Italian companies invest in marketplaces? And what are the main marketplaces in Italy?
The snapshot taken from the 2023 report “E-commerce in Italy” by Casaleggio Associati highlights that most companies concentrate their resources on one or a few channels.
65% of Italian e-commerce businesses sell on marketplaces. 46% of these are present on only 2-3 platforms simultaneously.
What are consumers looking for?
According to Yocabè‘s research, “E-commerce: companies and consumers facing the challenge of e-shopping,” it’s interesting to note that a whopping 91% of consumers engaged in online shopping regularly prefer using marketplace platforms as their main purchasing channel.
Furthermore, among the main marketplaces in Italy that have been most utilized for online purchases in the last year are Amazon (95%), eBay (41.6%), and Zalando (39%).
Based on the data from the study, the advantages of purchasing through marketplace platforms are mainly the precisely indicated shipping times and the security of buying through a known brand.
Ranking of the main marketplaces in Italy
#1 Amazon
When Italian brands enter the world of marketplaces, Amazon is almost always the natural choice. And rightly so.
Jeff Bezos’s platform is, in fact, the most popular in our country. In 2023, Amazon generated an average of 160 million monthly sessions with a decrease of about 14 million visits compared to 2022.
#2 eBay
The second most visited e-commerce platform by Italians is the Californian eBay. Ranked among the top 50 most visited sites worldwide, eBay sells in nearly 30 countries and hosts 1 billion items of any category, including fashion, furniture and garden, auto parts, technology. In 2023, ebay.it attracted an average of 45 million visits per month (in line with 2022).
#3 AliExpress
AliExpress is a platform that hosts small independent retailers, owned by Alibaba. Originally created to offer global visibility to small Chinese businesses, it is now open to retailers of other nationalities (including Italy, Spain, Turkey, Russia).
The Italian version of AliExpress is visited on average almost 14.2 million times per month (in 2022, it was 11 million).
#4 Temu
In fourth place is Temu, which, with an average of 14 million monthly visits, pushes Zalando down to fifth place in the ranking. It is a Chinese e-commerce platform launched in the United States in 2022. It arrived in Europe in 2023, altering the balance in most marketplace rankings.
#5 Zalando
With a decrease of about 3 million visits per month compared to 2022, Zalando is the fifth most visited marketplace in Italy. Compared to the 2022 ranking, the German site drops two positions in favor of ManoMano.
Even Zalando Privé, the section dedicated to private sales, has seen a decrease in visits of almost 10% year on year. In the recent period, Zalando Privé recorded 3 million visits.
#6 Leroy Merlin
The famous French chain of stores specializing in DIY, construction, gardening, decoration, and bathroom furnishings launched its marketplace in Italy in 2021, which now receives an average of 9 million monthly visits.
#7 ManoMano
With an average of over 8.4 million visits per month, the French DIY and gardening site ManoMano is the sixth most visited marketplace in Italy. Compared to 2022, it recorded a decrease in visits of about 4%.
#8 Decathlon
Decathlon, the French company that brings together over 1500 sports goods stores worldwide under its own brand, also launched its marketplace in Italy in 2021. It now garners an average of 7 million monthly visits.
#9 IBS
IBS was born in the late ’90s as an online platform to buy books. Since 2017, it has been possible to buy video games, movies, music, gift items, and technology on IBS. The Italian platform hosts over 5 million references, in line with 2022.
#10 ePrice
ePrice is an Italian marketplace specializing in appliances and technology. Targeting 4 million Italians, it hosts about 8 million references. With over a million sessions per month, ePrice is the tenth most relevant marketplace site in Italy.
#11 Veepee
It is the online outlet for fashion. With millions of registered customers accessing a selection of clothing, personal care products, and technology at discounted prices. Part of the Vente Privée group, it is also popular in Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and France.
In our country, it receives an average of over one million visits per month, positioning itself as the eleventh most used marketplace in Italy.
