{"id":14676,"date":"2022-09-12T03:57:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T10:57:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michaeljbrumm.com\/dcl-v3\/?p=14676"},"modified":"2023-05-31T11:14:48","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T18:14:48","slug":"top-online-marketplaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaeljbrumm.com\/dcl-v3\/blog\/supply-chain\/top-online-marketplaces\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top Online Marketplaces Global Brands Should Consider Selling On"},"content":{"rendered":"

While studies show that many consumers still prefer to shop in person, online shopping is growing in popularity year-over-year. In 2022 global ecommerce sales are expected to hit <\/span>$5.5 trillion<\/span><\/a>. A large portion of this is driven by online marketplaces.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Online marketplaces are websites and mobile platforms that serve consumers products from many different sellers. They act as a singular shopping experience for buyers to purchase a wide variety of products with just one cart, one checkout, and one shipping invoice. They date back to the early internet but have grown in popularity in recent years as online shopping has become more of a normal for people (heightened by the COVID stay-at-home protocols).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Inherent in the online marketplace model, sellers need to be savvy about marketing their products because these platforms are basically virtual stores. Sellers have to remain competitive (through pricing, deals, compelling images and descriptions) because their products are often placed next to similar products and brands\u2014just like they would be on a retail shelf.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the top globally top ranked marketplaces and how to get your products listed on each one.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Amazon\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Amazon is the largest online marketplace available to sellers, globally. For many brands, being listed on Amazon is crucial for sales because the platform has such a high volume of traffic.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the biggest player in the US and Canada, and there are also sites that serve Germany (and European countries), the UK, and India. At this point Amazon has over 20 marketplaces worldwide, most of which have cross-border capabilities and serve multiple countries surrounding the region they serve.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Amazon is a horizontal marketplace, meaning all types of products can be found there.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While it used to be only a first-party seller, the platform is now close to 60% third-party sellers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

eBay\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In some markets eBay is known primarily as a channel for secondhand goods.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is the market leader in Australia, quite big in the UK and Germany, and it has a strong presence in Canada and the US as well. Globally, eBay is one of the biggest players and many brands use it for global cross-border shipping. Because of this, brands use it as a very simple tool to reach audiences across the world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

eBay works differently than Amazon though. Each product on eBay can have several listings. There can be a product page done by your company, and another seller can also create a product listing. They can provide different information which can be confusing for the sellers as well as consumers. Promoting your products with clear, compelling language and images is one of the top ways to excel on eBay.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alibaba\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alibaba is an interesting marketplace because it\u2019s a conglomerate of a few companies that don\u2019t share the same web interface. In effect, Alibaba is just the parent company of three very big, and also very separate online marketplaces.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Tmall is the dominant marketplace in China. It serves primarily local regions in China.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. AliExpress is very popular in Russia, but also in Spain, some European countries, and some Latin American countries. AliExpress also serves the US but there is minimal traffic. It was originally set up for resellers from China, so that\u2019s why it has a reputation for cheaper goods.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Lazada is a massive player in Southeast Asia. Lazada was set up with brands in mind and there is a separate section of Lazada where brands can have their own store.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        This set of channels makes up one of the biggest global marketplace system. But being on one doesn\u2019t equate to easily being on the others\u2014they each have different requirements and separate APIs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Walmart\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Walmart has rapidly expanded its online marketplace opportunities for sellers in the past few years. In 2022 Walmart welcomed more new sellers than Amazon did. This was a result of implementing an easier signup process, lowered restrictions, and a new cross-border option for US and UK sellers to ship to Canada.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Walmart is the second biggest platform in the US, behind Amazon. With these growing opportunities it may become more of a contender in the next few years.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Walmart is also a horizontal marketplace which attracts a wide variety of sellers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Regional Markets<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        It\u2019s worth noting that there are many regional marketplaces that have a big presence in certain countries. Just because they aren\u2019t global household names, doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t popular regionally. Here are a few to consider:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n