Top 12 Amazon Competitors and How to Beat Them (2026)

Amazon’s competitors include Walmart, Temu, and other fast-growing platforms. See how small businesses can compete, differentiate, and win customers.

In the beginning, Amazon competitors were Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and your local bookstore. Now, you may be among the many business owners asking, “How do I compete with Amazon?”

A fair question—whether you sell online, in-store, or across both, there’s a good chance Amazon overlaps with at least part of your market. 

Jeff Bezos’s brainchild has its fingers in many pies: ecommerce, logistics, advertising, cloud infrastructure, private labels, health care, entertainment. When a company shows up everywhere, it’s easy to assume it’s unbeatable.

It isn’t.

Ahead, learn how Amazon competitors differentiate in practice, from how they attract customers to how they fulfill orders and protect margins. More importantly, read how you can apply those same principles to build profitable, defensible businesses without trying to out-Amazon Amazon.

Top 12 leading Amazon competitors

This is how today’s online shopping retailers compare at a glance:

Platform	Primary market	Best for
Online stores	Global	Brands that want full control over margins, data, and customer relationships
eBay	Global	Sellers with differentiated, resale, or collectible inventory
Walmart	US (expanding globally)	High-volume sellers competing on price and convenience
Flipkart	India	Brands targeting India’s mass and mid-market consumers
Temu	Global	Ultra-low-cost, trend-driven products
Target	US	Design-forward, mid-market brands
Alibaba Group	Global (B2B and B2C)	Manufacturers and wholesalers
Otto	Germany (expanding into EU)	Brands expanding into Europe
JD.com	China	Brands that need speed and logistics control
Netflix	Global	Subscription-first digital businesses
Rakuten	Japan (slowly going global)	Merchants prioritizing retention and loyalty
Emerging regional competitors	LATAM, SEA, Middle East, Africa	Brands entering specific geographies

1. Online stores

The first and often most powerful competitor to the marketplace is ecommerce store owners—like you! 

According to the US Census Bureau’s most recent data, ecommerce sales accounted for about 16.3% of total US retail sales in mid-2025, meaning roughly one in every six retail dollars is spent online rather than in a physical store. 

In the United States, online shopping is where a meaningful slice of retail happens. And that matters chiefly for two reasons:

• Amazon’s strength is its audience scale, but that audience belongs to Amazon. With your own online store, you own the customer, the data, the pricing, and the brand experience.
• Nimble often beats generic at scale. Small businesses can offer tailored shopping journeys and personalized service that mass marketplaces struggle to replicate.

“Design and manufacture your own products which Amazon cannot carry,” says Rhiannon Taylor, founder of online boutique RT1home. “If that’s not an option, do your research and only offer something truly unique that’s not available on Amazon.”

💡Takeaway: If you sell products Amazon can’t easily commoditize like custom SKUs or private-label goods, your own store is where that advantage actually pays off. On Shopify, merchants control pricing, launch drops on their own timelines, and build monthly recurring revenue (MRR) through first-party data and loyalty.

2. eBay

eBay is the San Jose-based marketplace best known for mixing fixed-price listings with its distinctive auction format. In Q3 2025, eBay reported $2.82 billion in revenue, up roughly 9% year over year, driven in part by growth in categories like collectibles and fashion.

While Amazon dominates US online retail share overall, eBay’s auction and resale orientation gives it a strong foothold among deal hunters, vintage seekers, and collectors. This makes eBay a common choice for US merchants with differentiated, hard-to-standardize products that don’t fit the typical Amazon Buy Box model.

💡Takeaway: If you use eBay to move refurbished or limited-quantity inventory, the real opportunity is keeping that demand connected to your core business. On Shopify, merchants can list and manage eBay inventory directly from their Shopify admin using Shopify Marketplace Connect. From there, route repeat buyers toward owned products or bundles through your Shopify store, so eBay acts as a discovery channel, not the whole business.

