When you think of eCommerce, The United States of America no doubt stands out as the world leader not only in terms of providing platforms for conducting eCommerce transactions but also as one of the largest markets for eCommerce especially retail eCommerce ranging from electronic items to household goods right down to groceries.
Brands like Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Home Depot all have their origins in the US and due to their superior services and expertise at appealing to customers’ needs with their value propositions , they have gained worldwide popularity, so much so that they have become “Global brands”.
Experts foresee that by the end of the year 2021 the US market will spend over $934 billion on eCommerce alone. This statistic has shown a remarkable growth of 18% from the previous year, out of which 16% of the growth relates to retail goods.
As an entrepreneur, you can take a small pie from the overall revenue of 431.6 billion U.S dollars by creating and optimizing your eCommerce store for growth.
At Think Orion , we take pride in being one of the leading eCommerce digital marketing agencies across the US, to help you pave the way for success and growth.
To help you and your business grow further, we present to you the top 11 eCommerce sites in the USA, for you to know what makes them tick and how you can choose their best characteristics and apply them to your own eCommerce business, while leveraging our skills to produce tangible results.
Top 11 eCommerce Sites in the USA
1.Amazon
2. eBay
3. Walmart
4. Target
5. Etsy
6. Macy’s
7. Home Depot
8. Best Buy
9. Costco
10. Lowe’s
11. Craigslist
Let us now look at these eCommerce platforms one by one in terms of their offerings , value propositions and why they are loved so much by their customers.
1. Amazon
It is not only the leader when it comes to eCommerce in the USA, but it is also one of the oldest eCommerce platforms in the world. Initially establishing itself as an online retailer for books , Amazon went on to sell anything and everything from , computer accessories, cosmetics, and anything and everything you can think of. Now with the introduction of Amazon Prime, it also offers an online streaming service that is popular not only in the USA but across the globe.
Under the Amazon Prime service umbrella, they’re offering annual memberships and similar subscriptions for flat rate shipping, within one-day or two-day shipping options, all across the USA and now even in India . This is one of the most loved features of Amazon.com , that makes its customers come back to it.
Estimated monthly traffic : 2.5 billion
Date of founding : July 5, 1994
2. eBay
eBay was the first eCommerce platform in the world to offer a buying and selling hybrid model for its customers. As a customer on eBay, you can not only buy products ranging from health supplements, sporting goods, miscellaneous accessories etc. but you can also list down your items for sale with options such as competitive bidding. What makes the customers loyal to this platform it’s not only the variety of the products its lists from brands , distributors or sellers but the guarantee of buying from a verified seller, that adds to their mental peace and ensures that their hard-earned money is well spent.
Estimated monthly traffic : 796.6 million
Date of founding : September 3 , 1995
3. Walmart
Walmart is a name synonymous with low price retailing and megastores housing each of your household needs under one roof. Since its establishment in the 1960s, Walmart has grown across the Americas and has become one of the fastest-growing eCommerce commerce websites. Walmart offers its customers a variety of products starting from medicines , clothes, eatables, electronics etc. Customers love Walmart for its promotional emails that it sends to customers based on their purchasing patterns about rollbacks, discounts and offers.
Estimated monthly traffic : 440.6 million
Date of founding : July 2, 1962
4. Target
Second to Walmart it is the largest retail store chain network across USA. It boasts a network of over 1900 stores across the USA providing customers with one stop solutions to their everyday needs. Its online platform is known for its ease of use as well as providing in store and curbside pickup options. Target offers a variety of product ranges for its customers including but not limited to groceries, pet supplies, clothing and apparel, electronic appliances, household hardware etc.
Estimated monthly traffic : 210.9 million
Date of founding : 1902
5. Etsy
Etsy is a niche eCommerce website that focuses on handmade crafts , specialty items, homemade items, food, personal grooming products etc. What makes it stand out is that it enables home-sellers to sell their craft and skill for the world to see. It has helped in empowering budding entrepreneurs and artists.
Estimated monthly traffic : 404.5 million
Date of founding : June 18 , 2005
6. Macy’s
When it comes to the latest fashion with amazing designs and top notch customer service, Macy’s is the name that comes to mind .Macy’s has become a fashion leader when it comes to retail. It has a presence across the globe and is not limited to the USA. Customers love its latest design offerings that are up to par with industry trends. Apart from clothing and fashion, it also stocks household decor items along with makeup and perfumes.
Estimated monthly traffic : 88.0 million
Date of founding : October 28 , 1858
7. Home Depot
Home Depot is the ultimate stop for your home construction , designing , and decoration needs. With brick and mortar stores all over the USA ,Canada and Mexico , along with its online presence, it is also the largest retailer of home improvement items and goods especially construction material in the USA. It is loved by its customers since each and everything that you’ll ever need to construct and decorate your dream home is available under one roof. From cement bags to drill bits, right down to your dream cooking range each and everything is available at Home Depot with rates that give other retailers seriously tough competition.
Estimated monthly traffic : 188.4 million
Date of founding : February 6 , 1978
8. Best Buy
As one of the top consumer electronics retailers in the USA Best Buy has carved a niche for itself not only in the states but across Mexico and Canada as well. It specializes in retail of home appliances, cellular devices and computer gadgets. It has also become one of the top online retailers in the computing and technology category. It is loved by its loyal customers because of not only its market competitive pricing but also because of its great after sales services.
Estimated monthly traffic : 138.1 million
Date of founding : August 22, 1966
9. Costco
World’s fifth largest wholesale retailer, Costco is known for its great discounts on bulk buying specially on food items, array of wines, and not to mention its world famous rotisserie chicken. It deals in a variety of products including but not limited to electronics, organic food , appliances , jewelry etc. Costco was the leader in bringing the warehouse shopping concept to USA and then spreading it across the globe including to countries like Japan, Canada, Mexico, UK and Taiwan. Its loyal customers swear by its competitive rates , high quality groceries and organic produce
Estimated monthly traffic : 91.5 million
Date of founding : September 15 , 1983
10. Lowe’s
A competitor to Home Depot , Lowe’s Is the second largest retail chain of home improvement stores in the USA . It offers items such as home construction materials, decorations, outdoor ceilings, wall fixtures, home appliances etc. Lowe’s has a loyal customer base due to its strong eCommerce presence and the great discounts and sales that it offers during the holiday season.
Estimated monthly traffic : 118.5 million
Date of founding : March 25 , 1921
11. Craigslist
Craigslist is not your typical eCommerce venture website. Unlike others that we have mentioned in this list , Craigslist is not a retail eCommerce platform , rather a classified. It is the world’s largest online classifieds, even though it only operates in the USA. Customers can find advertisements for used household items, handyman facilities , cleaning services etc. It is known for its simple design , to the point search results and being limitless when it comes to the types of services that can be listed on it.
Estimated monthly traffic : 293.4 million
Date of founding : 1995
Conclusion
With the eCommerce business growing exponentially not only in the USA but on an overall global scale, it’s an obvious choice for retailers to move towards an online presence. But one should not just jump on the bandwagon by looking at the lucrative opportunity that it seems in terms of revenue. Having an online presence with an eCommerce platform for your business or service , purely depends on your target market , your offering and of course a cost-benefit analysis of whether such an investment will give you the required ROI or not. Therefore, all these top eCommerce sites should be studied as an example, to pick the best business tactics from them and decide how big you want to scale your business in terms of eCommerce retailing.
