Consumer Behavior
Marketplaces gaining consumer attention
April 15, 2025
More than half, 63%, of consumers prefer buying on marketplaces over brand-owned websites, and for 47% product discovery starts on marketplaces rather than search engines like Google.
Those are top findings from a ChannelEngine study, "Marketplace Shopping Behavior Report 2025," regarding online marketplace shopping habits, conducted with Sapio Research.
"Marketplaces have surpassed brand websites and search engines like Google as the primary destination for product discovery," Jorrit Steinz, CEO of ChannelEngine, said in a press release on the findings. "Consumers now shop across so many marketplaces that brands and retailers must embrace a multichannel strategy to stay competitive—or risk being left behind. It's not just about being on Amazon anymore."
Consumers browse an average of two to three different marketplaces before making a purchase and sometimes many more depending on the product category, according to the study data.
Additional findings include:
- Consumers use multiple marketplaces before purchasing.
- One in five shoppers browse marketplaces weekly, and 59% of U.S. consumers browse marketplaces purely for entertainment.
- 56% report making unplanned purchases on marketplaces at least sometimes, and 13% do this often or very often.