📚Read more: How to Sell on eBay in 2026: 7-Step Guide for Beginners

3. Walmart

Moving closer to the classic discount department store model than many digital-first rivals, Walmart stands out as a strong competitor to Amazon, particularly in the United States where both brands fight for customer attention online and offline.

On Walmart’s 8-K earnings release for fiscal year 2023, the company reported $611 billion in total revenue. 

Walmart’s strength stems from its massive physical store network (more than 4,000 US locations) paired with fast-growing ecommerce operations.

💡Takeaway: For US merchants, Walmart represents a hybrid competitive opportunity where online demand meets offline fulfillment. The platform’s broad reach and store-backed logistics make it an attractive channel for products that benefit from fast pickup or local discovery.

Shopify’s Local Delivery capabilities let you offer same-day or next-day delivery directly from your store or fulfillment location, helping you meet consumer expectations for speed without giving all the value to a marketplace or big box competitor.

4. Temu

Temu is a rapidly growing ecommerce marketplace owned by PDD Holdings, the publicly traded group behind Pinduoduo. Temu launched in the US in September 2022 and operates on a cross-border, factory-direct model designed to keep prices extremely low for consumers.

In its 2024 unaudited earnings release, PDD Holdings reported about $54 billion in total revenue, up 59% year over year, driven largely by growth in its international business, which includes Temu.

Temu’s market penetration in the US has been notable, though policy changes, such as the removal of the de minimis import tax loophole and the addition of tariffs have affected its US user engagement and pricing dynamics in 2025.

💡Takeaway: Temu’s rise shows how quickly price-led demand can scale, but it also highlights the trade-off. Ultra-low-cost marketplaces depend on thin margins and long shipping times. For US merchants, competing head-to-head on price with Temu is rarely sustainable. 

Instead, Shopify merchants can focus on faster local fulfillment, clearer product differentiation, and brand-led value. Temu’s official Shopify app gives Shopify merchants access to Temu’s Local Seller Program in more than 30 markets, reducing operational complexity and enabling local fulfillment opportunities for sellers.

📚Read more: How to Sell on Temu: Guide for US Sellers (2026)

5. Flipkart

Located in India, Flipkart is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing ecommerce markets, and a direct competitor to Amazon’s Indian operations. 

In August 2018, Walmart acquired a controlling stake (about 77%) for roughly $16 billion, giving Walmart strategic ownership of the platform and its adjacent businesses.

Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd. reported operating revenue of approximately $2.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 2025. Unlike Amazon’s paid subscription model, Flipkart’s has the Flipkart Plus loyalty program (which awards SuperCoins on purchases). It lets shoppers earn rewards through activity rather than by paying a membership fee, helping spur repeat engagement in a price-sensitive market.

💡 Takeaway: For US merchants looking to expand internationally, this means recognizing that different markets reward different competitive strengths. Shopify Markets let US merchants localize pricing in INR, surface region-specific catalogs, and configure India-specific shipping and duties; so you can compete with local champions rather than trying to replicate Amazon’s global playbook.

6. Target

Founded in 1962 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Target has been a fixture of American retail for more than six decades. Today, it operates nearly 1,989 stores across all 50 US states and the District of Columbia, with approximately 75% of Americans living within 10 miles of a Target store.

In its 2023 fiscal year, Target reported $107.4 billion in total net sales, making it one of the largest US retail chains, even if its overall scale remains smaller than Walmart’s or Amazon’s.

Where Amazon is known for selection and speed, Target leans into curated merchandise, trend-forward private labels, enviable collaborations, and a compelling in-store experience that resonates with brand-conscious American consumers. 

Target has also expanded its digital fulfillment options. Through its “stores as hubs” strategy, more than 80% of the US population is eligible for same-day delivery, and nearly all locations offer Order Pickup and Drive Up services at no extra charge, helping merge online convenience with local fulfillment.

