Top 10 Online Fashion Marketplaces to Sell On

Firstly, let’s have a look at the increasing popularity of online marketplaces:

• Two-thirds of online shoppers prefer to shop with brands that have a presence on marketplaces
• In 2021, 67% of global online retail sales took place on marketplaces
• 70% of global consumers say marketplaces are the most convenient way to shop online
• The top online marketplaces accounted for 90% of all global marketplace sales

So, marketplaces clearly offer a massive opportunity for online fashion and apparel retailers. Many online clothing marketplaces are giving brands more control over the front-end presentation, so you can create truly amazing product experiences. As a result, you can take advantage of the same elevated merchandising opportunities that are on par with, or superior to, your own online fashion shop. In other words, these quality marketplace storefronts enable you to create a new home for brand discovery, interaction, and storytelling.

Read on to find out more about the top fashion marketplaces, or skip ahead with the list below:

The top 10 online fashion marketplaces to sell on

Now, let’s get to the good part and dive into the online fashion marketplaces you can sell on and reap the benefits it brings.

1. ASOS

Since its inception in the early noughties, ASOS has been on the discovery path of fashion and apparel marketplace excellence. With over 850 third-party brands, ASOS delivers an extensive choice of product categories to online shoppers.

• 23 million active customers worldwide, 7.1 million in the UK
• 85,000 unique products
• Shop the look, review, and recommended product features

2. Amazon

Although not an exclusive fashion and apparel marketplace, selling on Amazon remains an increasingly attractive space for these brands. Its overshadowing presence amongst marketplaces makes it one of the most visited websites in the world. In fact, a quarter of all UK shopping in 20/21 happened on Amazon, and globally the business generated over $469 billion in 2021.

• 300 million + active users
• 10^th most visited website in the world
• Increasing flexibility in terms of brand image control through ‘Brand Experience Hubs’

3. Debenhams

A household name for decades, the high street retail giant ceased physical operations in 2021 and closed all physical stores. However, its online operations were acquired by online-only exclusive eTailer, The Boohoo Group. The Debenhams.com website generates over 300 million visitors annually. The integration of brands into the new structure is easy thanks to a Mirakl marketplace build.

• Longstanding, and loyal customer base which are familiar with the Debenhams experience
• £400 million in online sales generated in the last year
• An increasing number of existing and new brands

4. Depop

Depop hails itself as “the fashion marketplace app where the next generation comes to discover unique items.” Its global community “buys, sells and connects to make fashion more inclusive, diverse and less wasteful.” Originally a platform where you could sell your old clothes, Depop has significantly evolved into a platform that has become much more meaningful, with an increasing volume of brands selling exclusive collections through the platform.

• 30 million registered users in over 150 countries
• 32 million items available for sale on Depop
• 90% of users are under 26 and are drawn to diverse product assortment, sustainability, and social aspects

5. FarFetch

The leading global fashion marketplace FarFetch offers items from high-end fashion designers from across the globe. FarFetch connects customers in 190 geographies to items in over 50 countries housing nearly 1,400 of the world’s best brands, boutiques, and department stores.

• A truly unique shopping experience and access to the most extensive selection of luxury on a single platform
• FarFetch Platform Solutions offers brands and retailers a comprehensive set of tools that maximize potential in new markets, including demand generation, e-concessions, stock optimization, and creative options
• Revenues of $1.7 billion last year, up 64% YOY

6. Lyst

A fashion technology company and premium shopping app for brands and stores. Lyst’s goal is to power success online by driving meaningful direct sales within a highly trusted brand environment.

• Recent modifications to the Lyst app contributed to a 1,100% growth in new users and last quarter, the Lyst app was the most downloaded premium fashion iOS app globally
• 160 million users

7. Next

Next Marketplace, formerly Next Label, was established in 2006 as a solution to selling third-party sportswear online. However, this business segment has grown exponentially in recent years. In three years, Next doubled the number of third-party brands on its site from 500 to 1,000. Forming partnerships with brands such as Reiss and GAP has enabled the marketplace to develop further relationships with UK shoppers.

• 8 million visits per month
• $464 million revenue in the year to January 2021 through Next Label
• Next’s entire online segment contributed to 55% of its $2.2 billion in sales, up from 42% in 2017
• Extensive logistic and eCommerce infrastructure gives retailers options when it comes to more than just posting products on the marketplace for sale

8. Yoox Net-A-Porter

Relaunched as a marketplace in early 2022, the Yoox Marketplace reflects the business’s broader transition to a hybrid operating model. It’s been designed to enhance the customer experience, expanding its brands and product offering. With current operations in 30 countries across Europe, the fashion and apparel marketplace has plans for expansion across the U.S., MENA & Japan.

• 150,000 new items from 700+ brands
• Sustainability focus on the “Good on You” brand rating system that informs customers of the product’s credentials
• 8 million mobile orders in 2020/2021

9. Zalando

Zalando originally started out as a local marketplace in Germany. It then quickly became the figurehead for fashion and apparel marketplaces in Europe. Zalando operates a highly sophisticated international operation that reaches 23 European markets. Moreover, it boasts 49 million active customers.

• 5,800 brands and retailers currently operating on Zalando
• Full control over assortment, price, and brand representation
• 185 million orders were processed in the year 2020/2021
• 100 days return policy for customers

10. ZALORA

ZALORA is one of Asia’s go-to destinations for the latest trends. Established in 2012, it is now considered Asia’s leading online fashion retailer. ZALORA is part of the Global Fashion Group and has been experiencing rapid growth since its inception ten years ago.

• 20% growth of active customers as of Q2 in 2021
• New brands joining ZALORA increased by 19% in 2021
• Lists over 200,00 fashion, apparel, lifestyle, and beauty products

How to sell items on marketplaces with success

Now we’ve looked at some of the top online clothing stores, let’s look at some top tips on how to sell fashion online so you can take your eCommerce operations to the next level. Remember, convenience is one of the main drivers for consumers purchasing from marketplaces, so you need to make sure they can quickly and easily find your products. So, let’s outline the role Product Information Management (PIM) systems play, and how they can help you form a winning online marketplace strategy.

How PIM will help when using marketplaces to sell online

Whether you’re listing your items on a B2B fashion marketplace, on Amazon and eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or other social media platforms, you’ll need to ensure you hit all the specific requirements of each channel. If you don’t, your listings risk being overtaken by your competitors.

This is where it’s super handy to have powerful scoping capabilities at your fingertips. For instance, you may need to store several variations of the same product description to ensure you meet the necessary word count. The same applies to your digital assets. For example, you need a minimum of one product image on Amazon. However, to get the best possible results, they recommend you provide six images and one video.

A PIM system totally streamlines this process, as it enables you to store any number of variations against a single product record. You can then specify which set of data should be published to your different channels. Streamlining this process will be especially important when selling fashion designs online. You’ll likely be dealing with massive volumes of mega-complex product data to provide customers with “shop the look” offerings and a wide range of digital assets.

Overall, these powerful scoping capabilities will mean your product data is fully optimized for each marketplace’s search engine. In turn, this will mean you’ll be getting your products in front of the right people at the right time.

A totally streamlined way of working

Pimberly streamlines many aspects of product data management. Moreover, you can maximize the potential of every product listed on your marketplace with powerful scoping and localization tools. From high-quality images to uber-rich product descriptions, Pimberly ensures all items look their best before they’re published to customers. So, you can be sure every online shopping experience isn’t missing a thing!