Introduction
Picture a fierce battling arena swarming with millions of sellers, each fighting to catch the spotlight. Like a never-ending reality show where thriving means standing out amongst a massive sea of rivals backed with punchy taglines and compelling product photos.
That’s Amazon in a nutshell for you. Especially now that its customer base has reached 300+ million. And the number of 3p sellers currently battling for success? 9.7 Million.
See the problem?
That’s exactly why most Amazon sellers are shifting to other platforms to broaden their eCommerce horizons. A multichannel selling strategy is all the rage right now, and small business owners on Amazon are ‘game-on’.
Makes sense why they say putting all your eggs in one basket can never be a good idea.
This is why you should explore other platforms to expand your B2B clientele instead of just relying on Amazon.
The ‘IT’ thing for Amazon Sellers: Multichanneling.
In 2022, a whopping 61% of all Amazon sellers sold their goods on at least one alternative eCommerce platform (up from 58% in 2021). The number is only expected to rise.
The latest and hottest report by Jungle Scout reveals that other major eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Walmart, and Etsy, are gaining momentum, with eBay taking the lead.
The report predicts that 52% of Amazon sellers are all set to embark beyond the realms of Amazon this year and will explore other eCommerce platforms (up from 30% last year). 50% of the Amazon vendors will explore new global markets (up from 25% last year).
Before we move on to the whos and whats, let’s first figure out why they’re making the shift.
The Amazon Sellers’ Rebellion: Why SMBs are Exploring Alternative Ecommerce Platforms
Crazy Competition.
Breaking free from the Amazon ecosystem allows small businesses to stop focusing on the competition and more on unleashing their creative prowess. The opportunity of designing enticing + personalized storefronts and crafting immersive experiences for the shoppers allows them to shine a bit brighter. This means more loyal fans and quality leads for you.
Amazon’s Pricey Playground.
The land where fees rain down like confetti. The non-stop fee parade including referrals, storage, and fulfillment charges can quickly mount up and literally break the bank of the average Amazon seller US. Naturally, they want to lower their costs, hence the search.
Cracking Open Niche Markets.
Alternative eCommerce platforms like the Facebook Marketplace give sellers access to specialized markets tailored just for their offerings. This means marketing to a laser-focused target audience that doesn’t need a lot of persuading and has higher chances of conversion. Quality leads over quantity, any day.
Better Flexibility + Control.
Sellers are looking for more power over prices, branding, and promotions so they can craft unique buyer experiences and cater to the changing market dynamics. This allows them (and you) to sell better.
Bold Move, Bigger Gains.
It’s 2023 - having just one income source will not suffice. Sellers want to diversify and multiply their income streams, which is a good move given the current economic conditions globally.
The Top 10 eCommerce Platforms to Turbocharge Your Amazon Seller List
Okay, so here’s the real deal.
According to the latest revelations from Jungle Scout, here are the platforms where you’ll probably find most of the SMBs from Amazon and your potential target audience lurking:
*Note: the percentage refers to the number of total Amazon 3P sellers using the respective platform.
- eBay - 24%
- Shopify - 16%
- Walmart - 15%
- Etsy - 14%
- Facebook Marketplace - 13%
- Alibaba - 10%
- Instagram - 6%
- Aliexpress - 6%
- WooCommerce - 4%
- WordPress - 4%
Let’s take a deep dive into the top 7.
eBay
With 133 million users worldwide and major brands like Rolex and Microsoft on board, eBay is definitely taking the eCommerce game to the next level.
Though eBay tops the list, its growth has gone down by 14% compared to the previous year. But this does not stop the sellers from going all out. Currently, the platform has over 1.6 billion live listings.
And if you work with Amazon sellers dealing in the electronics and accessories niches, you’re in luck! These are two of the most popular categories on eBay making up for 16.4% of all the merchandise sold. Clothing and accessories come next at 13.8%.
Shopify
With 2 million daily active users in 175 countries, Shopify has garnered over $700 billion in sales over the last 17 years. Possessing 10% of the total eCommerce market share, it shows a steady 6% YoY growth.
