
PPWR is the EU’s biggest packaging reform in decades. For ecommerce, this touches everything from unboxing to upstream sourcing. The brands who embed sustainable packaging into their operations will strengthen customer trust and avoid penalties.
🟣 Requirements for more recyclable materials
🟣 Restrictions on “excessive packaging”
🟣 Standardised labelling for recyclability
🟣 Stricter reporting obligations
Beyond packaging, expect broader sustainability-linked requirements to influence product sourcing, environmental claims, carbon reporting, and supply chain transparency. This isn’t performative ESG. Regulators want evidence, not intentions. Ecommerce brands who invest early in verifiable data will outpace those who don’t.
Our packaging partners, Supplied, help elevate our brands with sustainable, cost-effective packaging solutions that enhance customer experience and streamline supply chains. Read what Gareth Walker has to say below.
Rising pressure on product-compliance for imported goods
If you import, private label, or white-label, this is especially relevant. Expect more checks, more documentation requests, and faster takedowns for non-compliance.
The real shift is that accountability now follows the brand, not the manufacturer. Authorities are tightening controls on cosmetic, health and wellness products, electronics, children’s goods, and supplements.
New IOSS reforms raise the compliance bar
The Import One-Stop Shop is evolving. For brands shipping B2C into Europe, clean reporting will be the difference between frictionless customs and costly delays. Key changes include:
➡️ A higher burden on sellers to prove VAT accuracy
➡️ More aligned EU-wide reporting
➡️ Stricter audits and cross-border data-sharing
Compliance is no longer invisible to the customer. When it fails, they feel the pain first. But when it works? It becomes part of your competitive advantage.
We’re partnering with Yuzu to turn fulfilment into a marketing moment
At IFGlobal, we’ve always believed fulfilment is more than shifting boxes. It’s a chance to connect brands with their customers in meaningful ways. That's why we’re excited to announce our partnership with Yuzu, a platform that helps brands create meaningful, personalised experiences for their customers.
Learn more about the partnership.
We're sponsoring DTC Live Deep Dive Workshops
If you’re serious about scaling your direct-to-consumer brand in today’s market, these are unmissable, hands-on days designed to deliver practical insight you can act on immediately. All workshops will take place in a high-end Central London venue, with a tasty lunch provided so the conversations can continue beyond the sessions.
📅 12 February - Retention and Acquisition
📅 16 July - Preparing for Peak
📅 12 November - Annual Planning
Peak 2025: IFGlobal’s biggest season yet
As the dust settles from Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the rest of the Peak whirlwind, we’re thrilled to share that Peak 2025 was our biggest and most successful yet. From record volumes to new operational milestones, our teams and brands showed what smart planning and solid execution can achieve under pressure.
Helping ecommerce brands grow faster
We're thrilled to welcome Ben Wareham to the Amplifi team as our new Ecommerce Marketplace Executive. Amplifi, our in-house Amazon growth agency, is growing and we’re excited to keep building our specialist marketplace team. It reflects our ongoing commitment to helping ecommerce brands unlock more opportunity and scale with confidence on one of the world’s largest platforms.
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How demand forecasting can save your brand thousands. Peak season has wrapped. Campaigns landed, orders shipped, results are (mostly) in. Now is the moment many brands take stock, literally and figuratively, and realise the real story isn’t how many orders they won, but how many they missed. We explore why demand forecasting is no longer a luxury for big, established brands. It is a financial control mechanism that directly influences profit, operational efficiency, customer loyalty, and your ability to grow without chaos.
