Europe is one of the top places to do online business. According to a study, e-commerce revenue in Europe is growing at a rate of more than 13% and generated about $825 billion in 2023.1 To help you plan your e-commerce business; we have made a list of best-selling products in Europe in 2023 with a focus on the UK, Italy, Turkey, and Germany.
Let’s discover these products!
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Europe has over 700 million people and an internet penetration of 90%.2 These two characteristics make a great recipe for e-commerce development in the continent. No wonder the continent is considered the 3rd largest e-commerce market globally. Some countries in the continent with high numbers of e-shoppers as of 2020 are the UK, Turkey, and Italy.
There are so many opportunities for e-commerce sellers in Europe, and if you intend to penetrate the market, you have to sell the right products. There are a lot of popular goods for e-commerce businesses in Europe, with fashion, electronics, and furniture being the most common.
Turkey’s e-commerce revenue was estimated at $26 billion in 2022, with a growth rate of 20%.3 This country also has an internet penetration of 82%, making online marketplaces like Alibaba.com a great way to reach Turkish buyers. Some of the most popular products in Turkey are consumer goods like shopping and specialty products.
It’s essential to leverage e-commerce platforms like Alibaba.com to penetrate the Turkish market. Thousands of Turkish buyers order through Alibaba.com, as the platform has made it easy to buy conveniently. Also, Alibaba.com offers features such as different currencies and languages to help buyers in non-English speaking countries access the platform quickly.
Need ideas on what to sell to Turkey? Some of the top products in this country include:
Turkey’s most popular product types are durable consumer products like used cars that consumers can reuse over time. New cars are costly, plus there is a shortage of new vehicles in Turkey, so most people prefer to buy used cars to save money. A lot of Turkish consumers also love sedan models like Honda.
Most Turks are big on home decorations, and furniture forms a significant part of the final ambiance of a home. Turkish homes love large dining tables, modern living room sets, and luxury bedroom sets. Other home furniture types you can sell to Turkey include garden sets, bar cabinets, and wardrobes.
Since storing furniture in your home will be challenging, the best option to sell to a Turkish market will be via dropshipping. Here, you work with a trusted supplier and get it delivered to your buyer while you make a commission from it.
Pillows and cushions have a high volume of consumers in Turkey especially decorative ones. Turks love handmade pieces in different designs and shapes that can add a pop of color to the home. These pillows are great for beds, couches, or chairs to transform homes into aesthetically pleasing spaces. The more colorful and artistic the pillows, the easier it is to find customers to buy them.
According to a resource, revenue in the T-shirt segment in Turkey amounts to $0.84 billion in 2023, and the market is expected to grow annually by 2.85%.4 By population, men are top t-shirt buyers, prioritizing high quality over affordability.
This segment of products is used to improve the home's ambiance and enjoy meals as a family. Dining furniture always has high volume sales all year round, especially during festivals and holidays.
Germany is a very populated country with many online shoppers. The top platforms used for shopping are e-commerce sites, while the top products are clothing, soft drinks, personal care products, and food. The rise of online shopping in Germany has also brought many citizens to the likes of Alibaba.com, where they can browse for items at their convenience. With Alibaba.com, it will be easier to penetrate the German market and reach customers who already use the platform.
Let's look at some of the best-selling products in Germany to help you make smart decisions before entering the market:
Soft drinks are top-selling products in Germany, especially cola drinks. In 2022, the average German purchased around 32.6 liters of Cola and cola-mixed drinks.5 This is unsurprising because Germany is known for its drinking culture. Some of the top-selling drinks besides soft drinks are coffee and alcohol.
Personal care products like hair removal tools are one of the top-selling products in the world. 76% of Germans remove hair from the face, making hair removal products popular in the country.6 Some best-selling hair removal products are razors, shaving sticks, clippers, wax, and aftercare creams.
There is a reason Germany is the biggest chocolate producer in the EU: many people love it! According to statistics, about 17.89m people in Germany consume chocolate several times a month.7 Chocolates will be great if you intend to penetrate the German market.
In 2021, one of the top importers of lighters was Germany.8 This is because the country holds a large smoking population, and a lighter is usually used to ignite a cigarette. The most popular lighters are the pocket lighters, usually made of plastic/metal and in a size that could easily fit into a pocket. Besides lighters, you can also offer smoking accessories like ashtrays and cigarette holders to the smoking audience.
Hair tools and appliances are products used for styling hair among men and women. Some of the top-selling products in this category are hair dryers, curlers, rollers, straighteners, and brushes. The popularity of hair tools and appliances is driven by the increasing promotion of styling tools and the growing need to improve the outlook of hair.
According to a source, e-commerce revenue in Italy is estimated at $54 billion by 2023 and increasing with a growth rate of more than 16%.9 Many Italians show interest in buying online, making it an excellent opportunity for business owners looking for a new market. The great part about doing business here is that you do not need to open a company in Italy to do so. You could easily set up your store in a vast online marketplace like Alibaba.com, which presents the opportunity to reach customers with ease.
Some of the products with high demand in Italy include:
Used cars are in high demand in Europe, including Italy, where people would rather pay less for a preowned car than a brand-new one. According to a source, there were about 2.8 million used cars on the Italian market in 2021, which is projected to grow to $100.63 billion by 2027.10 It’s essential to know that people prefer used cars with shorter ownership periods.
Italy has had a positive growth in electric vehicles over the past decade. One of the biggest reasons for this trend in electric cars is consumers' demand for sustainable products. Also, the Italian government plans to double the number of public charging points by 2030, so demand for electric cars will most likely increase.
