While only 43 of the EU’s Top 1000 retailers are marketplaces, that belies the retail power and reach of these platforms in the region. Almost three quarters (72%) of Europe’s consumers shop on a marketplace at least once and month and 53% of these marketplaces generate up €10bn in revenue annually. A fifth hit closers to €100bn. As retailers, they are powerful.
Yet the European marketplace market is fragmented and uneven. Some 72% of these marketplaces primarily handle local European traffic, while 56% operate in a single European country. In contrast, global marketplaces, predominantly from the US (Amazon, eBay) and China (AliExpress, Shein, Temu), make up ‘only’ 28%, but command disproportionately larger Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) and traffic in the region.
In this report, we look at how the Top15 of these 43 marketplaces perform, what they offer brands and consumers alike. We also assess the direction of travel for marketplaces, specifically in terms of AI and retail media, regulation and usability.
Key takeaways
• While just 43 of the EU Top1000 retailers are marketplaces, they dominate European retail, being favoured by consumers for their convenience.
• Europe – especially France – has seen a proliferation of mid-sized and often highly localised marketplaces spring up. None can compete with the global giants, but together they reframe the sector in the region.
• Six of the Top15 marketplaces in Europe are run by retailers themselves, using them to extend product range and geographical reach with minimal investment.
• More than half are generalised marketplaces selling a range of goods, rather than specialist sites which occupy a smaller niche.
• This proliferation of marketplaces makes for a crowded market and the European marketplace market is heading towards its ceiling. The EU may need to act on fragmentation barriers in cross-border payments, logistics and digital services regulation to keep the market growing.
Key statistics
• 43 out of the Top 1000 EU online retailers are marketplaces but 53% generate €1-10bn in revenue annually, with 20% earning €10-100bn and 13% more than €100bn.
• 72% of European consumers shop on a marketplace at least once a month, rising to 91% every three months.
• 72% of Europe’s marketplaces primarily handle local European traffic and 56% operate in a single country.
• 28% are global giants that dominate in terms of GMV and traffic.
• 60% of the 43 marketplaces are headquartered in Europe, with France having the largest proportion at 21%.
• Multi-sector marketplaces dominate, accounting for 51.2% of the market.
• Fashion is the largest specialist sector at 20.9%.
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