12 E commerce Marketplaces: Online marketplaces for products and services are experiencing significant growth, in line with the old proverb, “Go where your customers are.” Major players in this sector, such as Rakuten, Amazon, Alibaba, Walmart, and eBay, are witnessing a surge in popularity. According to research from Be | Shaping the Future (Be STF), global marketplace sales are expected to reach USD $8.8 trillion by 2025, reflecting an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20%.[1] Furthermore, online marketplace sales are poised to enhance the overall growth of online sales, with their share of total online sales projected to increase from 19% in 2020 to 24% by 2025. This trend highlights the vital role that online marketplaces will play in the future of retail. By selling on these marketplaces, brands can enhance visibility, improve the shopping experience for customers, and potentially increase earnings. However, despite the wealth of opportunities available, entering foreign markets remains a considerable challenge for many businesses. The article below provides a detailed overview of top ecommerce marketplaces with their pros and cons, making it easier for you to initiate your online selling via these platforms.
What is an ecommerce marketplace?
The term “e-commerce marketplace” refers to an online venue where various sellers post their products for sale. For example, eBay is a popular marketspace. Likewise, Amazon is an Internet retailer that warehouses its own products but is also a marketspace for millions of global sellers that sell merchandise.
Types of e-Commerce Marketplaces
It is possible to roughly group ecommerce markets into four types
1- Product-based marketplaces
Product-based marketplaces, also known as a multi-vendor marketplace, are digital platforms that allow businesses and individuals to sell their physical products to consumers. Some examples include AliExpress and Amazon.
2- Service-based marketplaces
In service-based marketplaces, the providers give a space to independent contractors and freelancers from where clients find them and hire them for services. Upwork and TaskRabbit are two such instances.
3- Peer-to-peer marketplaces
As the name indicates, peer-to-peer marketplaces allow trades between individuals. Online stores such as Etsy, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace are among many examples.
4-B2B marketplaces
In B2B marketplaces, companies buy and sell goods and services with each other in a business transaction. Thomasnet and Alibaba are two instances.
Marketplace versus e-Commerce Store
Marketplaces
Marketplaces offer a one-stop shop where customers can find several different stores. The point of organizing products in a marketplace is to attract more customers and, eventually, make more purchases. When consumers purchase online, they have the advantage of being able to quickly peruse a wide variety of brands. You can pay quickly and easily on most of these sites because they provide an expedited checkout option.
Ecommerce
On the other hand, in e-commerce, internet merchants make it possible for businesses to sell their wares directly to customers. Building and maintaining the e-commerce website, taking care of payment processing, and coordinating goods shipping and delivery are all responsibilities of the company.
While most online/ e-commerce stores are operated by a single entity, marketplaces provide a platform for multiple merchants to showcase their products to buyers.
12 Top e-Commerce Marketplaces
Among thousands of e-commerce marketplaces available all over internet, here are the 12 marketplaces you must consider amongst while considering to have a platform to sell your products online.
1. Amazon
Amazon is the most popular marketplace in the world because of its consistent purchase experience, powerful shipping and fulfillment tools, and reliable business practices. Beyond that, it is the world’s second-most popular search engine.
You can’t create Amazon Store content without first registering your brand with the Amazon Brand Registry. After registering your brand, you can launch your very first Amazon store. Select a theme and begin building pages in the same way you would for your own website. Customers should be able to easily find what they need thanks to the user-friendly navigation. The following is a bird-eye view of how to make your seller account on amazon
Monthly visits: 2.7 billion
Fees: About 15% on average, though it does vary by product category[2]
Top regions: the US, Canada, the UK, Mexico, Germany, and France[3]
Top categories: Items for the house and kitchen; personal care and cosmetics; entertainment and children’s entertainment; clothing, shoes, and accessories; and baby, home, and health issues
2. eBay
In spite of eBay’s image as an online marketplace for vintage things, the site frequently lists brand-new merchandise. By allowing merchants to list both new and used things, eBay was able to earn $10.1 billion in 2022.[4]
In order to sell on eBay, you must adhere to these five easy steps:
- Make an eBay account
- Register your seller account so you may sell your products online.
- Customize your account settings to match your preferred rules for shipping, returns, and more.
- Upload your product using eBay’s offered tools.
- Complete sales
You can get different tools, lower selling fees, “promoted listing” credits, and more across eBay’s five different pricing tiers. Consider your e-commerce firm’s size when developing a pricing plan.
