Online shopping has taken over the world, and the European population is enjoying the comfort and convenience of digital retail. In a survey, 68% of respondents between the ages of 16 and 74 years old admitted to buying products and services online, so digital retail is part of the lives of the average European.
But what is the European market like? The European Union consists of 27 countries, all with different languages, backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles. This means tackling the European market as an ecommerce company is challenging for locals and foreigners looking to expand internationally.
A great way to start is knowing where EU buyers are buying their items. Here are the top European shopping websites and how to get your products listed on these marketplaces.
Amazon
Amazon is often the first choice for online marketplaces in Europe with an average of 181.4 million active users in the EU. This makes Amazon one of the most popular European stores online.
There are similarities and differences in how Amazon is approached in Europe versus North America. Like consumers in the rest of the world, Europeans use Amazon to buy various products, such as books, music, clothing, and housewares.
What makes Amazon in Europe unique is that different countries have their own dedicated websites. Amazon is especially popular in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey. }
Amazon is the first place that most new international sellers choose for expansion. Like North America, Amazon FBA also works in Europe, and you can easily sell across all EU marketplaces.
You can choose to pay per unit sold or pay a monthly fee for a higher-tiered plan.To start, click here to learn more about Amazon’s Global Selling Program.
eBay
eBay is the second-largest on the list of European shopping websites, making this another successful venture for new sellers and foreigners looking to expand to the EU.
Like Amazon, eBay is an American marketplace where sellers can list various items for sale. Buyers can find anything on eBay, such as clothing, accessories, computers, small electronics, beauty products, jewelry, and pet supplies. Sellers can also sell new and used items.
eBay offers different European marketplaces based on country. Unfortunately, it’s not as seamless to offer products on all marketplaces. It’s best to create your listings in your home country and ship internationally.
eBay does offer a global shipping program, making it easier to ship to customers in different countries. You must offer listings in each country’s language, so hire a translator or use a translation tool.
OTTO
OTTO is a German ecommerce marketplace and is one of the top European shopping websites in the country. In fact, OTTO is the second-most popular European shopping site, especially in Germany–right after Amazon.
Between the years of 2022 and 2023, The OTTO Group generated 12 billion euros in revenue. While consumers can find nearly any product on OTTO, fashion and lifestyle items are the most popular on this website.
To list your items on OTTO, you must establish a business in Germany and pay a €39.90 fee. It’s also important to note that OTTO is an invite-only program.
Zalando
Zalando is one of the biggest European shopping websites. In only the first half of 2023, Zalando generated four billion euros in profit. Zalando is available in 25 countries and focuses primarily on fashion.
Zalando is the perfect European marketplace for fashion. It offers a unique system that matches clothing brands with consumers.
To start selling on Zalando, you can read about their Partner Program.
ASOS
ASOS is technically a UK-based marketplace, but they’re available worldwide–in fact, they’re considered one of the most successful fashion companies globally. Since they’re based in the UK, they’re one of the most popular European shopping websites for clothing. Hundreds of brands sell their products on this marketplace.
Selling on ASOS is simple. All you need is a business PayPal account and fashionable clothing items. Click here to learn how to sign up and create a boutique.
Cdiscount
Cdiscount is a French company and is one of the most popular European shopping websites in France–in fact, it’s the second-most popular online retailer in the country. It also operates in numerous EU countries, such as Belgium, Germany, and Italy.
If you’re looking for a great alternative to Amazon and eBay, Cdiscount is one of the best European online stores. This marketplace offers various products, such as food, electronics, and appliances.
To sell on Cdiscount, you need a VAT number and complete a form before being allowed to create an account. Other requirements that Cdiscount requires include a return address in France and French-speaking email customer support.
eMAG
eMAG is a shopping website based in Romania and is one of the largest European shopping websites in the region. Its brand is worth over one billion euros and boasts 1,600 product categories.
It’s simple to become an eMAG seller. Head over to their website and complete the form.
Allegro
Allegro is a Polish-based online marketplace and is one of the largest European shopping websites in the region. This marketplace attracts 22 million visitors, making it one of the most popular ecommerce websites throughout Europe. Thousands of sellers are on this platform, and brands can sell numerous products on this outlet, from electronics to car supplies.
Selling on Allegro is simple. All you need is a tax ID to register an account. Then, start listing your items, and you’re ready to sell.
Farfetch
Farfetch is a fashion marketplace. Founded in Portugal, it is available in over 190 countries. Hundreds of fashion companies sell their clothing on this marketplace, making it one of the best European shopping websites for fashion.
Farfetch is becoming more popular–they’re currently experiencing a monthly growth rate of +15.23%.
The only issue for ecommerce websites is that selling on Farfetch can be difficult. On their website, they only instruct vendors to reach out to the company via email.
Fnac
Fnac is a European retailer that specializes in electronic and entertainment products. Founded in France, it has since expanded to various countries such as Belgium, Portugal, and Spain. It’s been around since 1954 but has dominated the online sphere since 2008, making it one of the most successful European shopping websites.
European consumers gravitate to Fnac to purchase common electronic items from household brand names, such as Canon, HP, Huawei, and Samsung. They attract over 20 million unique visitors monthly, making this the perfect marketplace for electronic retailers.
While Fnac has no listing fees for third-party sellers, you must pay a monthly fee of €39.90. Fnac will also take a commission, varying between 8-14%. All customer support and listings must be available in French.
Kaufland.de
Kaufland has been a company since the 1930s, but its online store has dominated Germany’s retail space. Today, it’s one of the most popular European shopping websites in Germany.
In December 2023, Kaufland reported revenue worth $132,373,391 from online sales alone. This versatile marketplace has over 5,000 product categories, including electronics, home improvement items, and clothing. Kaufland also has physical stores in Germany and throughout Europe.
If you want to expand to Germany, Kaufland is one of the best choices. To qualify, you must operate a business in Germany (or any country you wish to sell in), offer customer service and listing descriptions in German (or the languages in the countries you wish to operate in), have EAN or GTIN numbers for your products, and not sell any prohibited items.
You can register your account on the Kaufland website.
Rakuten PriceMinister
Rakuten Group is a Japanese company that bought the former French company PriceMinister. Now, Rakuten’s PriceMinister (or Rakuten France) is one of the most popular European shopping websites.
Since its acquisition, PriceMinister has expanded to over 20 countries. There are over 22 million active members on the website, and they specialize in selling used and refurbished products. You can find various products, such as books, electronics, clothing, accessories, appliances, beauty, and health products.
If you sell items as a business, you can sign up for a professional account. It costs €39 per month, and you also must pay a commission between 4% and 22%.
Your Consumers Are Choosing These European Shopping Websites
More consumers are shopping online worldwide, and European consumers are one of the globe’s biggest digital retail markets. If you’re expanding your business and want to target European buyers, the first step is to know where your customers are shopping.
There are many European shopping websites, and knowing which is best for you can be difficult. Don’t worry, we can help. When you sign up for our global expansion service, we’ll help you select the best marketplaces for your audience and products.
Authors
Stephanie Jensen has been writing e-commerce content for seven years, and her copy has helped numerous stores rank on Amazon. Follow her on LinkedIn for more insight into freelance writing and creating high-quality content.
Esteban Muñoz is a content writer at AMZ Advisers, with several years’ experience in digital marketing and e-commerce. Esteban and the AMZ Advisers team have been able to achieve incredible growth on Amazon for their clients by optimizing and managing their accounts, and creating in-depth content marketing strategies.