💡 Takeaway: For US merchants looking to stand out, the opportunity is to become that brand shoppers go out of their way to choose. Shopify merchants can connect Target+ as a supported marketplace through Shopify’s Marketplace Connect app, letting you publish and manage Target Plus listings, sync inventory, and fulfill orders for products sold on Target’s curated marketplace directly from your Shopify admin.

7. Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group, founded in 1999 by Jack Ma, operates a portfolio of commerce platforms, including Taobao, Tmall, and AliExpress, each addressing distinct buyer behaviors across domestic and cross-border markets.

Collectively, Alibaba reported approximately $130 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2024.

Beyond everyday commerce, Alibaba has defined two models Amazon hasn’t replicated at the same cultural scale. Here is what sets them apart:

• Singles’ Day (November11). The world’s largest annual online shopping festival generated an estimated $238 billion in sales in 2025. Within the first hour of the event, Alibaba said 35 brands including Nike, L’Oréal, Anta, and Proya each sold more than 100 million yuan of merchandise.
• Interactive commerce and livestream-style engagement. Alibaba’s ecosystem, particularly Taobao and its live selling initiatives, blends entertainment with real-time purchasing in ways that have significantly reshaped buyer expectations in China’s market.

💡Takeaway: For US brands, the insights is to recognize where shopper expectations are heading. Take Beekman 1802, a Shopify merchant known for natural products made with goat’s milk and botanicals. It’s built a loyal customer base across skin care, personal care, and home goods. 

Instead of relying on third-party broadcasters, the Beekman 1802 team brought expertise in-house by hosting its own live shopping event directly for its audience using Livescale. They achieved a remarkable 49% engagement rate, and 34.5% sales conversion rate: nearly three times Livescale’s platform average.

8. Otto

Otto Group is one of Europe’s longest-standing retail companies, and one of the earliest to transition from catalog retail to ecommerce. 

In the 2024 financial year, Otto Group reported approximately €15 billion in revenue. Otto’s platform and marketplace business have also evolved: its marketplace gross merchandise value (GMV) rose around 9% to over €7 billion in 2024 and 2025, while the number of active customers climbed to roughly 12.2 million.

Otto doesn’t try to be everything to everyone; its marketplace prioritizes approved sellers, category depth in home and living, and high-touch logistics.

💡 Takeaway: Otto shows that in markets outside the US, localized regional fulfillment expectations matter as much as broad selection. If you’re selling into Europe, you need a strategy that speaks directly to local shoppers’ behaviors and trust markers.

9. JD

JD.com (JingDong) is one of China’s largest ecommerce platforms and a direct competitor to both Amazon and Alibaba’s Tmall. Like Amazon, JD operates a B2C-first model, selling products directly to consumers rather than relying primarily on third-party marketplace sellers.

JD.com reported about $158.8 billion in net revenue for fiscal year 2024—a 6.8% year-over-year increase from 2023.

JD competes with Amazon on one of its strongest historical advantages: logistics.

The platform has built and operates its own nationwide logistics network, including warehouses, fulfillment centers, and last-mile delivery. As a result, JD is able to offer same-day or next-day delivery across much of China, even for large or high-value items like electronics and appliances. 

💡 Takeaway: JD’s success is anchored in logistics reliability as a competitive moat. In markets where speed and trust drive conversion, controlling fulfillment can matter more than expanding assortment. 

10. Netflix

Shifting focus from physical products, we turn to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video’s biggest competitor.

Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in California, Netflix began as a DVD-by-mail service before becoming a global, subscription-based streaming platform built around one core strength: original entertainment.

That focus has paid off. Netflix finished 2024 with more than 300 million paid subscribers worldwide and reported $39 billion in revenue for the year.

Even as competition in streaming has intensified, Netflix has maintained its position as one of the world’s largest and most profitable subscription streaming services by doubling down on specialization, rather than trying to match Amazon’s all-encompassing ecosystem.

💡 Takeaway: Netflix proves that competing with Amazon works best when you don’t compete on everything. Amazon wins by bundling, but Netflix wins by being relentlessly focused on one job: keeping viewers watching. For US merchants, the lesson is the same: identify the one thing you do better than anyone else, and build your business around that strength.

