Marketplaces Dominate European E-commerce Landscape as Third-Party Platforms Secure Over Sixty Percent of Total Gross Merchandise Value

The digital commerce landscape in Europe has reached a significant turning point as third-party marketplaces now facilitate the vast majority of online transactions across the continent. According to the latest data from the e-commerce database provider ECDB, marketplaces accounted for approximately 61 percent of the total e-commerce Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in Europe by the conclusion of 2025. This milestone reflects a broader global shift toward platform-based retail, where centralized digital hubs act as intermediaries between independent sellers and consumers, rather than traditional direct-to-consumer (D2C) models or standalone first-party online stores. While this trend is accelerating in Europe, it remains part of a larger international phenomenon where marketplaces are becoming the primary infrastructure for global trade.

Globally, the dominance of marketplaces is even more pronounced than in the European theater. ECDB reports that marketplaces accounted for a staggering 83.4 percent of global e-commerce GMV in the last fiscal year. This leaves a relatively small margin of just 16.6 percent for first-party online stores—those managed directly by brands or retailers who own the inventory they sell. This ratio indicates that only about one-sixth of the total global trade volume occurs through traditional e-commerce websites. Industry analysts conclude that the "marketplace trend" is currently in full swing, with adoption rates growing in every major geographic region. The shift suggests a fundamental change in consumer behavior, as shoppers increasingly prioritize the convenience, variety, and competitive pricing found on large-scale platforms over the specialized experience of individual brand sites.

The Evolution of Marketplace Adoption in Europe

The growth of marketplace influence in Europe has been steady and deliberate. In 2023, the GMV share held by marketplaces in the region stood at 56.2 percent. Within two years, this figure climbed to 60.8 percent, illustrating a clear trajectory toward platform consolidation. Despite this growth, Europe continues to lag behind other major global markets in terms of marketplace penetration. This discrepancy is largely attributed to the unique economic history and retail culture of the continent.

European markets are characterized by a high density of "heritage brands"—long-established companies with deep roots in luxury, fashion, and specialized manufacturing. These brands have traditionally prioritized direct-to-consumer sales channels and their own proprietary online stores to maintain strict control over brand image, customer experience, and premium pricing. In countries like France, Italy, and Germany, the prestige associated with a brand often dictates a more exclusive digital presence, which has slowed the migration to third-party platforms.

In contrast, the Americas saw their marketplace GMV share reach 67.8 percent last year, driven by the massive reach of domestic giants. Asia remains the global leader in this regard, with an overwhelming 97.0 percent of its e-commerce GMV flowing through marketplaces. In the Asian market, ecosystems like Alibaba, JD.com, and Pinduoduo have become so integrated into daily life that the concept of a standalone first-party web store is increasingly rare. As European heritage brands face increasing pressure to scale and compete with global entities, many are beginning to relax their D2C-only strategies, leading to the increased marketplace concentration observed in the 2025 data.

Amazon’s Continued Hegemony in Key European Markets

At the heart of the European marketplace expansion is Amazon, which maintains its position as the preeminent platform across the continent’s most populous nations. The American conglomerate has successfully navigated the diverse regulatory and cultural landscapes of Europe to establish a dominant logistical and commercial footprint. In the most recent reporting period, Amazon recorded double-digit growth in its two most critical European markets: Germany and the United Kingdom.

The growth in Germany is particularly notable given the country’s traditionally strong local retail sector and stringent data privacy regulations. Amazon’s ability to capture double-digit gains suggests that its "Prime" ecosystem and fulfillment infrastructure (FBA) have become indispensable to German consumers. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the platform has benefited from a highly mature e-commerce market where consumers value speed of delivery above almost all other factors. By providing the logistical backbone for thousands of third-party sellers, Amazon has solidified its role not just as a retailer, but as a vital utility for the European digital economy.