Monthly visits: 594.8 million
Fees: A final value fee (not to exceed 14.35% of the total transaction price) + a $0.30 processing cost[5]
Top regions: the USA, the UK, Germany and Chins[6]
Top categories: Automobiles, gadgets, jewelry, watches, and antiques
3. Walmart
Walmart is the most popular US online retailer, with over half a million unique visitors every month. Now, third-party sellers can provide more than 35 product categories on Walmart’s marketplace. As of November 19, 2024, Walmart has 10,660 stores and clubs in 70 countries, operating under 46 different names.[7]
If you want to sell on Walmart as a partner, you have follow these sixsteps:
- Request to sell on Walmart by spreading a word about your businesses and the products you wish to sell.
- If you are allowed, proceed with setting up your seller account and signing the retailer agreement.
- Once done, connect your eCommerce business payment account and complete.
- You will be able to start selling once Walmart completes their final inspection in 14 to 20 days.
- Simply click the Ready to Launch button to launch your products in the catalogue and test your orders.
- Start selling your products on Walmart
As a part of the onboarding process, you can now connect your Shopify store to Walmart.com’s Marketplace website once you’re approved. Create listings, sync inventory, and import order details for fulfillment with ease using this software to connect your product catalog with Shopify. Currently, this is only applicable to brands based in the United States.
Monthly visits: 1.34 billion
Fees: Commission fees vary between 6% and 15%.[8]
Top regions: United States, Canada, India
Top categories: Electronics, toys, fashion
4. Alibaba
Alibaba.com is one of the top B2B marketplaces in the world, with over 14 million active buyers and sellers.[9] This platform is a one-stop marketplace for buying and selling anything, regardless of your industry. The B2B production and wholesale supplier portal Alibaba.com is relied upon by several enterprises, both within China and outside. If your company deals in selling goods to other businesses, your quest ends at Alibaba.com. The following four steps can make you an alibaba seller
- Create your Alibaba account
- Post your products
- Create a storefront
- Manage inquiries
- Protect orders and payment
Monthly visits: 218.5 million
Fees: Seller plans start at US $1,899 per year.[10]
Top regions: China, United States, Russia, United Kingdom
Top categories: Electronic consumer; sports and entertainment; beauty and personal care; tools and equipment
5. AliExpress
One of the well-established B2C (business-to-consumer) marketplaces run by the Alibaba Group is AliExpress.Launched in 2010, AliExpress is made up of small businesses in many locations, such as Singapore, with its headquarter residing in China The platform is available in 220 regions and territories and supports 18 languages.[11] Many vendors offer low-priced direct shipment to customers, making it an ideal marketplace for drop-shipping businesses.
Like many other marketplaces, AliExpress makes it easy to sell on:
- Sign up
- Fill out the form
- Hit the “submit” button
Once that is done, you will be able to customize your store and begin selling.
Monthly visits: 1.69 billion
Fees: Commissions vary between 5% and 8% based on products categories.[12]
Top regions: Mainland China, Russia, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and France.[13]
Top categories: Consumer electronics; health and beauty; home and garden; women’s clothing; mom and kids
6. Taobao
Taobao—which was created by Jack Ma in 2003—is a leading B2C (business-to-consumer) e-commerce platform in China. Taobao literally means “Search for Treasures.” It is also an Alibaba-owned Chinese online shopping website. As of at least 2024, it was the world’s most popular online shopping platform as measured by gross merchandise value.[14]
Monthly visits: 551.4 million
Fees: None
Top regions: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, United States, Singapore
Top categories: Women’s clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, home furnishing
7. Flipkart
India-based e-commerce platform Flipkart was bought up by Walmart in 2018. The company is headquartered in Bangalore, and incorporated in Singapore as a private limited company. The company initially focused on online book sales before expanding into other product categories such as home goods, food, transportation, consumer electronics, fashion,groceries, and lifestyle products.
To sell on Flipkart, you need to
- Create a seller account on the Flipkart Seller Hub
- Verify your business details by providing necessary documents like PAN card and GSTIN
- Open the bank account in the name of business entity
- Set up your seller profile by submitting information and documents with Flipkart
- Once done with registration you can start listing your product and selling them.
Monthly visits: 635.2 million
Fees: Rates vary from 2.8% to 25%[15]
Top regions: Fllipkart is only available in India and does not offer products or services outside of the country. However, there are services that can help customers outside of India shop from Flipkart, such as Shopp and MyXBox[16]
Top categories: Electronics; home and kitchen; fashion; books; and health and beauty products
8. Rakuten
Rakuten, referred to as “Amazon of Japan,” is a B2B2C platform known as Rakuten Ichiba. In the country of Japan, Rakuten sells a variety of goods, including electronics, clothing, and necessities for pets, to its 1.6 billion users. Moreover, it also helps 44,000 sellers to sell on Rakuten across 30 countries and regions across the globe.[17]
Sellers can’t just show up on Rakuten; they have to apply and get approved. The platform allows brands to personalize their shops, which helps to establish their brand identity and draws in customers. To sell on Rakuten
- Make an account on the Rakuten seller portal.
