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10 e-commerce sites that are challenging Amazon in 2021

By Elin Box on May 24, 2021

Amazon is the most popular e-commerce site in the world. The smile of the Amazon logo is so familiar, and the sight of Amazon boxes so commonplace, that you could be forgiven for thinking that it is the only e-commerce site that matters.

But Amazon is not the only important e-commerce site in the world. In some countries, there are other e-commerce platforms that have succeeded in keeping Amazon at bay and taking that e-commerce crown for themselves.

This is obviously important information for international digital marketers to know, so that you can ensure you are selling your products on the right platforms in all markets you are targeting.

This blog post will look at ten of these e-commerce platforms, based on the latest data from Webcertain search and social report 2021.

1. Taobao

Taobao is the most popular e-commerce platform in China. It sells basically everything, from clothes, to furniture, to electronics, to beauty products and everything in between. China has the world’s largest internet population, with almost 1 billion people in China being online, making Taobao a hugely important e-commerce player on the global stage.

2. Rakuten

Let’s stay in East Asia and head over to Japan. In Japan, the most popular e-commerce site is Rakuten. The fastest growing categories of items being bought online in Japan are food and personal care items. And with almost 120 million people in Japan being online, it is a very appealing market for global brands.

3. Gmarket

Still staying in East Asia, let’s take a look at South Korea. The most popular e-commerce site in South Korea is Gmarket. The fastest growing categories of items being bought online in South Korea are food and personal care items. Just be aware that the South Korean search engine and social media landscape looks rather different from other countries, so if you are targeting this market, you will need to adjust your digital marketing strategy accordingly.

4. Shopee

Now let’s head down to South East Asia. Here, we have a regional favourite e-commerce platform called Shopee. Shopee is the most popular e-commerce site in the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan. It also has a presence in Brazil and Mexico. If you are targeting South East Asia, Shopee definitely needs to be on your radar.

5. Mercado Libre

Let’s cross the Pacific Ocean and go to Latin America. The top e-commerce site in Latin America is Mercado Libre. It sells a huge range of products in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and Brazil. With many Latin American countries having a lot of growth ahead of them, they are attractive markets for global brands looking for that first-mover advantage.

6. Avito

Now let’s cross the Atlantic Ocean and stop over at two destinations: Russia and Morocco. These two countries may not immediately look as though they have a lot in common, but they do share a favourite e-commerce site: Avito. Avito sells a range of products, from personal items, to home and garden essentials, to electronics, and even cars.

7. Leboncoin

As one of the major European economies, France is an appealing market for many businesses. If you are targeting France, you should be aware that the most popular e-commerce site in the country is Leboncoin. Leboncoin lets you buy clothing, electronics, vehicles, home and garden products, and much more.

8. Bol

Belgium and the Netherlands share more than just a border, they also share a favourite e-commerce site: Bol. Bol sells everything from electronics, to books and toys, to fashion and beauty, to home and garden products. Amazon only comes in at third place in both countries, so your focus should definitely be on Bol if you want to succeed in Belgium or the Netherlands.

9. OLX

OLX is a popular e-commerce site in many countries around the world. It has a presence in markets as diverse as Brazil, India, South Africa, Poland, Portugal and Ukraine, amongst many others. OLX allows you to buy anything from leisure items, to fashion, to electronics, to sports equipment, to agricultural items, to vehicles.

10. Bazos

And last but not least, let’s head over to Central Europe, specifically Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The most popular e-commerce site in both of these countries is Bazos. On Bazos, users can buy clothing, furniture, electronics, cars and even tickets for events. Bazos also operates in Austria and Poland, although it has not managed to take the top spot in either of these countries (…yet).

I hope this blog post has given you an interesting insight into the e-commerce landscape around the world. For more in-depth information about international e-commerce trends in 49 countries, check out Webcertain search and social report 2021!

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Elin Box

Content Marketing Manager at Webcertain
Elin is a Content Marketing Manager at Webcertain. She is responsible for Webcertain’s Self-learning platform, producing in-depth guides on a range of international digital marketing topics. She also helps run the Webcertain blog and is the writer of the Webcertain search and social report, an annual report summarising digital marketing best practices in over 50 countries. She is passionate about educating and empowering people to make the best decisions for their business and is proud to help share Webcertain’s wealth of digital marketing knowledge with the world. Elin is from the UK.

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