Most Popular Online Marketplaces in Europe

Online marketplaces have become an integral part of today’s eCommerce landscape. Corona lockdowns have given them yet another boost, but they have constantly grown their market shares for a long time – already contributing 57% to the entire global eCommerce sales in 2019, according to recent estimates published by Digital Commerce 360. Consumers also seem to like shopping on marketplaces – most world regions have a substantial number of online marketplaces that reach over 1 million website visits per month. When looking at the popularity of marketplaces among online shoppers, Amazon and eBay clearly lead the way in Europe. From a seller’s perspective, the same is true, as recent data1 collected by UPS Europe and Statista reveals. UPS Europe and Statista conducted a joint survey among eCommerce experts in Europe to provide a comprehensive mood and trend barometer of the European eCommerce sector. The data on online marketplaces within the European eCommerce Monitor 2020 reveal that although an average of more than 70% of sales generated by the companies of the experts interviewed come from their own websites, about half of them also sell on marketplaces. Out of the companies with a focus on B2C business, only 48% exclusively sell their products on their own website – 10% rely on marketplaces only.

When taking a closer look at which marketplaces the experts’ companies sell on, Amazon Marketplace and eBay turn out to be the clear leaders. 70% use Amazon and 52% use eBay. Both platforms are especially popular among companies with a focus on B2C sales: 75% and 59% of B2C-focused companies sell on Amazon and eBay, respectively. Third-placed Amazon for Business follows at quite a distance – with 18% using the platform. Fourth-placed Allegro is especially popular among companies with a focus on B2C sales, while fifth-placed Otto is most popular among companies with a B2B focus. Mercateo and Alibaba also seem to be attractive to B2B businesses: 10% and 6% of companies with a B2B focus sell on those platforms, respectively, while both marketplaces only count 2% of B2C-focused companies to their clients.

You want to find out more about how European eCommerce experts see their industry? The European eCommerce Monitor 2020 is a joint expert survey conducted by UPS Europe and Statista giving exclusive insights into the current situation of the industry in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland. Industry insiders share their views on current developments and future trends in the eCommerce field in a comprehensive trend barometer prepared by Statista research experts in a structured and easy-to-assess way.

1: UPS Europe and Statista conducted an online survey among 249 experts within the eCommerce industry (employees who have been involved in the eCommerce strategy or eCommerce logistics of their companies for the last six months) in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland between March 16 and April 14, 2020.