Leading channels for product search worldwide 2023

In 2023, marketplaces were the primary source for starting to search for products online worldwide. According to a survey, roughly three out of ten online shoppers searched for products through this channel. Browsing in-store ranked second, with 18 percent of respondents, followed by search engines and brand websites, each with 14 percent.

Popularity contest

Online shopping has become increasingly popular globally. In various countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and many others, consumers have stated that they prefer to shop online rather than in-store. On a weekly basis, however, in European countries, offline shopping is still more popular among consumers. Germany had the largest share of weekly online shoppers, with 45 percent of consumers. The preference for online shopping also depends on the product category and shopping events occurring at the time. Over 70 percent of consumers prefer to use the internet over in-store shopping to complete their holiday and entertainment purchases.

It is a preference

While marketplaces are the primary source for consumers to search for products online, they are also the leading source for online shopping inspiration in 2023. Around 35 percent of global consumers expressed their preference for marketplaces over any other online channel as a source of inspiration for their upcoming purchases. Consumers in different regions in the world tend to prefer different marketplaces, with consumers in Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom preferring to use Amazon. The most visited marketplace in China was Taobao, Alibaba's B2C e-commerce platform. In Latin America, consumers use the local online marketplace Mercado Libre.