Americans and consumers are taking over the European platform market

Europe’s biggest online marketplaces? Almost all of them are American. Platforms already account for 60% of European e-commerce across national borders, and that will only grow with the arrival of new trends.

Amazon vs AliExpress

Europeans ordered 237 billion euros worth of goods abroad, according to the third edition of “Top 100 Cross-Border Marketplaces” by interest group Cross-Border Commerce Europe. 59% of that goes to marketplaces, but more than half belongs to Amazon and eBay. They will run in 2021 with 51 billion euros and 25 billion euros respectively. 34% of markets are non-European: they come mainly from America.

The top 10 “global cross-border marketplaces” operating in Europe according to CBCcommerce:

1. Amazon (US)
2. AliExpress (China)
3. eBay (US)
4. Etsy (US)
5. OLX (Netherlands)
6. Discox (US)
7. Vinted (Lithuania)
8. Band Camp (US)
9. Uber Eats (US)
10. Jalando (Germany)

Consumers are taking over retail

While the ranking of the biggest players is fairly stable, CBCcommerce sees several trends emerging in 2021. For example, ‘customization on demand’ markets are taking off. Fifteen of the 100 largest platforms already offer custom products, such as Helloprint, Qwertee and Depop. Personalization is especially popular in art, fashion, crafts and gifts. Auction marketplaces like 1stDibs and Catawiki are also on the rise.

During the corona pandemic, markets grew by no less than 22%, supported by the strong growth of platforms where private individuals sell to each other, such as Winded or secondhand/marketplaces (41% growth). This growth is expected to continue in 2022, until platforms take over 65% of international online sales in Europe by 2025.

The elite of second hand

An elite is emerging in the second-hand market: eBay, Etsy (including Depop) and Vintage dominate the clothing market, with the American TheRealReal leading the way in luxury. While less than 44% of the companies on the list sell used goods, leader eBay accounts for more than a third of the entire segment’s gross margin value. Still, CBiCommerce expects many new entrants over the next five years. The organization believes that 66% of them will be in the top 100.

In addition, another new segment is emerging in the list of the largest platforms: as a result of the pandemic, food delivery has set records in recent years, with Uber Eats now reaching the top 10. Takeaway.com finished just outside the top 10.