Online shopping revolutionized the power of commerce and the way consumers behave. Over the years, several platforms managed to establish their brand to their customers, increasing the online spending rate in the U.S.
Amazon's recent Prime Day shopping sale increased the online spending rate in the country by 11% year over year. This amounts to nearly $14.2 billion according to Adobe Analytics.
These online marketplaces offer a wide variety of products and convenience to their customers. Each platform provides different features and benefits for its customers.
Looking forward to your next online shopping spree? Here are some of the most popular online marketplaces in the U.S.:
Amazon
Amazon is undoubtedly one of the biggest e-commerce platforms in the world. The service has an estimated 310 million users worldwide and has a massive subscription following through its Amazon Prime membership.
The Prime membership offers various benefits like free shipping vouchers, access to Prime Video and other entertainment, and exclusive discounts. The company also debuted some of its AI-powered tools that assisted during the recent Amazon Prime Day.
The Amazon Prime fee costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. The platform also offers a 30-day free trial that can be automatically renewed and a Prime Student discount.
Walmart
Walmart used to rely on its physical stores for sales. Over the years, the company started to introduce its online store that offers convenient options like in-store pickup and easy returns to customers.
The platform has a wide range of inventory from groceries to electronics. It also offers clothing and other merchandise that are usually seen in physical stores.
Similar to Amazon, there is a Walmart+ membership that provides free shipping, fuel discounts, and more. The membership costs $12.95 per month or $98 per year.
Etsy
Etsy is a unique platform that caters to merchants who produce their handmade and vintage items. The marketplace is popularly known for attracting customers who want to show support to small business owners and artisans.
Some of the products offer personalized and customizable merchandise for an additional price. Recently, the company announced a stricter product qualification to eliminate the issues brought by reselling.
The customers and merchants also have an active community wherein they can show support for one another. Most of the Etsy merchants are creative entrepreneurs.
Temu
Temu is an emerging e-commerce platform in the U.S. The marketplace gained notoriety for its competitive pricing and wide range of products.
The company's tagline "Shop like a billionaire," is used to emphasize the affordability of products that are available on the platform. Discounts, promotions, and time-limited sales are always available to drive traffic to its platform.
Due to its early emergence, the company is focused on its heavy marketing. Several online shoppers might have encountered Temu's online ads, social media campaigns, and influencer partnerships. Some have also shown skepticism with the platform but it still remains a strong contender to marketplaces like Amazon.