- List your products with one of the following barcodes- UPC, EAN, JAN, ISBN.
- Select an Own Brand name and a unique manufacturer id ( to ensure you own a business)
- After screening & confirmation, List your products in either of 4 ways: RMS web tool, FTP feeds. Open API or Third-party integration.
Monthly visits: 1.45 billion
Fees: Monthly fee, $0.99 listing fee per item, commission charge between 8% and 14%[18]
Top regions: Japan, United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada, and Australia
Top categories: Electronics; home and outdoor; clothes and shoes; sports and fitness; bags and luggage; pet supplies
9. Etsy
Etsy is another North American e-commerce network that caters to the arts and crafts industry. It specializes in vintage, collector’s, and handcrafted goods.Posting wares on Etsy is a must for mom-and-pop shops selling handmade goods. Putting your wares on display on Etsy is a breeze: Sign up for an account and start listing items immediately. Etsy often has reduced listing costs compared to the other markets mentioned in this article.
To sell on Etsy, you need to
- Create an Etsy account
- Choose a shop name
- Set up your shop details
- Add product listings with clear descriptions and images
- Select a payment method
- Establish shipping policies
- Promote your shop to potential buyers
Monthly visits: 1.24 billion
Fees: $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee, 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee[19]
Top regions: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France
Top categories: Jewelry; wedding items; party supplies; vintage items; clothing; home and living
10. Mercado Libre
Mercado Libre is a payment processor in addition to being one of the biggest online marketplaces in Latin America. The Argentine e-commerce portal Mercado Libre, which launched in 1999, now presents Amazon with formidable opposition. The online marketplace allegedly generated $5.1 billion in sales during the second quarter of 2024, a 42% increase compared to the previous year. [20]
You can follow almost the same process mentioned for the above e-commerce platforms to make a seller account, get it verified, and start selling your products.
Monthly visits: 73.07 million
Fees: Varies between country and category, starting from 12.5% per order[21]
Top regions: Brazil,Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay
Top categories: Smartphones; home and garden; sporting goods; fashion; and electronics and accessories
11. Shopee
Shopee is a subsidiary of Sea Group and an e-commerce business based in Singapore. It was founded in 2015, started life out as a C2C (customer-to-customer) marketplace, in the same vein as eBay, but over the past few years has remodelled itself as a B2C marketplace. Shopee went from being a mobile-only marketplace to becoming the most popular e-commerce site in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan. According to a 2024 statement by Sea Limited, the company’s owner, Shopee’s year-over-year revenue increased by 23%.[22]
Like other platforms, you can start selling on shopee following the five simple steps
- Create your Shopee shop
- Create your first listing
- Set up your shipment
- Configure payment settings
- Ship out your first order
- Publish your listings and begin receiving orders from customers.
Monthly visits: 2.9 million
Fees: Rates vary from 3% to 5%, with additional commission fees depending on the category ranging from 4% to 11%[23]
Top regions: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Brazil
Top categories: Fashion; health and beauty; electronics; home and living; toys, kids, and baby products
12. Wayfair
Last but not least, Wayfair, with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, has been around since 2007 and is a leading online marketplace for home decor and furniture. Founded in 2002 by Niraj Shah and Steve Conine, the company has grown into one of the top online destinations for home furnishings and décor in North America and areas of Europe. Starting selling on wayfair is almost the same that can be found in detail on their official website[24]
Monthly visits: 84 million
Fees: Wayfair operates on a wholesale model rather than taking seller fees, as products are sourced directly or through exclusive partnerships.
Top regions: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland
Top categories: Furniture; home décor; kitchen and dining; outdoor furniture; bed and bath products
Tips for selling on top online marketplaces
Choosing an e-commerce platform for your shop is one decision, and taking your sales to the peak while being on any forum requires another level of strategy and enthusiasm. Her are some tips for selling on top online marketplaces
1. Choose the right ecommerce marketplace for your brand
Although it may be tempting to list your products on every marketplace, you should only do so if you have a good idea of which platforms will actually sell them. The rules, laws, and ideal customers of any given market are unique.
Some platforms take a cut of every sale. Some people may charge you to be listed. There are always going to be benefits and drawbacks to reaching a certain market’s customers.
Here are a few characteristics of online markets that might help you restrict your search:
Products
Vendors in the marketplace may have a higher level of expertise in particular areas than others, or they may just not stock certain products (like medical devices). Determine which markets could be a good fit for your product.
Marketplace fees
With the commission structure, selling fees, and transaction costs, you’ll have a lot on your plate: If it hasn’t been done already, please review the shipping charges. Additionally, please review any costs related to chargebacks or refunds.
