Participants in the rating were ranked based on the amount of traffic to the company's websites in different countries over the course of a month.
There are two key features that define an online trading platform:
- Many sellers and buyers trade through the same website.
- Customers can purchase products without leaving the website (or mobile app).
10. Target
Russian users are unlikely to be familiar with this online store. However, in the US, it is very popular due to its affordable prices and wide selection of general merchandise.
9. Tmall
The first, but not the last, Chinese online platform in the ranking of the most popular marketplaces in the world. It is managed by Alibaba Group and operates on a B2C (business-to-consumer) basis.
This means that to open a store on Tmall, you must be a legal entity and provide proof of the manufacturer or brand's existence. This protects buyers from purchasing counterfeit goods.
Previously, Tmall operated within China, but in 2017, it expanded into Russia. It now features products from a variety of companies, and many international sellers have warehouses in Russia, so Tmall often delivers faster than Aliexpress.
8. Allegro
It is one of (if not the) largest online trading platforms in Poland with over 15 million customers.
It's fair to say that Allegro is to Poles what Amazon is to US citizens. This online retailer offers over 60 million sales of various products per month.
7. ETSY
Etsy is a popular marketplace for buying and selling all kinds of handmade, new, and vintage items. It boasts over 198 million sellers in 83 countries and over 35 million buyers.
This marketplace offers certain sales benefits, such as:
- Provides sellers with a targeted customer base accustomed to easily finding handmade items that cannot be found elsewhere.
- Offers sellers the ability to personalize many of their products.
- Allows sellers to collaborate with other sellers and sell their products together using group stores, providing greater flexibility and saving time.
- The company's marketing tools allow clients to easily create promotions and promo codes.
- Etsy doesn't offer any subscription plans for sellers like other marketplaces, and it charges a minimal fee for items sold.
- This marketplace offers integration with Facebook.
6. Taobao
This online platform, unlike Aliexpress, is focused on Chinese users and does not ship directly to Russia or other countries (unless you make a direct arrangement with one of the sellers).
However, numerous intermediary companies solve this problem. They consolidate goods sent by the user to a warehouse address in China, pack them, and ship them to the destination country. Of course, these services are not free, but given the huge selection of products (and many of them are much cheaper in China than on Aliexpress), the expense is justified.
5. AliExpress
Who among Russians doesn't know "old Ali," where you can find virtually any product, often at a much lower price than retailers. Aliexpress, owned by the Chinese giant Alibaba, is one of the leading online platforms for sellers and buyers from around the world.
This marketplace targets customers outside of China and supports multiple languages and offers a variety of shipping methods.
Although Aliexpress has become less customer-focused recently (for example, cases of refund refusals for defective goods have become more frequent), and prices have risen sharply in line with the dollar exchange rate, shopping there is still profitable.
4. Walmart
This name may be unfamiliar to Russian users, but in the West, Walmart is one of the leaders in e-commerce.
This marketplace prefers sellers who:
- Offer recognizable brands.
- Located in the USA.
- They have a huge variety of products.
- Provide excellent customer service.
- May accept international returns.
The company also teamed up with FedEx to create the FedEx Advantage program, which offers a 37 percent discount when orders placed on Walmart are shipped via FedEx.
3. Rakuten
Formerly known as Buy.com, Rakuten is the third-largest e-commerce platform in the world. Around 80 percent of Japan's population shops on Rakuten.
The site offers a wide range of product categories, including electronics, health and beauty products, sporting goods, office supplies, auto parts, home decor, and clothing.
This online retailer's core operating principle is based on the Japanese concept of "Omotenashi," which encourages personalized and high-quality service. This concept posits that the marketplace fosters more direct relationships between sellers and buyers and motivates each seller to provide exceptional service to their customers.
2. eBay
This popular marketplace was founded in 1995 by programmer Pierre Omidyar and became widely known in the early 2000s.
Based on the results of the first four quarters of 2020, the revenue of this online trading platform amounted to $10 billion.
On eBay, you can find products from many unknown or little-known brands. You can also find not only new but also used everyday items.
1. Amazon
The world's most famous e-commerce marketplace, Amazon is often used as an example of what a marketplace should be.
Amazon sellers are usually well-known brands, and if you're looking for something out of the ordinary, you might want to look elsewhere.
Amazon has offices in 12 locations, the most popular of which are in the US, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and Spain. This makes it the best option for retailers seeking a global presence.