The marketplace has made life very convenient for buyers of these items, allowing them to acquire items with the click of a button. Some of these online stores even offer delivery services for the items purchased.
One of the largest economies in the world is the combined power of the European Union. In 2019, the European Union produced about €16.4 trillion worth of products.
Part of this was due to the online retailer industry. But, which company has the best online marketplace in Europe?
Amazon
Amazon isn't only one of the largest retailers in Europe but it's also one of the largest retailers in the world. In 2020, the company recorded about €44 billion in sales.
The company has a great delivery system set up and they have what are called Amazon fulfilment centres. These are essentially factories where all of the items that are ordered online in a regional area get sent to.
Then, workers in these factories prepare the items to ship for delivery. Finally, a truck driver that works specifically for Amazon will load all of the items for the day and deliver them to their proper addresses.
Amazon has almost every item that you can think of available on its website. One of the biggest sections is dedicated to books. You can buy digital copies of these books or you can request the hardcover version for delivery.
There are also a plethora of other items available that a seller usually puts up on the website including toys, electronics, fashion items, music, and more. Most of the time, this can make it easier for the buyer than going to an electronic store or a toy store.
Another thing that this company is selling is Amazon Prime. They are growing their streaming service and membership status more and more by the year. Soon, you could see the company have a big presence in the live sports industry with Amazon Prime.
eBay
Another popular online marketplace in Europe is eBay. This marketplace originated a little before Amazon, and some people argue that this website walked so that Amazon could run.
You see, it’s similar to Amazon in that you can put almost any item that you can think of up for sale. This includes books, toys, fashion items, music records, sports memorabilia, collectibles, electronics, and much more.
However, there’s a twist on this marketplace compared to Amazon. This website is more known for bidding on items that a seller puts up. It’s especially the case if the seller has a very popular item.
Another big thing that eBay promotes compared to other marketplaces is free shipping on certain items. In fact, about 71% of the items sold on eBay are shipped for free.
This is a big incentive for buyers to use eBay and avoid a delivery fee that other online retailers may charge.
Etsy
Etsy is a little more niche compared to the two companies above that sell a bigger variety of products. This company focuses more on arts and crafts as well as fragrances for people to enjoy in their homes or workplaces.
Other items that the website is known for include personalized gifts, jewelry, clothing, home decor, lighting, and more.
This website, like many others, tends to be more popular around the holidays when people are looking for gifts to give to their loved ones or their friends.
While it’s not nearly as big as Amazon or eBay, the website still does well in traffic and sales in Europe, giving people the gift of making their house feel more like home.
Allegro
The companies above were classified more as global companies that happen to sell products all over the world. When it comes to Allegro, this company is based in Poland and focuses much more on the Polish market than the global market.
So, what do they do? The company claims to network sellers with potential buyers to sell products and services. It is one of the few non-retailers (along with eBay and Etsy) to be at the top of the list in Europe for most website traffic.
Zalando
Unlike most of the other marketplaces that were mentioned above, Zalando focuses more on a specific niche. This is shoes and fashion, and the majority of their products fall in this category.
It also happens to be one of the most popular websites in Europe that focuses primarily on fashion products. They are a German-based fashion company that was founded in 2008.
What’s also worth mentioning: its availability on a global scale. Zalando mainly sells its products to people in European countries, meaning it is not a global retail company like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy.
Use the best online marketplace
These are just five of the best online marketplace options that we have available in Europe. Each brings something a little different to the table. Amazon with its retail dominance, eBay with its free shipping on most products, Zalando on fashion, Allegro with the Polish market, and Etsy with its art and crafts products.
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