F. Watty
Research Expert E-commerce
Online marketplaces in Spain - statistics & facts
The rapid growth in B2C e-commerce sales in Spain in the past years cannot be explained without the presence of online marketplaces, and they will keep contributing to shaping the future of the digital shopping scenery. By providing a meeting place for sellers and buyers, online marketplaces are champions in bringing together a wide range of offerings in a single site, making it easy to compare before deciding on a purchase. Online marketplaces are not new for Spanish shoppers, but they continue evolving in a market that has experienced big changes in recent years.
Although Amazon enjoys success across the board, the rise of new e-commerce categories, such as home and food, has allowed brick-and-mortar stores such as MediaMarkt, El Corte Inglés, and Carrefour to up the ante on their digital channels. In 2023, those companies made up the top three online marketplaces based on average spending per purchase in Spain. Meanwhile, Chinese players are aggressively competing in the Spanish market. Shein lead on average shopping ticket among the marketplaces from the Asian country, while Temu, founded in 2022, became the most downloaded marketplace app by Spanish consumers in 2024.
Spanish consumers are already showing a preference for online marketplaces, but these stores will need to keep evolving if they want to remain as the leaders in a constantly changing market.
Marketplaces: synonymous with shopping
Nowadays, online shoppers have grown increasingly accustomed to online marketplaces. Almost four out of every ten consumers preferred the convenience of purchasing products from multiple sellers through a single platform. This preference has helped to establish eight online marketplaces among the top ten online stores in Spain, surpassing individual brand websites. In addition, nearly half of Spanish digital buyers made monthly purchases through online marketplaces in 2023. With a rapidly expanding catalog, new product categories have plenty of room to thrive in this environment. In 2023, electronics was the most purchased category among marketplace shoppers in this European country.Amazon, a leader beyond the competition?
Despite the growing number of options in this ecosystem, Amazon maintains its dominant position in Spain, excelling in both e-commerce sales and popularity. In 2024, the U.S. e-commerce behemoth stood out as the marketplace with the highest user penetration in the Iberian country. Furthermore, Amazon's website for Spain, amazon.es, attracted over 50 percent of all marketplace visits.Although Amazon enjoys success across the board, the rise of new e-commerce categories, such as home and food, has allowed brick-and-mortar stores such as MediaMarkt, El Corte Inglés, and Carrefour to up the ante on their digital channels. In 2023, those companies made up the top three online marketplaces based on average spending per purchase in Spain. Meanwhile, Chinese players are aggressively competing in the Spanish market. Shein lead on average shopping ticket among the marketplaces from the Asian country, while Temu, founded in 2022, became the most downloaded marketplace app by Spanish consumers in 2024.
Spanish consumers are already showing a preference for online marketplaces, but these stores will need to keep evolving if they want to remain as the leaders in a constantly changing market.
