The entire market of electronic commerce cross-border in Europe, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway, represented a turnover of €237 billion in 2021 (excluding travel), of which 141,000 million euros (59%), were generated by the markets. Today we tell you what are the best marketplaces to sell in Europe.
It is expected that amazon Y eBay have the largest share, with a turnover of 51,000 million and 25,000 million in 2021, driving more than half of the market.
This is how the study picks it up ‘TOP 100 Cross-Border Marketplaces’ launched by the platform Cross-Border Commerce Europe which shows that the TOP 100 Cross-Border Marketplaces generate 128,000 million euros in turnover throughout Europe.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, markets grew by 22%, supported by C2C markets. This growth is expected to continue in 2022, reaching 65% of cross-border online sales in Europe by 2025.
More than half of the total e-commerce volume
This study considers all types –B2C, B2B, C2C, P2P– of online platforms and covers all sectors except travel and the collaborative economy.
Of the 438 markets they sell in Europe (1,000 domains), around 150 are considered cross-border (34.2%).
In 2025, more than 50% of world markets selling in Europe will be considered cross-borderwhich represents 200 to 250 markets.
34% of the markets are non-European (mainly the US) and 10% are UK markets, meaning that the 56% are European cross-border markets. The UK lost three markets in the TOP 100 due to Brexit.
Top 10 global cross-border markets operating in Europe
- TOP 1: Amazon (USA)
- TOP 2: AliExpress (China)
- TOP 3: eBay (USA)
- TOP 4: Etsy (US)
- TOP 5: OLX (Netherlands)
- TOP 6: Discogs (USA)
- TOP 7: Vinted (Lithuania)
- TOP 8: Bandcamp (USA)
- TOP 9: Uber Eats (USA)
- TOP 10: Zalando (DE)
market trends
On-Demand Custom DIY Markets Rising: art, fashion, crafts and gifts: 15 of the TOP 100 offer personalized products on demand. From Europe, there Spreadshirt, Helloprint, Qwertee and Depop. In the coming years, the C2C on-demand personalized goods markets will continue to grow up to 20% in the TOP 100.
Auction-classified C2C markets are still on the move: 1stDibs (eRank 31) is a leading online marketplace for connecting design lovers with highly sought-after sellers and manufacturers of vintage, antique and contemporary furniture, home décor, art, jewelry, watches and fashion.
C2C and resale (fashion): sustainable and circular: Top 10 markets eBay, Etsy (including Depop) and Vinted lead the second-hand market; pre-loved, used and vintage fashion as leading categories. American TheRealReal (eRank 51) is the leader in luxury resale. Vestiaire Collective (eRank 45) is a global marketplace that allows people to buy and sell second-hand and luxury fashion products. The C2C share of used (pre-owned) goods will grow from 45% to 50% by 2025.
ebay leader it represents more than a third of the gross margin value of the C2C platform. Of the TOP 100, 44 are selling used products. All of them are 100% markets with a majority of C2C businesses running.
The fashion is the most popular category with 29 players in the TOP 100. In the next five years, many newcomers acting as C2C (and P2P marketplace apps) selling fashion, shoes and accessories will emerge, accounting for 66% of the top 100 cross-border marketplaces.
Food markets: Another market that reached the TOP 10 is Uber Eats. Due to the pandemic, the food sector and especially food delivery reached an all-time high. Another example of a strong cross-border player in this sector is the Dutch market. takeaway.com which finished just outside the TOP 10.