A look at marketplaces worldwide

European goods, especially those from Switzerland and Germany, enjoy a good reputation around the world. This opens up the potential to generate revenue on international marketplaces, if retailers understand the special features of the platforms.

Online marketplaces are only now starting pick up the pace in Switzerland compared to other locations where they are already well-established. Having said that, Amazon is far less dominant than might be expected. We present the alternatives aside from Alibaba, Rakuten, Amazon and Ebay.

Poland: who’s Amazon?

No online shopping experience in Poland would be complete without Allegro. According to current statistics, this platform has a market share of almost 90 percent. Little wonder, since Allegro started operations back in 1999. It was initially a platform for direct sales between consumers like Ebay, but 90% of transactions are now for brand new goods. Around 1 million items are ordered every day. The barriers to entry for foreign retailers are very high since all products are presented in Polish. Commission rates vary between the different categories and the platform provides its own calculator to work out the charges.

France: Cdiscount and Fnac

Cdiscount receives over 11 million visitors a month making it one of the largest e-commerce websites in France. There are 40 different product categories available to retailers. The commission charges vary widely from 7 percent (electronics, photography) to 20 percent (jewellery). The platform’s own fulfilment network covering over 18,000 collection points nationwide is a plus for retailers.

Fnac is another top e-commerce website in France and also operates a localized site in Switzerland. The platform’s 15 million users per month make it attractive to all retailers wanting to sell their goods in France. Commission charges vary between 6 and 15 percent. Like Amazon and Ebay, Fnac offers numerous support options for retailers and brands.

Great Britain: Fruugo, OnBuy and Flubit

According to its own figures, the Fruugo marketplace has over 25 million active customers from 23 countries. The platform offers retailers the option of automatically translating their product texts into up to 11 languages. A variety of products are available from home & garden and fashion & beauty through to electronics. The commission charged across all categories is 15 percent.

OnBuy only began operations in 2016 but has experienced positive growth ever since. More than 6 million active customers use the site, which covers all product categories. The commission charges are moderate and lie between 5 and 9 percent. If retailers have a business account with PayPal, the invoice sum is credited immediately. There is also support for marketing such as automatic listing on Google Shopping.

Top dog in the Netherlands: BOL

Bol.com is one of the most popular marketplaces in the Netherlands with over 10 million active users regularly making purchases. And they also come from Belgium and Luxembourg. The product range covers everyday goods as well as fashion, cosmetics and health products. Commission charges depend on the categories selected and range from 6 to 17 percent. Logistics services similar to those offered by Amazon FBA are available to retailers.

USA: Walmart and Newegg

There are certainly alternatives to Amazon in the USA. One of which is without doubt the world’s largest retailer Walmart, which is fighting a fierce battle with Amazon for market share. Walmart is currently a selective marketplace and entry by third parties is taking place slowly. The platform has over 100 million active users per month and has plenty of potential for reaching customers in the USA.

Newegg has flown under the radar of many retailers for a long time. With 30 million users, the portal is somewhat smaller but is making a concerted effort to move away from its origins in computer games and technology. The commission rates are between 9 and 15 percent.

To sum up: Swiss retailers wanting to sell internationally would be well-advised to look into alternatives to Amazon. They are out there.