2 out of 3 Internet users choose Amazon or AliExpress for information on shopping

Customers who buy online are seeking opinions from other users to help them make their purchase decisions. This is indicated by a study carried out by Tandem (specializing in consulting marketplaces), which analyzes the relevance of online marketplaces.

In era of online shopping we live in marketplaces stand out above other e-commerce platforms. Websites selling like Amazon or AliExpress have become the go-to for millions of people when buying any product.

In Spain one in five purchases take place among five marketplaces: Amazon, Aliexpress, eBay, El Corte Ingles and Carrefour, as indicated by Tandem.

These data reflect the overall success of marketplaces, which have been used at some point by virtually all online shoppers. In addition, in Spain they are used on average 3.8 marketplaces, one of the countries with a higher level of acceptance of such portals.

However, the rise of these sites is not exclusively limited to the purchase, but are also used for research through descriptions, opinions and images of customer purchases. Specifically, two out of three internet marketplaces are considered the main source of information for online shopping.

The price is no longer a differential advantage when shopping on marketplaces compared to other websites. This is indicated by data from Tandem, where it appears that the depth of catalog and comfort when buying different products are considered great advantages.

"The point where marketplaces are not in the same league as the other has come online, but its real competitors are physical stores. Therefore, unable to touch the products or be immediately purchase are the main advantages of the shops at street level, it is essential to play with other assets as offering a variety of products or deliver the order the same day," says Monica Casal, CEO of Tandem.

Amazon is still king

With regard to the most demanding marketplaces, Amazon is the undisputed leader, not only at the level of individual country marketplaces but also in global online sales. So, Amazon represents 7.5 percent of online sales, ahead of giants such as El Corte Inglés or Zara. After Jeff Bezos's company is Chinese and perennial AliExpress Ebay.

"Any company or business that wants to sell online have to bet on marketplaces to reach a larger number of customers and in this, there is none like Amazon. From Spain you can offer your product in the 28 countries of the EU through Amazon, and all without leaving the platform. Given that Spain accounts for only 5 percent of European online billing this gives you an idea of the catalytic effect of this channel. A clear example is our client covers BCN that after a year at Amazon, grew sales by 364 percent and earned an exponential increase in web traffic, liquidated stocks to PVP and improved corporate image" says Casal.

photo: via Amazon.com