When it comes to dominating the European e-commerce market, one name stands above the rest: Amazon. However, the presence of Amazon in the fragmented European e-commerce market differs greatly between countries.
In this blog post, we'll dive into the remarkable journey of Amazon in Europe, exploring the growth, achievements, and competition it faces in each country. We'll also uncover the most attractive European markets for Amazon sellers and vendors, as well as the top product categories and trends that are shaping the retail landscape on Amazon in 2023.
- The state of Amazon per country
- The most attractive European markets for Amazon sellers and vendors
- Top product categories in Amazon 2023
Amazon in the UK
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.
Hard facts about Amazon UK
Visitors on amazon.co.uk in April 2023:
345.4 million
Amazon Revenue 2022 in the UK:
$30,074 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in the UK by monthly visitors:
- eBay
- Etsy
- Wayfair
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in the UK
Amazon in Germany
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.
Hard facts about Amazon Germany
Visitors on amazon.de in April 2023:
433.6 million
Amazon Revenue 2022 in Germany::
$33.6 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Germany by monthly visitors::
- eBay
- Otto market
- Zalando
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in Germany
Amazon in France
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.
Hard facts about Amazon France
Visitors on amazon.fr in April 2023:
159.1 million
Amazon Revenue 2022 in France:
$5.4 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in France by monthly visitors::
- Cdiscount
- eBay
- AliExpress
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in France
Amazon in Italy
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.
Hard facts about Amazon Italy
Visitors on amazon.it in April 2023:
162.3 million
Amazon Revenue 2022 in Italy:
$5.28 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Italy by monthly visitors::
- eBay
- Subito
- Zalando
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in Italy
Amazon in Spain
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.
Hard facts about Amazon Spain
Visitors on amazon.es in April 2023:
131.1 million
Amazon Revenue 2022 in Spain:
$5.55 billion
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Spain by monthly visitors::
- El Cortes Inglés
- Carrefour
- Pccomponentes
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in Spain.
Amazon in the Netherlands
Amazon entered the Netherlands in 2014. At present, Amazon Netherlands does not have its own 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.
Hard facts about Amazon Netherlands
Visitors on amazon.nl in April 2023:
21.5 million
Amazon Revenue 2022 in the Netherlands:
$809 million
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in the Netherlands by monthly visitors::
- Bol.com
- Marktplaats.nl
- Zalando
Learn more about the most popular marketplaces in the Netherlands.
Amazon in Sweden
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.
Hard facts about Amazon Sweden
Visitors on amazon.se in April 2023:
13.9 million
Amazon Revenue 2022 in Sweden:
$117 million
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Sweden by monthly visitors::
- Clas Ohlson
- Aliexpress
- eBay
Amazon in Poland
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.
Hard facts about Amazon Poland
Visitors on amazon.pl in April 2023:
13.7 million
Amazon Revenue 2022 in Poland:
$225.6 million
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Poland by monthly visitors::
- Allegro.pl
- Olx.pl
- Aliexpress
Amazon in Belgium
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.
Hard facts about Amazon Belgium
Visitors on amazon.be.com in April 2023:
10.9 million
Amazon Revenue 2022 in Belgium:
$53 million
The 3 Biggest Amazon Competitors in Belgium by monthly visitors::
- Bol.com
- Coolblue.be
- Aliexpress
The Most Attractive European Markets for Amazon Sellers and Vendors
According to research by Iconic Sales, there are partly clear differences in price levels per market - even within Europe. For that, they took a look at the 10 best-selling products in Germany and compared prices between the 5 most relevant countries in Europe.
According to this, the Spanish market is the place to sell when it comes to price levels. With 3149€, the 10 products cost 145€ more than in Germany. The second-highest price needs to be paid in the UK. 9 out of the 10 reviewed products are more expensive than the average. France (3120€) and Italy (3050€) rank 3rd and 4th respectively.
Although not on that list, it is worth mentioning that both the Dutch and the Belgium markets are picking up speed and are also above the average when it comes to price levels.
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Top Product Categories in Amazon 2023 Globally
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 2023 and the products that are trending on Amazon compared to the previous year according to Jungle Scout’s report.
The 10 most popular product categories on Amazon 2023
- Home & Kitchen (35%)
- Beauty & Personal Care (26%)
- Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry (20%)
- Toys & Games (18%)
- Health, Household & Baby Care (17%)
- Baby (16%)
- Electronics (16%)
- Sports & Outdoors (16%)
- Art, Crafts & Sewing (14%)
- Books (13%)
The 10 most trending product categories on Amazon 2023
- Appliances (+4%)
- Home & Kitchen (+3%)
- Beauty & Personal Care (+3%)
- Grocery & Gourmet Food (+3%)
- Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry (+2%)
- Baby (+2%)
- Electronics (+2%)
- Cell Phones & Accessories (+2%)
- Apps & Games (+2%)
- Multiple other (+1%)
Amazon product categories that decreased
Only four categories decreased. These are:
- Toy and games (-2%)
- Arts, Crafts & Sewing (-1%)
- Books (-1%)
- Garden & Outdoor (-1%)
Amazon product categories that stayed the same
In total, eight categories stayed the same:
- Health, Household & Baby Care
- Sports & Outdoors
- Pet Supplies
- Tools & Home Improvement
- Handmade
- Industrial & Scientific
- Video Games
- Musical Instruments
Conclusion of the State of Amazon in Europe
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 2023 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. byrd offers FBM fulfillment services as well as SFP fulfillment services to Amazon merchants, enabling them to outsource logistics and expand their sales channels while building a strong brand. Take action and talk to byrd today!