Online marketplaces now dominate nearly every stage of the UK purchase journey, from discovery and comparison to purchase, reviews, and returns, according to new research from Product Experience company Akeneo.
Akeneo surveyed 1,800 consumers across eight countries and found that for high‑value purchases over £90, UK shoppers rely more on marketplaces than any other digital or physical touchpoint. 30% of consumers regularly use marketplaces to buy products, ahead of stores and retailer sites, while 21% use marketplaces to initiate returns, second only to other routes at 22%.
“This peak season has confirmed what our research already shows; for UK shoppers, marketplaces are the default shop window, comparison engine, review hub and checkout,” said Romain Fouache, CEO at Akeneo. “If your product information and brand story do not show up clearly and consistently on marketplaces, you are invisible for a big share of high‑value purchases. And in a world where AI agents and LLMs will increasingly replace search in guiding shoppers to the right products, being invisible on marketplaces means you may not exist at all for these new discovery engines.”
Amazon continues to dominate
In the UK, Amazon dominates ecommerce, commanding over 30% of online sales, far ahead of rivals like Next and eBay, and helping solidify the UK as the world’s third‑largest ecommerce market after the USA and China. One reason for Amazon’s success, beyond ease of use and a smooth customer journey, is the scale and quality of online product reviews, which help consumers make informed decisions. Akeneo’s research supports this, finding that shoppers’ perception of content quality drives marketplace dominance: 52% of UK consumers rate the quality of product information on marketplaces as “very good”, compared with 40% for retailer websites and 39% for outlet or discount stores.
Marketplaces are now central in consumer decision‑making: Akeneo’s research found that 24% of consumers use them for search and discovery, 26% for price and promotions comparisons, and 28% to compare or validate products. They are also where shoppers seek peer guidance, with 26% leaving reviews and 21% turning to marketplaces for advice from other users. As Fouache put it: “For big ticket purchases, marketplaces are where shoppers go to stress test their decisions. They’re comparing alternatives, checking specs and dimensions, weighing up delivery promises and reading real user feedback. If your marketplace presence is weak, inconsistent or incomplete, you’re effectively handing those customers to competitors.”
Beyond Amazon, emerging and specialist marketplaces are broadening the landscape. Platforms such as OnBuy and Zalando offer brands ways to reach high‑intent audiences, diversify category presence, and test assortment strategy, especially in fashion, home, and niche categories where curated content and fit guidance matter most.
The importance of accurate product information
The stakes are high. Persistent product information gaps across channels can hurt sales, even during peak periods like BFCM and the Golden Quarter. According to Akeneo, 63% of UK consumers have abandoned a significant purchase in the last 12 months because information was missing or inaccurate. 70% would switch to a different product due to lack of product information, while 68% would stop buying from a brand after a bad product information experience. Discounts alone are not enough to win business at peak.
“Confidence is built on rich, accurate, channel‑specific product content based on clear pricing and promotions, precise size and fit, transparent delivery timelines and authentic social proof,” Fouache said. “Brands that simply copy and paste product data to marketplaces will lose out to those who actively curate and optimise it for each platform.”
Looking forward, AI shopping assistants, LLM-powered discovery, and voice commerce will make marketplaces even more important. As algorithms guide more of the shopping process, marketplaces with strong data, reviews, and availability become the main source of information. For retailers and brands, marketplaces are not just competitors; they are part of the core infrastructure.
What’s clear is that retailers need to treat marketplaces as a priority, not a side project. Investing in strong product content, clear delivery and returns details can help build essential consumer trust. Keeping content consistent across channels, but also tailoring it to each marketplace’s system, will help with visibility in a world where AI drives discovery. Akeneo’s research strongly indicates that brands that ignore the value of online marketplaces – and their impact on the UK purchase journey – risk handing customers to competitors.
Stay informed
Our editor carefully curates two newsletters a week filled with up-to-date news, analysis and research. Click here to subscribe to the FREE newsletter sent straight to your inbox. Why not follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on our research and analysis?
