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Low-cost online marketplaces like Temu and Shein have surged in popularity across the US in recent years, and starting today, both retailers have enacted price hikes due to rising import costs As of January 2025, 44% of US adults have shopped on Temu, while 31% have purchased from Shein, according to data from Morning Consult. Competitive pricing is a key draw for consumers.

Shoppers worldwide are flocking to online marketplaces and social commerce for convenience, variety, and competitive pricing. While price remains key, brand trust is becoming a major factor in certain markets. As these platforms drive discovery and sales, brands must adapt to stay competitive. Here are three ways digital shopping habits are evolving among consumers worldwide.

Retail sales via online marketplaces are growing faster than overall ecommerce. As competition in the sector rises, brands and retailers must navigate the challenges of an increasingly complex landscape.

As the share of US ecommerce sales on marketplaces continues to expand, our latest survey examines consumer buying habits and expectations across leading platforms.

PubMatic has launched an AI-powered Live Sports Marketplace to enhance the value of live sports advertising by placing programmatic ads at high-engagement moments. The platform uses real-time signals鈥攆rom viewer behavior to game dynamics鈥攖o time ads for maximum impact. With partners including FanServ, Roku, and major leagues like the NBA and MLB, the marketplace consolidates fragmented inventory across platforms. As digital sports viewership overtakes linear, and programmatic CTV spending continues to rise, PubMatic鈥檚 innovation offers flexibility, scale, and precision in a format where timing is everything. Advertisers gain tools to optimize performance at the moment audiences are most engaged.

Best Buy takes another stab at an online marketplace: The consumer electronics giant, which operated a marketplace from 2011 to 2016, aims to align the marketplace鈥檚 SKUs with its product mix.

Demand for food delivery strengthened in Q2, DoorDash and Uber said, as more customers become used to ordering restaurant meals and groceries online. Order frequency on Uber鈥檚 delivery platform reached all-time highs during the quarter, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in prepared remarks, while volumes and profitability for the unit also hit record levels. Delivery bookings jumped 20% YoY, while revenues surged 25%. DoorDash also broke records, with total orders (up 20% YoY), marketplace GOV (up 23%), and revenues (up 25%) all surpassing previous quarterly highs. Food delivery is one area that is so far immune to uncertainty鈥攁 sign that consumers are increasingly wedded to services that offer convenience, and are willing to pay a premium (or at least a membership fee) to get food and other goods delivered quickly to their doors.

B2B ecommerce growth is outpacing B2B product and electronic sales growth. And ecommerce site sales are taking an increasing share of the market. Macroeconomic conditions, buyers鈥� preferences, and AI use are fueling increased digital transactions, particularly through third-party marketplaces.

Lowe鈥檚 has a blueprint to drive long-term growth: The home improvement retailer plans to expand its physical footprint and lean on a marketplace to broaden its online product assortment.

Ulta has plans to launch a third-party online marketplace, which could move it closer to Target's turf if it tries to draw beauty brands from the mass and masstige segments. The move also lets Ulta double down on enhancing its brand presence and direct relationships with customers through its own store and digital channels, with a potentially better and more unified experience across these.鈥�.

Starting today, online marketplace Etsy Inc. will suspend its shipping label service for national mail carriers in Australia, Canada, and the UK for packages headed to the US. The company urged sellers to use carriers that allow duties to be paid upfront, such as UPS and FedEx, noting it expects postal carriers and other providers to roll out Delivered Duty Paid options in the coming months.

LinkedIn is scaling its BrandLink program with new creator-led shows and partnerships with publishers like BBC Studios, TED, and The Economist. Backed by sponsors including AT&T, IBM, SAP, and ServiceNow, the initiative reflects LinkedIn鈥檚 push into B2B video at scale. Since rebranding from the Wire Program in May, BrandLink revenues have grown nearly 200% quarter-over-quarter, while creator and publisher payouts more than tripled YoY. With US B2B video ad spend up nearly 18% this year, LinkedIn is positioning BrandLink as a premium marketplace balancing enterprise polish with creator authenticity at a time when audiences crave human-driven, unscripted content.

Target integrated with Shopify last year so that merchants can apply to appear on the Target Plus online marketplace. Shopify also acquired Vantage Discovery, a generative AI (genAI) company, to deliver personalized search results for consumers on Shopify merchants鈥� storefronts.

The news: Klarna partnered with Poshmark so US buyers can resell Klarna purchases on Poshmark through the Klarna app. Our take: Gen Zers have a hunger for low-cost fashion. As fast fashion brands face mounting tariff pressures, Gen Zers may turn toward resale marketplaces to some from someone else鈥檚 closet鈥攁nd use sales from their own closet to fund that shopping.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss Every Man Jack鈥檚 performance vs. brand marketing priorities, the role of marketplaces for the company, and what tactics the brand uses to stand out from the pack. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, Senior Analyst Zak Stambor, and VP of Growth Marketing & E-Commerce at Every Man Jack Nick Hasselberg.

Ten years after its establishment, Amazon Business is expanding its seller network and product selection to serve an 8 million global organization customer base, which has grown 33% from 6 million in 2023. Many of the capabilities that individual shoppers enjoy on Amazon鈥檚 B2C platform鈥攂road selection, cost savings, and advanced technology鈥攁re being applied to its B2B marketplace to help organizations work smarter and more efficiently. As Amazon Business continues to innovate, it is poised to compete for more sales from companies seeking to save time and resources.

EBay scores a significant win for online marketplaces: A federal judge ruled the site isn鈥檛 liable for items sold on its platform that violate environmental laws.

Most consumers use online marketplaces to find products, but the number who are browsing in-store or on social media is growing. Retailer websites are where customers go for product research. And when it comes to purchasing, price and delivery options are the most important factors.

Walmart enhanced its online marketplace with new capabilities and seller solutions, the retailer announced at its annual Walmart Marketplace Seller Summit this week. Updates include the addition of premium beauty products, expanded fulfillment services, and revamped seller solutions.