In this digital era, selling online is no longer something you do as a side activity. In fact this is fast becoming a necessity. Without an online presence your business is set to doom. In the last two years the pandemic wreaked havoc with the physical stores taking an economic beating. A new revelation began to dawn as top online marketplaces began to emerge, prospered and gave tough competition to the markets on the ground.
A report from Statista reported that in 2021, a humongous number of 2.14 billion people bought goods and services online. This is an unprecedented, massive increase from 1. 66 billion global digital buyers in 2016.
This has spawned tough competition and the online marketplace business is increasing constantly. So what are the top online marketplaces in 2022 to shop from? Before getting into this detail, let’s first understand what an online marketplace is.
An online marketplace is an e-commerce website where different third-party vendors sell their products. This e-commerce website may or may not own the inventory of the products sold on their website or app. They only provide a platform for various sellers to connect with consumers.
Local marketplaces, in general, tend to offer lesser competition and in turn encourage cross-border sales and purchases. Therefore many sellers would find it easier to engage with channels other than giants in the region. This is all the more true when product categories are competitive and saturated.
People generally buy from an online marketplace because of two reasons:
- Competitive prices
- The convenience of completing the entire process from anywhere and anytime.
Our Picks For The Top Online Marketplaces In 2022
Amazon – Amongst The Biggest Online Marketplaces In The World
Amazon has a mindboggling 2 billion visits per month and remains the topmost online marketplace in the world offering both B2B and B2C services. The great thing about Amaazon is that you can order almost anything: From a smartphone to your dog’s diaper pants.
Amazon has been embracing the latest technology and trends and their recent initiatives involve the use of drones for product delivery. Any seller who wnts to sell their products on Amazon, should certainly enroll in the Amazon brand registry to create a trusted customer experience.
eBay – Most Popular Online Marketplaces
In a 2021 survey, eBay was declared the most popular online marketplace among US sellers and this it achieved with a score of 6.48/10 and the surprising thing is that Amazon came a distant 7th.
eBay is popular because of its friendly and easy interface, impeccable customer service experience, and overall profitability.
Like Amazon, eBay too offers worldwide sales of all kinds of products ranging from electronics to gardening tools. The competition in this domain is fierce but if you can create a niche for yourself, you can generate huge profits in this domain.
Buyers too can take advantage of this competition to purchase quality products at competitive prices on eBay.
Etsy
A niche business like Etsy which specialises in handmade or vintage products is bound to succeed. If you love such stuff then head over to Etsy for some amazingly unique and artsy goods. Sellers are most happy with Etsy as it offers them an exclusive platform that has created a community of like-minded people who share handmade and vintage products.
Etsy offers one of a kind products to its users worldwide and is counted among the top online marketplaces in 2022.
Alibaba – Asia’s Largest Online Marketplace
Over the years Alibaba has grown immeasurably to become Asia’s largest online marketplace. Alibaba has under its umbrella AliExpress and TaoBao. After starting its business in China Alibaba fast grew to take on the mighty giants like Amazon and eBay.
The most postive part about seeling on Alibaba is that they do not charge any commission or additional hidden charges for the sellers. As for the buyers, Alibaba has become a one-stop destination for all categories of goods.
It is famously now known as the Amazon of the east!
Walmart
People don’t think of Walmart as an online marketplace. The retail giant entered the online marketplace business not long ago and has got the distinction of being included in the list of the biggest online marketplaces in the world.
It is also the third most visited online marketplace in the US.
Walmart has a history which goes way back to 1962, when it first launched as a discount retail store. Now they have a presence in 24 countries in retail and e-commerce business segments. This B2C retail giant offers a wide range of discounts on all categories of products ranging from electronics to household supplies in order to build a base of returning customers.
If you are looking for classy deals Walmart is the place to be!
Mercado Libre
The founders of this online marketplace took inspiration from eBay to create a b2b and c2c business model for its customers. Its unique business model involves customers bidding on products they want to own.
Mercado Libre is different from eBay because it takes care of the logistics (shipping) part of the business too.
eBay depends on FedEx or US postal services for delivery.
Logistics ability helps Mercando Libre reduce its shipping costs by a huge margin, which in turn gives them the freedom to offer more competitive prices to the buyers.
Allegro – Biggest Polish Online Marketplace; Among Europe’s Largest Marketplaces
Amazon, eBay, Walmart are known giants of online retail. However, there are other rising stars on the verge of making it big, one such is the Polish Allegro. It is one such marketplaces that international sellers have the fortuity to stand out and sell products successfully.
Allegro is the biggest Polish online marketplace and one of Europe’s largest marketplaces after Amazon, eBay and AliExpress.
Their top 5 categories include home goods, electronics, fashion, childcare products and healthcare. Branded products are much in demand here. Allegro sellers can sell new, refurbished and used goods.
Allegro provides B2C brands and professional re-sellers the opportunity to expand into Poland’s blossoming online market. This is also a leeway into the Eastern Europe region.
Conclusion
Online marketplaces are growing at a rapid pace and are offering consumers a great number of choices to choose from.
If you are a seller, looking for the best online marketplace in 2022, focus on what your niche is. Then decide if you want to pitch your product to a general marketplace or niche-specific online marketplace.
As for the buyers, you are spoilt for choice with all these amazing marketplaces at the tip of your fingers. We hope our list of top online marketplaces for 2022 helps you get the best out of online shopping.