The Role of Marketplaces in Cross-Border Trade

One of the most significant drivers of marketplace growth is the rise of cross-border e-commerce. Research conducted by Cross-Border Commerce Europe highlights that marketplaces are the primary engines for international sales within the European Union and beyond. During the financial year spanning 2024 to 2025, marketplaces generated approximately 247.5 billion euros in turnover, representing 70 percent of all online cross-border revenue.

The reason for this dominance in the cross-border sector is largely practical. Selling across national borders involves navigating complex VAT regulations, diverse language requirements, varied payment preferences, and intricate shipping logistics. Marketplaces offer "plug-and-play" solutions for these challenges, allowing a small seller in Spain to easily reach customers in Poland or Sweden. By handling currency conversion, localized customer service, and international returns, platforms lower the barrier to entry for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to expand their reach. This has created a virtuous cycle where the more sellers join a platform to access international markets, the more attractive that platform becomes to consumers seeking a wide selection of goods.

Seller Strategies and Multi-Platform Presence

As the market concentrates around a few major players, the behavior of online sellers is also evolving. It is no longer sufficient for a merchant to be present on a single platform. International research conducted by ChannelEngine reveals that the average professional online seller is now active on approximately six different marketplaces simultaneously. This multi-platform strategy is a defensive move intended to mitigate the risks associated with "platform lock-in" and to maximize visibility across different demographics.

Sellers are increasingly utilizing sophisticated software to synchronize their inventory, pricing, and orders across multiple hubs, such as Amazon, eBay, Zalando, Bol.com, and Allegro. This diversification allows merchants to tap into the specific strengths of each platform—for example, using Zalando for high-end fashion while relying on Amazon for high-volume consumer goods. However, this trend also places more power in the hands of the platforms themselves, as they become the gatekeepers of consumer data and market access.

Chronology of the Marketplace Shift (2020–2025)

The current dominance of marketplaces is the result of a five-year acceleration that began during the global disruptions of 2020.

• 2020-2021: The pandemic-induced surge in online shopping forced traditional retailers to rapidly adopt marketplace models to cope with supply chain volatility and physical store closures.
• 2022: A period of "normalization" saw a slight cooling of e-commerce growth, but marketplaces maintained their share as consumers sought value and price-comparison tools during rising inflation.
• 2023: Marketplace share in Europe reached 56.2 percent, signaling that the shift was permanent and not merely a temporary reaction to the pandemic.
• 2024: Significant investment in "Retail Media" (advertising on marketplaces) provided platforms with new revenue streams, allowing them to further subsidize logistics and attract more third-party sellers.
• 2025: Europe crosses the 60 percent threshold, with GMV reaching 60.8 percent, as heritage brands increasingly adopt "hybrid" models, selling both on their own sites and via major marketplaces.

Broader Implications and Future Outlook

The continued concentration of e-commerce within a few top-tier platforms has profound implications for the future of the European economy. From a regulatory perspective, the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA) are already attempting to address the "gatekeeper" status of these large platforms. The goal is to ensure fair competition and prevent marketplaces from using the data they collect from third-party sellers to give their own private-label products an unfair advantage.

For consumers, the trend offers undeniable benefits in terms of price transparency and logistics. The "marketplace-as-a-service" model means that even small artisans can offer the same delivery speeds as global corporations. However, the downside remains a potential loss of diversity in the retail landscape. As marketplaces continue to grow, the cost of customer acquisition on independent websites rises, making it increasingly difficult for new, independent players to survive without paying "rent" to a major platform.

Looking ahead to the latter half of the decade, ECDB and other industry analysts expect the marketplace share in Europe to continue its upward trajectory, likely mirroring the levels seen in the Americas within the next few years. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in marketplace search engines and personalized recommendations is expected to further entrench these platforms in the consumer’s daily routine. As marketplaces evolve from simple shopping sites into comprehensive service ecosystems—offering everything from insurance to fintech solutions—the distinction between "retail" and "platform" will continue to blur, solidifying a future where the marketplace is not just a part of the economy, but the very infrastructure upon which the economy operates.