In this article, we will take a look at the 17 great alternatives to Amazon for shopping online. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to 5 Great Alternatives to Amazon for Shopping Online.
How is Amazon Using AI to Help Customers Shop?
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is one of the biggest online shopping sites in the world and a global e-commerce giant. The company ships products to customers in more than 100 countries and regions. According to Amazon, sellers in the United States sold over 4.1 billion items to customers across the globe in 2022. You can also read our piece on the top Amazon Web Services alternatives in 2024.
On February 1, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) launched Rufus, an AI-powered shopping assistant. The AI is trained on Amazon's product catalog, customer reviews, and Q&As. The chatbot helps customers screen and shortlist product options to make the shopping experience easier and faster. Using Rufus, customers can compare product categories, sift through products based on occasion or purpose, and get the best recommendations. The company launched the tool in beta and will be rolling out to customers in series.
On February 7, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) reported earnings for the fiscal fourth quarter of 2023. The company reported earnings per share of $1, beating estimates by $0.20. The company also reported revenue worth $169.96 billion, ahead of market consensus by $3.7 billion, with a year-over-year revenue growth rate of 13.91%. Here are some comments from its Q4 2023 earnings call:
"We’re at the start of what Rufus will do with further personalization and expansion coming, but we’re excited about how it will make discovery even easier on Amazon. Gen AI is and will continue to be an area of pervasive focus and investment across Amazon, primarily because there are a few initiatives, if any, that give us the chance to reinvent so many of our customer experiences and processes, and we believe it will ultimately drive tens of billions of dollars of revenue for Amazon over the next several years."
Other Tech Giants that are Making Shopping Easier by Using AI
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) provide various tools to make online shopping easier. Let's discuss some offerings from these companies. You can also take a look at the most advanced AI assistants.
Among its large suite of AI products, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) also offers AI-backed shopping assistance to customers. On June 14, 2023, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) launched an AI shopping feature, virtual try-on (VTO), allowing customers to virtually try on clothes before making an online purchase. Customers can switch colors, styles, and designs to see what looks best. The tool caters to people with different skin tones, ethnicities, hair types, and body weight or shape. The tool is trained using Google's Shopping Graph. The Shopping Graph is an elaborate data set of the latest products, sellers, brands, reviews, and inventory.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is also developing AI-powered shopping assistant tools. On June 29, 2023, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced the launch of new AI shopping assistant tools in Edge and Bing. The shopping assistant helps customers find the right product by making comprehensive buying guides based on a customer's recommendations and choices. It also provides a smart compare table, so customers can easily view similar products and weigh in on the best option. The tools also help customers summarize reviews and the general brand sentiment to help customers make an informed decision. The Price Match feature allows users to find the best price and save money.
Companies are spending billions of dollars on integrating AI into shopping to enhance customer experience and with advancements in AI, this trend is expected to persist. According to a report by Future Market Insights, the global AI-powered retail market was valued at $7.14 billion in 2023. The market is expected to grow to $85.07 billion by 2032, from $9.36 billion in 2024, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.8%. North America dominated the market with a share of $2.79 billion in 2023. Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is projected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast years.
Now that we have discussed the role of AI in retail and how companies are leveraging it to boost shopping experiences, let's take a look at the 17 Great Alternatives to Amazon for Shopping Online. You can also read our piece on the best alternatives to Alibaba to source products.
17 Great Alternatives to Amazon for Shopping Online
17 Great Alternatives to Amazon for Shopping Online
Our Methodology
To come up with the 17 Great Alternatives to Amazon for Shopping Online, we employed a consensus approach. We consulted more than 10 rankings on the internet to aggregate the best alternatives to Amazon. Of them, we picked items that appeared in 50% of our sources. We then ranked our items based on the total site visits in the past 28 days from Similarweb. Our list of the 17 Great Alternatives to Amazon for Shopping Online is in ascending order of the total site visits as of March 29, 2024.
17 Great Alternatives to Amazon for Shopping Online
17. Zalando
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 10.6 Million
Zalando SE (OTC:ZLNDY) is based in Berlin, Germany, and is one of the best alternatives to Amazon for shopping online. It is available in several countries including Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, to name a few. Users can shop for fashion items with free shipping.
16. Newegg
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 11.4 Million
Newegg Commerce, Inc. (NASDAQ:NEGG) ranks 16th on our list of the best alternatives to Amazon for shopping online. The company is currently offering a clearance sale for up to 70%. It offers a range of consumer electronics and computer hardware products. It is based in California, United States.
15. Chewy
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 35.4 Million
Chewy, Inc. (NYSE:CHWY) is one of the best online shopping sites to purchase pet supplies and pet products. New customers receive up to 50% off on their first order. The company also offers gift cards on a regular basis. For example, it currently offers a $20 gift card for an order worth $49 or above.
14. Instacart
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 35.7 Million
Maplebear Inc. (NASDAQ:CART), commonly referred to as Instacart, is home to more than 80,000 stores. Users can download the app and order for either pickup or delivery. It is functional in over 14,000 cities and has more than 1 billion products.
13. Kohl's
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 45.1 Million
Kohl's ranks 13th on our list of the best alternatives to Amazon for online shopping. It is currently offering an easter sale with up to 40% discount. It offers a range of clothing items and accessories for women, men, and kids.
12. Asos
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 51.1 Million
ASOS Plc (OTC:ASOMY) is an online shopping site for fast fashion and cosmetics. Asos is based in London, United Kingdom. It is home to more than 850 leading brands from across the globe. It is currently offering up to 30% discount on a few clothing items.
11. Best Buy
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 73.7 Million
Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) ranks 11th on our list of the best alternatives to Amazon for shopping online. The online store primarily sells consumer electronics, appliances, cell phones, and video games, among other items.
10. Macy's
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 73.8 Million
Macy's, a product of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M), is a leading online shopping site based in New York, United States. Customers can purchase the latest fashion products, cosmetics, and gift cards for any occasion.
9. Costco
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 79.0 Million
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) ranks ninth on our list of the best alternatives to Amazon for shopping online. It is one of the leading platforms for electronics, appliances, jewelry, and outdoor products.
8. Wayfair
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 86.8 Million
Wayfair is an online store for furniture and home decor items. It is home to over 5,000 furniture, lighting, and cookware brands. The company provides free shipping on almost all items. It ranks eighth on our list.
7. Rakuten
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 96.8 Million
Rakuten Group, Inc. (OTC:RKUNY) is home to over more than 3,500 online stores. The company has paid members more than $3.2 billion in cash backs. The company offers a range of coupons to its customers, contributing to its popularity across the globe.
6. Target
Total Site Visits as of March 29, 2024: 126.5 Million
Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) ranks sixth on our list of the best alternatives to Amazon for shopping online. The shopping site is known for its low prices. It offers products from a range of categories including clothing and electronics.