11. Rakuten

Returning to the ecommerce realm, Rakuten is one of Japan’s most influential digital commerce companies. Founded in 1997 in Tokyo, Rakuten operates far beyond online retail, with businesses spanning ecommerce, digital payments, banking, credit cards, mobile telecom, streaming (Rakuten TV), and insurance.

That ecosystem is deliberate. Rather than competing with Amazon on pure scale or logistics, Rakuten has built its strategy around loyalty and incentives.

In 2024, Rakuten Group reported consolidated revenue of approximately $15.3 billion, marking the second time in the past decade its annual revenue exceeded $15 billion. Rakuten remains one of Japan’s largest and most established ecommerce operators, outperforming platforms such as Yahoo Japan Shopping and Amazon Japan.

At the center is the Rakuten Points program, which rewards customers with cash-back-style points for shopping across Rakuten’s marketplace and services. Those points can be earned and redeemed across the broader Rakuten ecosystem, creating a strong incentive for customers to stay within Rakuten’s orbit instead of shopping directly with individual brands.

💡Takeaway: Rakuten shows that loyalty can be a primary growth lever; so, instead of winning customers through faster shipping or broader selection, Rakuten keeps shoppers coming back by making every purchase feel like an investment in future value. 

12. Emerging regional competitors

In many high-growth regions, local marketplaces dominate because they understand payments, logistics, and consumer behavior far better than a one-size-fits-all global platform ever could.

For merchants, these platforms are often the fastest on-ramp into new markets:

• Shopee (Southeast Asia and Latin America): Shopee is operated by Sea Limited and held around 52% of Southeast Asia’s ecommerce GMV in 2024. Shopee’s model emphasizes mobile-first shopping, in-app discovery, and localized payments, making it a practical entry point for brands testing demand in mobile-dominant regions.
• MercadoLibre (Latin America): MercadoLibre is the largest ecommerce platform in Latin America, with deep penetration in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. In 2024, MercadoLibre reported $24.5 billion in net revenue. MercadoLibre’s integrated ecosystem, including Mercado Pago (payments) and Mercado Envíos (logistics), makes it a trusted gateway for brands entering markets where infrastructure gaps remain.
• Coupang (South Korea): Coupang is South Korea’s dominant ecommerce player, known for its vertically integrated logistics network and near-instant delivery expectations. For 2024, the company reported $8 billion in net revenue. Coupang sets an exceptionally high bar for speed and reliability, making it both a competitive threat and a high-value distribution opportunity for brands that can meet its operational standards.

💡 Takeaway: These platforms show that global ecommerce expansion doesn’t really mean “Amazon everywhere.” For many brands, regional marketplaces are the fastest path to new customers, offering built-in trust, payments, and logistics that would take years to replicate independently.

How small businesses can compete with Amazon

Now that you’ve explored how big companies compete with Amazon and leverage their unique advantages, look at how small businesses can take on the giants without being billion-dollar multinationals or slashing their prices.

Better still, these aren’t billionaire strategies. They’re moves small businesses can execute today.

Provide an incredible customer experience

One of your biggest advantages as a small business is proximity. You’re closer to your customers’ needs, questions, and frustrations; and you can act on that insight faster than a marketplace ever could.

Go beyond surface-level gestures and focus on moments that actually shape how customers remember your brand.

• Make “thank you” moments intentional. Handwritten notes still work, but Shopify lets you systematize thoughtfulness without automation fatigue. Use Shopify order notes to flag first-time buyers, high-value orders, or gift purchases so fulfillment teams can personalize inserts.
• Personalize based on behavior. Real personalization is about timing and relevance. Shopify Email allows you to trigger messages based on purchase history, abandoned checkouts, or repeat-buy timing. Pair this with Shopify customer segments to send follow-ups like care tips, replenishment reminders, or product pairings to the right customers.
• Close the feedback loop, publicly. Instead of generic surveys, use feedback to shape visible decisions. Collect reviews and post-purchase feedback using Shopify Forms, then route responses directly into your CRM or email lists for follow-up.
• Turn customer support into a loyalty lever. Amazon optimizes for speed, but you can optimize for resolution quality. Shopify Inbox lets you respond to customers in real time across chat, email, and social; with order context attached.

