Are you looking to expand your e-commerce business in 2022?
Do you know what are the best online marketplaces in the UK?
Online marketplaces allow you to reach a wider audience and allow you to promote your products at less cost. Many stores in the UK have already started selling on the most popular online marketplaces.
However, before choosing any one of these marketplaces, it is important that you first know everything about them so that you do not suffer any loss.
So what are these marketplaces, how can you find them, and how do they work?
This post will give you an overview of the main online marketplaces and tell you which are the best to use when selling online in 2022. So let’s get straight into it!
Table of Content
Chapter 1: Overview of Online Marketplaces in the UK
Chapter 2: What are the Advantages of selling through Online Marketplaces in the UK?
Chapter 3: Top 10 Online Marketplaces in the UK
Chapter 4: Strategies to Follow when Selling through Online Marketplaces in the UK
Chapter 5: FAQs about Online Marketplaces in the UK
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Overview of Online Marketplaces in the UK
If you’re living in the UK, then online marketplaces are the best way to get your product, service, or ideas out there in front of a large audience. They are a great place to start building your brand and growing your business.
Before we tell you about the best online marketplaces in the UK, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of what an online marketplace actually is!
1. What is an online marketplace?
An online marketplace is a website where people sell or buy goods, services, and/or information.
In general, these websites are called “online marketplaces” because they allow users to list items for sale or buy them directly from other users, who have listed items on their own pages.
Online marketplaces are also known as e-commerce marketplaces, web-based marketplaces, or e-tailers. The term “online marketplace” can be used interchangeably with the term “e-commerce.”
So, in a nutshell, an online marketplace is a platform that connects sellers and buyers— allowing them to conduct transactions in a safe and secure environment.
2. Overview of online marketplaces in the UK
Online marketplaces in the UK are growing in popularity as more people become comfortable with buying things online.
They’re also becoming more popular because they’re an easy way for people to find products that meet their needs.
Wondering why online marketplaces in the UK gaining popularity?
The best thing about online marketplaces is that the customers don’t have to go out into the real world to look for products. They can purchase anything, anytime, anywhere in the world.
Today, customers can browse through thousands of products and read reviews from other buyers who’ve already bought similar items.
So they don’t need any special skills or knowledge—just an internet connection and a credit card!
There are two types of online marketplaces in the UK:
- E-commerce sites that sell physical goods directly from their websites (like Amazon),
- Aggregators that aggregate products from other sources (like eBay).
Chapter 2: What are the Advantages of selling through Online Marketplaces in the UK?
Now that you know online marketplaces are a great way to sell your products and services. Going forward, let’s have a look at the advantages of selling through an online marketplace in the UK:
1. These marketplaces have a large customer base
The UK is one of the most popular destinations for people from around the globe to move to, and this makes it a great place for businesses looking to expand their sales.
This also means that there are plenty of consumers who are looking for products and services that they can’t find locally— meaning that there is an opportunity for any business looking to sell their products online.
One of the most important advantages of selling through online marketplaces is that these marketplaces have a large customer base.
In general, such marketplaces are very popular and have millions of members. Therefore, they attract more customers than any other source, which can be used to your advantage as you build your brand.
Above all, there is a wide selection of products available on these marketplaces, so you can choose the products that best suit your business.
For example, if you sell products that are appropriate for children, then it would be wise to list them on websites like Amazon.
2. It is easy to set up a store and scale your business
Most online marketplaces provide free tools and templates that make it easy to create an online store.
You can customize the template according to your needs and use it to create a beautiful website with plenty of features that will attract people to your business.
The templates come with additional services such as marketing tools, payment options, etc., which makes it easier for you to run an online store right from your home.
So you don’t need to have any special skills or knowledge in order to sell online.
3. Enjoy free marketing and promotion for your business
It’s always good to get some free advertising if you want to grow your business quickly. And, this is what online marketplaces have to offer you.
So, you do not need to worry about paying for advertising or spending money on marketing materials because these platforms promote themselves to reach a wider market.
They also offer affiliate programs where you can earn money by referring people.
4. No expensive startup costs involved
Unlike traditional retail stores where you need large amounts of capital before opening your doors, when selling through online marketplaces it costs very less to get started.
All you have to do is to purchase any individual plan for your store based on your business’ needs.
Chapter 3: Top 10 Online Marketplaces in the UK
So, what are the biggest online marketplaces?
There are many online marketplaces in the UK that you can use to start selling online. Based on our in-depth research, we’ve found the following best marketplaces for e-commerce businesses.
So let’s dive into the details!
1. Best marketplace in the UK #1: Amazon
Amazon is the largest online marketplace in the world, with massive traffic of customers and online sellers.
In February 2022, almost 354.8 million people in the UK visited the Amazon marketplace.
To your surprise, approximately 473.9 million visits were recorded by Amazon.co.uk in December 2021.
It was because of the events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday that the online shopping rate escalated during these events.
You can also avail Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) service. Amazon has several warehouses all over Europe. You can sell your products at any place in Europe where there is Amazon coverage.
- Competitive Edge
Amazon, a globally known eCommerce platform, is a more secure online marketplace for users than all other marketplaces.
It is convenient to use and advertise your products among a sheer number of visitors.
- Pricing
It offers two selling plans:
- Professional Plan
- Individual Plan
- For the Professional plan, you need to pay £25 per month.
- For the Individual plan, you will pay £0.75 per item sold.
2. Best marketplace in the UK #2: Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace famous for selling and purchasing unique products.
Mostly, it features handmade toys and cosmetics, unique crafts, home decors, vintage art pieces, jewelry, old furniture, and clothing.
You get access to the Etsy shop for your business after making a seller account at the official site of the online marketplace.
Etsy UK welcomes numerous visits by online customers and sellers from all over the UK. Approximately 90 million active buyers visited the official website of Etsy in 2021 to make purchases.
- Competitive Edge
Etsy has a cooperative and distinct community as compared to other online marketplaces.
It is an excellent eCommerce platform for people who want to sell or purchase handcrafted and vintage products. Moreover, it charges fewer fees than Amazon.
- Pricing
Etsy charges £0.16 per item to publish the product listing. It also costs a 6.5% transaction fee on the sale price of each item once the goods are sold.
3. Best marketplace in the UK #3: eBay
eBay is another rapidly progressing eCommerce platform with instant product tracking features. It also allows users to sell used products along with new ones.
eBay is the best option for sellers who desire to sell a small number of new and second-hand