If you thought that the above numbers were impressive, here comes the best bit - Did you know that the average order volume on Shopify is $85? That is way more than the average order volume on Amazon.
In fact, 16% of Amazon sellers are selling direct-to-consumers through Shopify.
Some inside scoop: we have used our resources to reveal the top Amazon sellers also selling on Shopify, ranked by their current Amazon sales. (you can thank us later):
- Anker Innovations LTD (Anker.com)
- Fintie LLC (Fintie.com)
- Hour Loop, Inc. (Hourloop.com)
- Bedsure Bedding (bedsurehome.com)
- Heydude (heydude.com)
Walmart
Walmart falls third on the list, with a 6.3% market share in the US alone. And the international sales generated were close to $101 billion at the end of the fiscal year in January 2023. The eCommerce platform truly shined when the pandemic hit - when its operations rose to 74%.
The stats show a YoY growth of 28% - which is a huge feat. Garnering 407.8 million visits alone in 2023, it’s safe to say that Walmart’s going to hit bigger in the coming years.
Top-selling items include:
- Babycare + personal care items
- Laundry supplies
- Clothing and jewelry
- Pet supplies
- Coffee makers + Kitchenware
Etsy
Gone are the days when Etsy was used to sell just vintage or handmade items. The platform is thriving in multiple (around 43) profitable niches, with an average traffic rate of 377.4 million monthly visitors and an 11% YoY growth.
Most of its traffic comes from the US (58.79%) and the UK (9.54%). In a nutshell, Etsy has a total number of 4.36 million sellers and 81.9 million buyers.
If your business has anything to do with event supplies, Etsy would be a great place to find your potential buyer.
Here’s a list of the best-selling goods:
- Handmade accessories
- Crafts and Supplies
- Notebooks and Journals
- Printables
- Wedding and Party Supplies
Facebook Marketplace
The booming eCommerce platform has 2.91 billion monthly users - about 35% of the total world’s population.
On an average month, close to 1.185 billion online buyers hit ‘purchase’ on the marketplace. This explains the 6% YoY growth. The ads alone reach a whopping 562 million people.
Fashion apparel has been known to do particularly well on the platform (textile businesses, gear up).
However, the marketplace also has a wider variety of products selling out fast.
Here’s a list of the best-selling categories:
- Furniture
- Books
- Home goods
- Gardening tools
- Sports equipment
- Pet supplies
Alibaba
The Chinese e-commerce platform has seen the highest year-over-year growth rate, rising to 158%. Generating over 84.9 billion US dollars in the last fiscal year (March 2023) alone, the platform’s sellers are making bank as we speak.
You’d be surprised to know that in 2020, Alibaba dominated a quarter of the global eCommerce platform - almost double the size of the Amazon market share.
Here’s the hot-selling list of goods:
- Toys
- Health, lifestyle, and personal care supplies
- Kitchen supplies
- Toys
- Apparel
- Decorative and office items
A millennial and Gen Z favorite - Instagram ranks as the 8th most visited website globally and 4th most used social media platform, with 4.25 billion visits each month.
35% of its users will most definitely make a purchase in 2023 and its ad revenue is predicted to rise by $50.58 billion. The interesting bit is that while Facebook’s ad revenue is falling, Instagram’s ad revenue continues to peak as we speak - giving it a greater share of the entire Meta ad pie.
So, even if its YoY growth rate has fallen by 14%, the platform is still helping sellers thrive.
By the year 2025, Instagram is predicted to reach close to 1.44 billion people. See the potential?
Hot-selling niches include:
- Apparel
- Beauty + personal care items (especially for men)
- Sustainable goods
- Phone accessories
- Fitness apparel
- Childcare products
- Artwork
Conclusion
Sometimes just stepping out of your comfort zone is the only thing you need to achieve your breakthrough.
If you are an Amazon or eCommerce service provider, SellerDirectories can help you source high-converting B2B Amazon Seller Lists that have diversified into selling on all major eCommerce platforms like Shopify and Walmart. Contact us for more info!
