Evidently, Amazon is very popular and prominent. However, it is very competitive and can be expensive for new online merchandisers. For some e-commerce operators, they have no other alternative but Amazon. However, relying on one online outlet is very risky. Combining multiple marketplaces for your products increases brand awareness and helps you reach a broader demographic.
The growing e commerce industry has become possible thanks to the FinTech industry and the development of online payment systems that allow easy online transactions regardless of currency and location. The digital economy development has attained significant milestones in the recent decade, and various ecommerce niches have carved out a vast global market share.
If you are looking for an alternative place to market your products, worry no more because we have compiled a comprehensive list of the top 9 merchants that play the same role as Amazon.
1. Google shopping
This works best for sellers who already have a website. It’s a google search network subset reserved for products only. To market your products on google shopping, you either add a structured data markup to your e-commerce website or upload a product data feed to google merchant center.
Unfortunately, this is only available to sellers based in the USA.
2. Walmart
Walmart is the largest retailer and employer in the USA. It is also the second-largest shopping website and has over 5000 physical stores in the USA alone. It receives approximately 110 million unique visitors on its site every month.
Getting into Walmart is not easy. They tend to be very meticulous about the retailers they allow to advertise on their website due to their robust online presence. For your application to be approved, they require very many credentials, and you will have to practice patience as the process takes time.
3. Fruugo
The main advantage of using Fruugo is that it operates everywhere and has 23 marketplaces across the world. Fruugo does not require you to pay for product listing; all you pay is 15% of your sale prices. After uploading your products, you set the price in your country’s currency, and Fruugo translates it for you. They also handle your customer care services, and all you do is ship the products to the required country.
It, however, does not allow seller-specific branding, which limits the growth of the retailer.
4. Newegg
Newegg resembles Amazon but deals with computer and electronics hardware. It was founded in 2000 as a first-party seller website before moving to a third-party marketplace in 2010. It records an average of 10 million unique visitors every month.
One of its unique features is that it facilitates both B2C and B2B. They also have a Newegg fulfillment center where their team takes care of picking, packaging, and shipping for you. Its seller’s fee is low, and there is no listing fee of up to 5000 products.
5. Ebay
Ebay is the best place to sell unusual or one-off items. It is similar to Amazon but differs in pricing since it offers auction pricing alongside its buy it now option pricing. It’s popular with many online sellers across the globe.
Setting up an ebay account is easy, and just like Amazon, ebay fees are paid on the final sale price. People looking for unusual or specific products prefer shopping on ebay.
6. One buy
It’s a UK based marketplace with a similar design to that of Amazon. Sellers on one buy pay a monthly subscription alongside a scale fee of between 5% to 9%. Just like Amazon, it offers one listing for each unique product.
7. Etsy
Etsy is the best marketplace to market your handmade, art, and homeware items. Vintage items that are 20 years old and above can also be sold on the site. Etsy is free to join and very competitive. As a retailer, you have to make sure your products stand out. Your customer service and shipping price have to stand out too, for you to attract many buyers.
8. Shopify
It’s best for sellers with more than ten products. Shopify has a very robust inventory system and marketing tools that help you scale quickly. It owns nine free templates, which make it a little hard to customize your store. Its monthly fee starts from $29. You are also required to pay a 1-2% commission unless you are using Shopify payments.
9. Bonanza
Bonanza is a bit small compared to the other sites since it records an average of 300,000 unique visits in a month. It, however, stands out due to its reputable customer loyalty and their slogan “Find everything but the ordinary”. It offers free templates and no transaction fees. Payment is only made when a buyer orders something.
If you are thinking about becoming an online merchant, or you really have some business online, then you should definitely consider these alternatives. These 9 different outlets have emerged to give Amazon a run for their money. Opportunities in the expansive digital economy are not only limited to tangible products. The online service sector is also proving lucrative to digital prospectors. There are lots of opportunities and we hope this article has brought you a step closer to becoming an online merchant!