The alcoholic market in Italy includes wine, beer, and spirits, with wine being the most popular due to its place in the Italian food culture. Italians are social drinkers, so ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages have grown steadily in recent years. Also, it is projected that by 2027, most spending on alcohol will be out-of-home consumption, like in bars and restaurants.11
Sports is a massive industry in Italy as many people are becoming more aware of the health benefits of physical and outdoor activities. For this reason, there is an increased demand for sports accessories like sports braces to support and prevent injuries in body areas like knees and ankles. You can combine sports braces with other accessories like water bottles, gadgets, ropes, and mats, as they are also commonly bought by the same target audience for sports braces.
E-commerce revenue had an increasing growth rate of 13% at a revenue estimated at $199 billion for 2023.12 Many UK shoppers prefer to shop online, making Alibaba.com, one of the top marketplaces in the world, a great place to sell. You have the opportunity to tap into high customer rates, powerful marketing tools, and popularity to reach the growing customers in the UK.
The demand for the following products is particularly of high interest to British buyers:
The United Kingdom used car market was valued at $117.69 Billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $226.15 by 2027.13 While some buyers buy directly from consumers, most prefer to buy from a more organized sector. Also, it’s essential to know that people in the UK have a preference for cars for around 5 years to reduce the risk of expensive replacements.
If you intend to get into the car dealership business, having a solid digital presence is necessary because most people often make used car buying decisions after searching online. Also, car dealerships require a lot of capital, but the good news is that they have a high-profit margin!
Kitchenware includes pots, pans, kettles, oven dishes, and other things needed to cook or keep food fresh. UK consumers are increasingly demanding products that let them explore the kitchen in different styles. Some companies supply their products for individual use, while others provide them to organizations like hotels and restaurants.
Snacking is common in the UK, especially on social occasions, and this explains why the snack food market in the region was estimated at $3.8 billion in 2023.14 Also, there is an increased preference for grain snacks considered healthy and nutritious. Some popular products under this category are cereal flakes, nut snacks, and crackers.
Soft drinks encompass non-alcoholic drinks like energy, fruit, carbonated, and tea. Global revenue from this industry in the UK is estimated at $1.48 trillion in 2023.15 You can build your business with just one type of soft drink to establish authority.
Marine engines are used on ships and boats commonly used by the British for recreation. One of the most popular leisure activities in the UK is cruise tourism.16 A lot of people in the region participate in yacht cruising and recreational boating, increasing the demand for marine engines from individuals and outfitters.
Starting an online business can be intimidating at first, especially if you are new. However, figuring out what and where to sell can help you move forward.
You should also find a platform to reach your target audience. Using an e-commerce platform is especially important to reach European customers (many of them shop online!).
Alibaba.com is one of the favorite e-commerce platforms among customers in Europe. By selling on Alibaba.com, you can reach millions of e-shoppers in Europe from the comfort of your home. Some of the benefits of selling on Alibaba.com include:
Trusted Platform: Alibaba.com isn’t a new name in the industry. This marketplace has invested in building an excellent reputation that has made it one of the best-known e-commerce platforms in the world. People shop from Alibaba.com with the knowledge that they are buying from a trusted platform where they are likely to get the best products at an affordable rate.
By selling on Alibaba.com, you skip the process of searching for your audience and instead tap into the vast network of buyers that already use the platform.
Great functionalities: Alibaba.com satisfies the needs of an online seller in terms of functionalities, services, and marketing tools. You can do business easily knowing that your European audience can translate your store into any language and order from anywhere in the world. Alibaba.com streamlines global reach by translating your storefront into over 18 languages. Also, you can use advertising tools to reach a wider audience and increase your sales.
Cost-effective: Imagine the cost of building your e-commerce site and finding your target audience from scratch. With Alibaba.com, you can skip this stage and pay little to nothing to display your goods to a global audience!
To maximize profits and outperform your competitors, be sure you are selling on a large e-commerce platform like Alibaba.com. As emphasized earlier, Alibaba.com makes it easy to find customers, provides ease of doing business, and offers features to promote what you sell. No matter the European country you’re trying to penetrate or the product you’re trying to sell, rest assured that Alibaba.com can help find your potential buyers easily. In addition, Alibaba.com offers a storefront to display what you sell to your target audience.
Ready to reach a European audience? Create a seller's account, optimize your storefront, take advantage of advertising tools, and you’re ready to tap into the over 140 million buyers on Alibaba.com! Join Alibaba.com today!
Reference:
1. https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/europe
2. https://www.demandsage.com/internet-user-statistics/
3. https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/turkey
4. https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/apparel/men-s-apparel/t-shirts/turkey
5. https://www.statista.com/statistics/540540/soft-drinks-per-capita-consumption-by-type-germany/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20the%20average%20German,and%20cola%2Dbased%20mixed%20drinks
6. https://store.mintel.com/report/germany-shaving-hair-removal-market-report#:~:text=76%25%20of%20Germans%20remove%20hair,products%20with%20skincare%20ingredients%2Faftercare
7. https://www.statista.com/topics/5360/chocolate-products-in-germany/#statisticChapter
8. https://oec.world/en/profile/hs/lighters
9. https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/united-kingdom
10. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/italy-used-car-market/market-size#:~:text=Italy%20Used%20Car%20Market%20Analysis,period%20(2022%2D2027)
11. https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/alcoholic-drinks/italy
12. https://www.statista.com/forecasts/477091/e-commerce-revenue-forecast-in-the-united-kingdom
13. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/unitedkingdom-used-car-market
14. https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/food/confectionery-snacks/snack-food/united-kingdom
15. https://www.statista.com/topics/8800/non-alcoholic-beverages-and-soft-drinks-in-the-united-kingdom/#topicOverview
16. https://www.statista.com/topics/5966/cruise-industry-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/#topicOverview
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