Amazon is not the only online marketplace popular in European countries. There are plenty of online marketplaces originating from Europe, which is not well-known among people from other countries. The value of European marketplaces has been rapidly increasing, with a rough estimation of more than 15 billion euros by the end of 2020. If you are a seller looking to expand your business, the European marketplaces could be your best bet. In this article, we rounded up the top 6 best and most popular online European marketplaces that receive tons of traffic and sales daily. They also ship internationally and each of them has their own unique strong points, so you could carefully analyze them to plan out how to position yourself in the European market.
Fruugo
Similar to Amazon, Fruugo is an online marketplace for various categories including technology, food, fashion, toys, and more. Fruugo is more of B2C retail rather than a brand itself. The platform allows users to adapt according to where the buyers are from by automatically changing the payment currency and language. The key benefits of being an online seller on Fruugo are:
- No recurring or registration fees. Only commissions are required based on each sale
- It is easy to integrate with Google Shopping
- Available in more than 30 countries from all over the world
- Full access to parenting sites such as Visualsoft and Channel Pilot
Zalando
Founded in the United Kingdom, Zalando is a fashion platform showcasing various brands including the likes of Vans, Levis, Topshop and Ray Ban. They also provide an exclusive discount section for customers to enjoy. Zalando offers an alternative payment option which is their ‘Try first, pay later’ payment instalment scheme. In order to be a seller on Zalando, you are required to apply for its Partner Program. The reason is that they are not selling via multiple retailers, but based on specific brands that sell directly. The featured benefits of selling on Zalando are:
- A 100-day return policy
- Products are free to be returned
- Available in 15 European countries
- Specializes in brands that sell shoes, sportswear, clothing, accessories
- Products are shipped via Hermes Courier Service
Farfetch
An alternative to Zalando and ASOS, Farfetch is a British fashion marketplace that mainly focuses on the luxury market. Exclusive and second-hand products from luxury brands like Balenciaga or Versace are being sold on the platform. Fartech does not have their own stock, but partner up with partners from these luxury brands by getting the stock shipped from their physical stores. The key features of this platform are:
- Products only include luxury brands such as accessories, jewellery and clothing
- Can be found in 190 countries
- Earn commissions through each successful sale
Asos
ASOS became a popular marketplace for consumers to buy accessories and fashion in the United Kingdom. Their products range from affordable items to the more higher-end brands, with their main target market being young adults. Aside from selling products from other brands, ASOS also has its own product line for accessories and clothing items. The main benefits of ASOS are:
- Available for shipping to 196 countries in the UK, US and EU
- Over 850 brands on top of having their own product range of accessories and clothing
- Own an app that lets customers upload an image of their clothing to receive fashion tips
Spreadshirt
If you haven’t heard of Spreadshirt, you must be living under a rock! For everyone who has wanted to customize and print their own t-shirt would surely have stumbled upon Spreadshirt, an online marketplace that specialities in printing t-shirts, as well as personalized accessories. Spreadshirt also allows you to either create your own online shop or sell them via their in-house platform. The highlights of Spreadshirt are:
- More than 100,000 visitors daily
- Printing is done by the marketplace itself
- Available in 19 countries
VidaXL
For consumers who are actively looking for home and living products online, VidaXL is the place where they would go. VidaXL is a Dutch marketplace focusing on various home products such as decorative items to furniture. The benefits of VidaXL are:
- Customer support is available on their website
- More than 4 million visitors monthly
- Marketing materials are provided such as coupons and banners
- Available in more than 20 countries
- Payment can be made in monthly instalments to the seller
- Commissions are varied according to the amount of sales volume
Online marketplaces aren’t for you? Here’s what you can do!
So you’ve checked out all these 6 online European marketplaces but none of them appeals to you. What can you do now? Create your own independent website! The steps to set up your own online store can be pretty overwhelming, but once you reach out to any SEO web hosting company to get started, it will be a smooth journey from there. Have no clue what web hosting is? Check out this article to learn more!