Customer location
If your primary target audience consists of online consumers in the United States, it might be wise to use a marketplace that is popular among US buyers, such as Amazon or eBay. You can more effectively contact Asian consumers using online marketplaces like as Taobao or Alibaba.
Competition
Listing on a marketplace should give you an edge over other vendors, even if there are hundreds or thousands of them. Remember that potential customers often use marketplaces as their first stop when searching for products. Before you do anything else, decide if you’d prefer compete with other vendors at local markets or go for the bigger ones.
2. Use advertising strategies
Online marketplaces such as Amazon are increasingly displaying advertisements. Before you pay for placement, make sure you’ve thought of all that each platform’s rules and laws on ads require
- E-commerce marketplace advertising is a certain strategy to skyrocket your online sales. Create an automated inventory management system to keep stock levels balanced. Make sure your fulfillment center has enough staff or use a third-party logistics supplier.
- If you want to be competitive when advertising in a marketplace, price will be your main weapon.
- Make product material that is educational, useful, and easy to use.
- It is necessary to think about the profitability trade-off. Calculate the possible ROI of advertising to the addressable e-commerce market of a specific marketplace. Once you have decided on the margin you’re ready to take, you may maximize the value of your ad expenditure.
3. Optimize product listings
Following the discovery of a suitable marketplace, you should proceed with the management of your product listings in the same manner as any other website. Give your brand and its products the impression that you want them to have. When you sell on many marketplaces, you might want to consider utilizing a software that helps with management.
You should experiment with various titles and descriptions for your products for various search phrases. Keep in mind that your title is the first impression that customers will get of your listing. Each market has its own unique set of standards for search engine optimization (SEO) and how to rank. By trying out different approaches, you can discover what works best to boost your exposure in specific queries.
4. Offer top products
Online marketplaces use algorithms to boost high-performing products to the top of search results pages. Customers are more likely to see highly rated and popular products. The goods and services you provide have an impact on both your brand’s reputation among consumers and your success in global marketplaces. It may be more effective to showcase your top-selling items rather than marketing an entirely new style that isn’t doing well.
5. Create a good customer experience
Always be approachable and kind, even when dealing with clients from other countries. Designing a pleasurable online shopping experience is still achievable, despite the fact that e-commerce platforms have constraints on things like user identities and branding options.
Socol asserts that
- Making it possible for clients to use their own money when making purchases
- Giving human-edited translations
- Including all taxes and customs, this document details the expected total landed cost.
- Specifying the preferred timing for shipment and delivery
FAQs
Is Shopify an online marketplace or e-commerce platform?
The e-commerce platform Shopify is one example. Online vendors can use it to launch and manage their own e-commerce sites, connect with third-party services, and advertise their products on various platforms.
What is an example of a marketplace?
For instance, consider the Amazon marketplace. It also acts as an online marketplace where third-party sellers can list and sell their wares. An other illustration would be Ebay, an international marketplace where products may be bought and sold online.
What are the advantages of using a marketplace?
By taking part in a marketplace, businesses may connect with more consumers and expand their audience. This allows businesses to reach more customers without investing in the development of an e-commerce site.
References
- Online marketplace payments to hit USD $8.7 trillion by 2025 | LinkedIn
- Standard selling fees | Amazon
- 20 Amazon Statistics You Need to Know in 2025 | Repricer Express
- eBay Inc. revenue 2023 | Statista
- Selling fees | eBay
- Worldwide eBay seller location by country | Statista
- Walmart Location Facts | Walmart
- Walmart Marketplace Fee Breakdown: A Comprehensive Guide for Sellers | CED Commerce
- How to use B2B marketplace to achieve success in 2023 | Alibaba
- Important Update to Alibaba.com’s Inquiry Policy | Alibaba
- AliExpress Seller Portal – Sell to millions of buyers | Ali Express
- What are The Commission Rate in AliExpress? | E-Trade Global
- Be an AliExpress seller with Complete Guide to Sell on AliExpress | CED Commerce
- Liu, Lizhi (2024). From Click to Boom: The Political Economy of E-Commerce in China. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691254104.
- Reconciliation Of Flipkart Commission Fee | Cointab
- Shipping | Flipkart
- Sell on Rakuten: A Beginner’s Guide to Succeed in 2021 | CED Commerce
- Practical guide to Rakuten commissions and sales fees | Qashflo
- How Much Does Etsy Charge To Sell Your Products? | Adnabu
- MercadoLibre: quarterly revenue 2024 | Statista
- Pricing and Fee Structure
- Singapore’s Sea revises up guidance for Shopee amid strong e-commerce momentum | TNGlobal
- Marketplace Commission Fees | Shopee MY Seller Education Hub | Shopee
- Sell With Wayfair | Wayfair
