When it comes to leading the European e-commerce market, Amazon stands as the dominant force. Yet, its influence across Europe’s diverse, fragmented markets varies significantly, with each country presenting unique opportunities and challenges for merchants.
In this blog post, we’ll explore Amazon’s remarkable journey through Europe - highlighting its growth, achievements, and the local competition it encounters along the way. You’ll also gain insights into the most promising European markets for Amazon sellers and vendors, as well as the top product categories and trends shaping Amazon’s retail landscape in 2024.
Amazon launched in the UK in 1998, initially selling only books. The first fulfillment center in the UK was established in Marston Gate. In 2007, Amazon Prime was launched, offering customers free shipping, streaming services, and other benefits. Today, Amazon UK has several fulfillment centers and offers a wide range of products.
Visitors on amazon.co.uk in September 2024:
478.3 million
Amazon Revenue 2024 in the UK:
$33.6 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in the UK by Monthly Visitors:
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in the UK
Amazon made its entry into the German market in 1998, starting off by selling books exclusively. Their first fulfillment center in Germany was set up in Regensburg. In 2007, they introduced Amazon Prime, a game-changing service that offered customers free shipping, streaming services, and a host of other benefits. Fast forward to today, Amazon Germany operates several advanced fulfillment centers and offers a wide range of products to cater to diverse customer needs.
Visitors on amazon.de in September 2024:
579 million
Amazon Revenue 2024 in Germany:
$37.6 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Germany by Monthly Visitors:
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in Germany
In the year 2000, Amazon expanded its reach to France, bringing with it an assortment of books, music, videos, and DVDs for customers to explore. Orleans witnessed the birth of Amazon's first fulfillment center in the country, marking the initial step towards their successful presence in France. Today, Amazon France boasts multiple fulfillment centers strategically located across the country, allowing them to offer an extensive collection of products that cater to diverse customer preferences.
Visitors on amazon.fr in September 2024:
250 million
Amazon Revenue 2024 in France:
$21.7 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in France by Monthly Visitors:
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in France
In 2010, Amazon expanded to Italy. The first fulfillment center, located in Piacenza, opened its doors in 2011. Today, Amazon Italy operates multiple fulfillment centers and offers an extensive selection of products, catering to a diverse range of customer needs and preferences.
Visitors on amazon.it in September 2024:
262 million
Amazon Revenue 2024 in Italy:
$21.4 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Italy by Monthly Visitors::
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in Italy
In 2011, Amazon embarked on its journey in Spain. The inaugural fulfillment center took shape in San Fernando de Henares, Madrid, a year later, in 2012. Presently, Amazon Spain thrives with multiple fulfillment centers strategically placed across the country, ensuring a diverse array of products that cater to the varying preferences and needs of customers.
Visitors on amazon.es in September 2024:
208.54 million
Amazon Revenue 2024 in Spain:
$7.1 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Spain by Monthly Visitors:
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in Spain.
Amazon entered the Netherlands in 2014. At present, Amazon Netherlands does not have a fulfillment center. Instead, products are shipped from neighboring countries like Germany and France to meet customer orders and ensure timely delivery. Although there isn't a local center yet, Amazon Netherlands strives to offer a wide range of products and convenient shopping experiences to its customers in the country.
Visitors on amazon.nl in September 2024:
36.37 million
Amazon Revenue 2024 in the Netherlands:
$1068.1 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in the Netherlands by Monthly Visitors:
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in the Netherlands.
Amazon made its entrance in Sweden in 2020, bringing with it a whopping 30 categories of goods. Although Amazon Sweden doesn't yet have a warehouse of its own, one is on the way. This planned warehouse, which will be situated in Eskilstuna, close to Stockholm, will soon improve Amazon's operations by assuring effective product storage and distribution to better serve customers throughout Sweden.
Visitors on amazon.se in September 2024:
17 million
Amazon Revenue 2024 in Sweden:
$125.5 million
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Sweden by Monthly Visitors:
Amazon debuted in Poland in 2021, offering 30 diverse product categories. Despite the recent launch, Amazon has been active in Poland since 2014, operating a fulfillment center in Sady near Poznan. These efforts have contributed to Amazon's growing presence in Poland, providing customers with a wide range of options and convenient services.
Fun fact: Warsaw played a crucial role globally by introducing Alexa's voice capabilities.
Visitors on amazon.pl in September 2024:
14.2 million
Amazon Revenue 2024:
$357 million
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Poland by Monthly Visitors:
In 2022, Amazon set foot in Belgium, marking its entry into the market. The establishment of their initial fulfillment center took place in Antwerp, facilitating efficient operations. Interestingly, it's worth mentioning that the domain name "amazon.be" is currently associated with an insurance company, hence the Amazon domain for Belgium is amazon.com.be.
Visitors on amazon.be.com in September 2024:
16 million
Amazon Revenue 2024 in Belgium:
$537.4 million
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Belgium by Monthly Visitors:
These figures highlight a clear disparity in spending habits across Europe, with some markets spending significantly more than others—up to twice as much in certain cases.
Consumers’ spending habits are undergoing significant transformations, particularly in Europe. These changes are shaped by various factors, including economic pressures, evolving priorities, and shifting shopping patterns.
Home appliances play a key role in enhancing daily life, saving time, and making households more efficient. In 2024 there was a noticeable increase in sustainable practices, particularly in the purchase of electrical equipment and household appliances. For instance, Home Connect appliances have become popular, as they allow users to adjust settings on networked household devices to fit personal preferences and offer tips on optimizing resource consumption.
As a seller or vendor, the two most obvious ways to expand your business are via geographic expansion or by diversifying your range of products. Especially for the latter, it is key to stay on top of things and ahead of trends. Take a look at the most popular product categories in 2024 and the products that are trending on Amazon compared to the previous year according to Jungle Scout’s report.
Source: Sell Amazon
Amazon's market share varies across the fragmented European e-commerce market. Amazon UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Belgium are among the countries where Amazon operates.
To succeed in the European markets, sellers and vendors should consider geographic expansion and product diversification. Taking into consideration the most popular product categories on Amazon in 2024 as well as the trends for those categories is crucial.
For merchants that want to expand their role in Amazon while building a strong brand, FBM, and SFP options are the way to go. Take action and talk to byrd today!