As a global leader in eCommerce, Amazon provides customers worldwide access to over 350 million items across 19 online marketplaces. From China and Canada to Germany and Mexico, the company is constantly expanding its reach into new markets such as Norway, Iceland, Ireland - all of which are slated for launch this June 2020. With each geographical expansion comes exciting opportunities for third-party sellers who can list their goods/services through these vibrant digital hubs connecting buyers & sellers around the world!
What are the three biggest marketplaces of Amazon?
- United States – Amazon.com is the largest online retailer in the United States, with a large selection of products across multiple departments and categories.
- Germany – Amazon.de has a wide selection of products, including books, electronics, apparel, and more.
- Japan – Amazon.co.jp offers a diverse selection of products, from books to electronics to apparel.
Amazon facilitates economic growth by providing 19 different marketplaces around the world, where third-party sellers can list and sell their products to an expansive customer base of over 350 million.
So what are all of Amazon’s global marketplaces, how are they different, and how can you start selling on Amazon? Let’s explore the data.
Amazon’s Global Marketplaces:
- United States
- Canada
- Mexico
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- Spain
- Japan
- Singapore
- United Arab Emirates
- Brazil
- Australia
- India
- Netherlands
- Saudi Arabia
- Turkey
- Sweden (new in 2020)
- Poland (new in 2021)
- Belgium (new in 2022)
Amazon also had a marketplace in China. However, as of July 2019, it is no longer operational.
Marketplace Pulse predicts that Amazon may continue to bolster their presence in Europe with potential marketplaces launching soon in Ireland, Norway, or Austria - three countries conveniently located near existing European locations.
How do you sell on Amazon’s international marketplaces?
Amazon offers a vast array of products to satisfy any customer's needs, from the latest in e-reading technology and kitchenware innovations right down to household appliances. With just one purchase, shoppers will enjoy all the convenience Amazon has to offer with its swift fulfillment network - getting goods sent straight to their door!
However, while Amazon sells many of its own products (e.g. the Echo and Kindle), the majority of what’s available on the site is being sold by first- or third-party vendors.
With first-party sellers, Amazon purchases the products from the vendor wholesale and resells them.
Third-party vendors, on the other hand, have two methods of selling on Amazon.
- Sellers using (FBA) store their products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers and list their items on Amazon’s platform. Then, when a sale is made, Amazon picks, packs, and ships the product on behalf of the seller.
- Sellers using Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) list their products on Amazon but store and ship their own products when a sale is made.
What do all Amazon marketplaces have in common?
Most Amazon sellers are brand new to their respective marketplace
Japan boasts a wealth of experienced marketplace sellers, with 17% selling for five years or longer - well above the global average. On the other hand, over 90% of Saudi's surveyed have been reselling for two years or less – highlighting it as an especially new and vibrant trading hub.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is the preferred method of selling worldwide
Over 91% of respondents, regardless of the marketplace they sell in, use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
Private label is the most popular business model
The private label business model is a clear favorite among Amazon sellers, as nearly two-thirds of all marketplaces report they prefer this method to others. With private labeling allowing for the manufacturing and rebranding of existing products on Amazon's platform, it remains one of the most attractive avenues for online retailers today.
Home & Kitchen is the most popular Amazon category to sell in
Amazon Home & Kitchen is a thriving marketplace of sellers, with 37% surveyed engaging in the category - no matter their platform.
Only Turkey bucks this trend, with Beauty & Personal Care being an equally popular category to sell.
Sellers in all marketplaces are focusing on finding products and listing optimization in 2021
At least 57% of respondents in all marketplaces told us they focus on optimizing their product listings in 2021. And 66% of respondents told us they focus on finding products to sell.
Finding a product to sell is the number one challenge all Amazon sellers face, regardless of the marketplace
Across all marketplaces, at least 50% of respondents said their first challenge is finding a product to sell on Amazon.
The second most significant challenge sellers reported was getting support from Amazon or dealing with Amazon-related changes.
List of Amazon Marketplaces
Amazon North America
Covering the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Amazon North America is an Amazon Unified Account
Amazon United States (amazon.com)
Traffic3.1 billion
Language: English
Amazon US is the largest, most active marketplace out of all Amazon domains worldwide. The survey revealed that almost 80% of sellers surveyed sold their products on this popular platform and over half lived in America - demonstrating its major influence as an eCommerce hub.
Amazon Canada (amazon.ca)
Traffic: 231 million
Language: English
Canada is the second most popular marketplace, behind the US. The most significant portion of Amazon Canada’s sellers is from the US (41%), with Canadians representing only 29% of amazon.ca sellers. Of those selling in the Canada marketplace, 18% started with less than $500. Canada has the second largest percentage of experienced sellers selling for 5 years or longer compared to other markets.
Amazon Mexico (amazon.com.mx)
Traffic: 89.67 million
Language: Spanish
Of all the sellers surveyed, 12% sell in the Amazon Mexico marketplace. On average, sellers in this Amazon marketplace see higher monthly sales than US sellers. With 36% of Amazon.com.mx sellers soaring past $10,000 in monthly sales compared to just 28% on the US platform, business owners are flocking south for lucrative opportunities on the international marketplace!
Amazon Europe
Amazon Europe is an Amazon Unified Account that includes the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. This type of account services 28 countries in Europe.
Though Amazon Netherlands (once a digital ebooks-only platform) is not a part of the Amazon Unified Account, it is a full-service Amazon marketplace.