Read: High-Value Customers: How To Retail Your Ideal Customers

Go omnichannel

This strategy applies to both physical and digital-only stores. Providing an omnichannel experience is crucial for acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones, giving you an edge over the competition.

Our research shows that 73% of shoppers use multiple channels before making a purchase. Retailers who sell across multiple channels (marketplaces, mobile, social media, and physical locations) increase revenue by 190%, on average.

Omnichannel retail doesn’t mean being everywhere—just everywhere your customers are. It involves integrating each touchpoint to offer customers exactly what they need, when they need it, on any device.

An omnichannel strategy:

• Improves customer lifetime value
• Reaches new customer segments
• Increases operational efficiency
• Boosts sales
• Improves inventory turnover

Advertise on online marketplaces

Many shoppers actively browse other platforms they already trust; often with clearer intent, stronger niche alignment, or built-in social discovery.

Yes, these marketplaces come with fees. But they can also function as demand-generation channels, especially when you use them strategically rather than treating them as your entire business.

Here are some established options, along with newer marketplaces gaining traction:

• Etsy. Best for handmade, vintage, and craft-led products.
• Bonanza. A smaller but loyal marketplace focused on unique and non-mass-market products.
• Not on the High Street. Popular with UK shoppers looking for personalized and design-forward items.

📚Read more: Etsy and Shopify: How To Use Both To Grow Your Business (2026)

Emerging marketplaces to watch

• TikTok Shop. One of the fastest-growing commerce channels, combining short-form video, creator-driven discovery, and in-app checkout.
• Facebook Marketplace. A massive, built-in audience where local discovery, resale, and direct messaging drive transactions.
• Newegg. A category-specific marketplace trusted by tech-savvy buyers, particularly for electronics, components, and gaming gear.

Create a great loyalty program

Another way to compete with Amazon is to implement an easy-to-use loyalty program.

Depending on your business type, consider various loyalty program formats:

• Points-based
• Tiered
• Paid (e.g., “plus” or “premium” memberships)
• Spending-based
• Gamified programs
• Value-based programs (e.g., tree-planting initiatives)

Services like Smile can help you create a loyalty program for free, with pro plans available for further customization. If you have a Shopify store, you can add the Smile app to easily set up a loyalty program.

Be an active community presence

Perhaps the biggest advantage small businesses have over huge multinationals is the ability to be an active presence in the local community.

As a small business owner, you have a better understanding of your community’s needs. What better way to inspire loyalty than by getting involved in improving your community or spreading a positive message?

Here are some ways to get involved:

• Host events related to your business or for charity
• Participate in or sponsor existing community events
• Implement a volunteering program or incentive for employees
• Donate to local causes (one-time or ongoing)
• Join community boards or organizations where your business can contribute (such as arts councils, health boards, etc.)

Leverage dropshipping for a competitive advantage

Dropshipping works best when you use it to serve specific audiences Amazon isn’t built for.

Because Amazon optimizes for scale, standardization, and velocity, niche products—especially those tied to identity, taste, or emerging trends—often struggle to surface or perform well on a mass marketplace. That’s where dropshipping can give smaller businesses an edge.

Here’s why dropshipping works better for niche products:

• Instead of committing capital to inventory, dropshipping lets you test demand for niche products before scaling.
• Because fulfillment is handled by suppliers, you can invest more time in areas that actually influence niche buyers: content, community, education, and customer support.
• Small suppliers often move quicker than large manufacturers, so by working with specialized producers, you can introduce new products or variations while trends are still forming.

