Nick Leighton. Best-selling author, speaker #ChampagneMoment www.ExactlyWhereYouWanttoBe.com.
Over the last decade, companies across the globe have been aggressively adapting to the increased demand for e-commerce options for their customers. Consumers now expect products delivered to their doorstep on demand and often prioritize convenience over the time and effort needed to visit a traditional brick-and-mortar location. For this reason, the global e-commerce market, valued at over $4 trillion, is projected to experience double-digit growth for the remainder of the decade.
Much of this growth can be attributed to technological advancements and consumer behavior changes, which were heavily influenced by the global pandemic. In addition, fast-growing, emerging markets in regions like Southeast Asia, the Middle East and parts of Africa and Latin America are ripe with opportunities for brands looking to expand their international reach.
The challenge is that expanding e-commerce operations, especially into new international markets, is a costly endeavor. Leveraging an existing global marketplace like Amazon can alleviate many of the logistical and financial challenges that come with building or expanding an e-commerce business. Unfortunately, in my experience many companies overlook this opportunity, believing that global marketplaces are oversaturated with competition. However, the right brands with the right strategies stand to generate significant revenue.
4 Benefits Of Selling On Amazon And Other Global Marketplaces
There are a wide range of benefits that come from selecting an established e-commerce platform when expanding market reach or setting up new international presence.
Before we jump into those benefits, it’s important to note that there are many options when it comes to selecting a platform. While Amazon is the current e-commerce juggernaut, controlling nearly 40% of the U.S. e-commerce market, other platforms like Walmart, Alibaba, eBay or MercadoLibre may have strategic advantages in certain niches or geographic areas. For example, brands looking to expand into places like China may find more success with Alibaba or JD.com compared to Amazon, which is more popular in Western markets.
I recently spoke to a logistics and e-commerce channel management expert about why companies are looking into this in 2025, and together we identified the following four trends:
Access To International Markets
Expanding into new international markets can be extremely difficult and time-consuming, even for large corporations with an existing international operation. Leveraging an established global marketplace offers immediate access to their supply chain infrastructure (like Amazon’s fulfillment services) and customer base, allowing brands to get started selling in their new market almost immediately. In addition, it’s a great way to test certain international markets without making a large financial investment in marketing or supply chain operations.
Brand Exposure And Trust
Consumers today are extremely wary of doing business with unknown brands. About 90% of consumers take the time to research the reputation of a brand, reading customer feedback before making a purchase. Reputable online marketplaces like Amazon help create a sense of trust through the reputation of the platform for providing good customer service and standing behind the products sold.
Diverse Revenue Streams
It’s becoming more common for consumers to stay in familiar e-commerce ecosystems. Even if your brand has a well-established e-commerce presence, it’s unlikely that you are reaching all of your potential customers. Global marketplaces allow brands to not only tap into new groups of consumers but also diversify into new markets or demographics.
E-Commerce Data And Insights
E-commerce platforms are a treasure trove of data and analytics for businesses. Most of these platforms offer a range of digital tools to track the performance metrics of products and understand how to better interact with their selected target audience.
Which Businesses Stand To Benefit The Most From Global Marketplaces?
While Amazon or other global marketplaces can be a great option for any size business, mid-to-large companies looking to expand into emerging, underserved international markets stand to benefit the most. These companies tend to have a strong brand identity in their home market and the resources available to provide a stable supply chain and the inventory needed to comply with the strict fulfillment requirements of platforms like Amazon.
Even for companies that have an existing e-commerce operation, global marketplaces can provide additional operational efficiency (as I’ve written about previously) and a reduction of operating costs. In some cases, transitioning an existing e-commerce operation can reduce the resource needs and hassle of organizing and running a complex e-commerce supply chain internally.
If you run a company with a retail product and don’t have any online sales, or your online sales are low and limited to your brand’s website, there is a great opportunity to start investigating Amazon and similar platforms. First, you should look internally at your organization to see if increased production is possible, and then you should look at the competitive online landscape.
The Risks And Rewards Of Global Marketplaces In 2025
Global marketplaces exist because of the technology platforms that power them. For this reason, there is still a lot of change happening in the e-commerce industry. Depending on the market, factors such as geopolitical issues, fluctuations in shipping rates and government regulations can cause disruptions or other challenges.
Before embarking on the e-commerce expansion journey, it’s critical for brands to carefully evaluate the company’s current logistical, financial and operational readiness. Companies that rely on data-backed strategies and thoughtful, intentional momentum have a lot to gain from one or more of the available e-commerce marketplaces.
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