Amazon UK (amazon.co.uk)
Traffic: 569.64 million
Language: English
The United Kingdom's Amazon marketplace is a formidable opportunity for sellers, although less than that of the US and Canada. What makes it stand out from the other major markets? 43% of its merchants are local to UK shores, with others coming from China (9%) and America (13%). Taking advantage of this diverse environment could be just what your business needs!
Amazon Germany (amazon.de)
Traffic: 605.38 million
Language: German
The German marketplace on Amazon is one of the busiest in the world, even coming second to only that of America. Sellers from Britain make up a majority (22%), followed by those representing both China and USA at 18% and 8%, respectively - leaving Germany's own representation just 10%.
Amazon France (amazon.fr)
Traffic: 269.79 million
Language: French
Like Germany, the largest group of sellers in the French marketplace are from the UK (22%). However, there are more Chinese sellers in the French marketplace (16%) than US sellers (10%). Only 11% of sellers on amazon.fr are from France.
Amazon Italy (amazon.it)
Traffic: 251.72 million
Language: Italian
UK sellers account for 23% of the sellers in the Italian market, followed by sellers from Spain (10%).
Amazon Spain (amazon.es)
Traffic: 198.45 million
Language: Spanish
Prior to the introduction of Amazon Netherlands*, Amazon Spain had the least amount of traffic of all the European markets.
Amazon Netherlands (amazon.nl)
https://www.youtube.com/@SellonAmazonNetherlands/videos
Traffic: 32.93 million
Language: Dutch
Amazon Netherlands became a full-sized Amazon marketplace on March 10, 2020. Previously, Amazon Netherlands only sold ebooks.
Amazon Sweden (amazon.se)
Traffic: 10.29 million
Language: Swedish
As of October 28, 2020, Amazon Sweden is the newest full-sized marketplace offered by Amazon, and the seventh in Europe.
Amazon Poland (amazon.pl)
Traffic: Unknown as of March 2, 2021 launch date
Language: Polish
On Tuesday, March 2nd 2021, Amazon Poland made its grand debut with an astounding 70,000+ merchants from diverse countries around the world. Buyers everywhere can look forward to a range of captivating services and Prime membership benefits that will soon be available in this milestone launch!
Individual Marketplaces
Amazon Japan (amazon.co.jp)
Traffic: 646.97 million
Language: Japanese
Chinese sellers dominate in Japan, accounting for 42% of the sellers there. That’s followed by US sellers, who account for 18%.
Amazon Singapore (amazon.sg)
Traffic: 7.18 million
Language: English
Of the Singapore marketplace sellers we surveyed, 11% are from the United States. 17% of sellers on amazon.sg are from China.
Amazon United Arab Emirates (amazon.ae)
Traffic: 21.50 million
Language: English
The UAE marketplace started in 2019 following Amazon’s purchase of the Arabic online marketplace Souq. The largest portion of the UAE’s sellers are from the UAE (27%). 17% are from China.
Amazon Brazil (amazon.com.br)
Traffic: 115.31 million
Language: Portuguese
8% of Brazil’s sellers are from Brazil. Unlike the other marketplaces that prefer the private label business model, sellers in the Brazlian marketplace prefer wholesale and handmade.
Amazon Australia (amazon.com.au)
Traffic: 44.71 million
Language: English
Amazon Australia launched with a dynamic mix of sellers from around the world in 2017 – 16% American, 25% Chinese and 19% Australian. With such an international selection available to browse, Amazon customers can now find products gathered from across the globe.
Amazon India (amazon.in)
Traffic: 295.51 million
Language: English
Traffic-wise, India is the fourth largest global marketplace. However, it has one of the lowest seller counts of all the marketplaces with only 4% of sellers surveyed saying they sell in the India marketplace. 78% of sellers surveyed in this marketplace are also located in India.
Amazon Saudi Arabia (amazon.sa)
Traffic: 4.62 million
Language: Arabic
Saudi Arabia’s Amazon marketplace launched on June 17, 2020. It’s tough to know how much of an impact Amazon’s presence will have on e-commerce in Saudi Arabia. However, considering the since the coronavirus, there’s certainly room for such a well-known platform.
How to start selling in other marketplaces
Expanding your business to international markets has never been easier. Through Amazon's Global Selling Guide, sellers of all levels can access the resources and knowledge needed for exciting and lucrative opportunities abroad. From exploring entry strategies to navigating taxes, payments, listings - this guide covers it all!
Sellers will even learn how to gain valuable consumer and competitor insights with VOC. Amazon’s precise and comprehensive guide makes it possible to easily understand each step required to start selling in different countries worldwide.
When should you start selling in other marketplaces?
As an eCommerce entrepreneur, expanding into new marketplaces can be a great way to grow your business. When should this expansion begin?
It really depends on the country you’re in and which marketplaces you’re already selling in.
If you’re selling exclusively in the US, our advice is to stay there until you are confident that your product is a success before expanding further.
if you are selling in the EU, then we recommend exploring opportunities in the US marketplace.
if you are selling in any other countries outside of Europe and America, then it is wise to expand either into the US or European countries first. Before entering new markets though, it is highly important to research and define your products thoroughly – this can be achieved through inspecting customer reviews from existing marketplaces like Amazon and discovering what customers liked, didn’t like, and hoped for improvements on.
How does AI leverage Amazon sellers to sell on the global market?
With the help of AI, Amazon sellers can unlock valuable customer perspectives that provide a strategic advantage over