🧠Tip: Shopify Collective lets you partner with other Shopify brands to sell complementary products, while apps like DropCommerce and Syncee connect you with vetted suppliers focused on quality rather than volume.

Key strategies of top Amazon competitors

Focus on a niche market

Instead of trying to match Amazon’s vast selection, some competitors become experts in niche markets, allowing them to offer:

• A wider range of products in their chosen category
• More in-depth product knowledge
• Specialized customer service

Chewy is an excellent example of a company that has successfully focused on a specific product area to compete with Amazon. Chewy specializes in pet products, carving out a niche in the ecommerce world.

The brand:

• Stocks more than 2,000 brands of pet food, toys, and accessories
• Offers prescription pet medications and veterinary diets
• Provides detailed product information and reviews specific to different types of pets

Chewy is famous for positive customer experiences, such as sending handwritten holiday cards to customers and even sympathy flowers when a pet passes away. This level of personalized attention is something Amazon, with its broader focus, struggles to match.

Improve the shopping experience

Many competitors recognize that to win customers, they must offer something Amazon doesn’t. 

Some tactics include more user-friendly websites and exceptional customer support.

For retailers with physical stores, combining online and offline experiences is a powerful strategy. They leverage their brick-and-mortar locations as an advantage, allowing customers to:

• See and touch products before buying
• Pick up online orders in-store
• Return or exchange items easily

Offer faster shipping options

Speed is another competitive front. With fast shipping and easy returns, Amazon sets a high bar, so competitors work hard to match these standards by:

• Connecting with a trusted 3PL partner through Shopify Fulfillment Network to offer faster shipping
• Providing free and simple returns

Run off-Amazon promotions

Brands can also run promotions exclusively on their websites or through other channels outside of Amazon. This discount strategy drives traffic directly to your website and allows you to avoid Amazon’s fees and restrictions.

Some popular tactics include:

• Running flash sales or daily deals that aren’t available on Amazon
• Combining products in ways that aren’t possible on Amazon’s platform
• Selling certain items or variations only through owned channels

The rise of niche marketplaces as Amazon alternatives

More shoppers are turning to specialized online stores instead of defaulting to Amazon. These niche marketplaces, or “vertical” marketplaces, focus on specific types of products or cater to certain groups of customers.

They offer:

• A more focused shopping experience
• A community-like feel
• An easier time finding unique products

Think beyond Etsy. Niche marketplaces like Thrive Market offer sustainable and organic products, while subscription-based marketplaces like Wildgrain and Cratejoy curate products based on customers’ interests.

Sneaker marketplaces like GOAT and Flight Club also thrive because they know their products inside and out and cater to serious shoe enthusiasts. Each marketplace serves a specific group of shoppers, demonstrating that there’s ample room for alternatives to Amazon.

The rise in niche marketplaces benefits both sides: shoppers have more options to find exactly what they want, and sellers can reach customers who are genuinely interested in their products.

Amazon competitors FAQ

What companies are comparable to Amazon?

Companies comparable to Amazon are large online retailer platforms that combine online sales, logistics, and digital services at scale. Examples include Walmart, Alibaba Group, JD.com, and MercadoLibre. 

Who is the rival of Amazon?

Amazon doesn’t have a single rival. Instead, it faces competition from different players depending on category and region. Walmart is a major US rival in general merchandise, Alibaba dominates in China, and JD.com competes on logistics speed. 

For many categories, Amazon’s real competition also includes online store owners selling directly to customers through their own websites.

Who are Amazon’s top 3 competitors?

Amazon’s top competitors vary by market, but three frequently cited rivals are:

1. Walmart. A leading US online retailer with a massive physical store network.
2. Alibaba Group. Amazon’s closest parallel globally in ecommerce and cloud services.
3. JD.com. A China-based competitor known for logistics reliability, especially in consumer electronics.

These companies challenge Amazon’s market share in different regions and categories.

What is Amazon’s competitive edge?

Amazon’s competitive edge comes from its scale across online selling, logistics, and technology.

Its marketplace enables millions of third-party sellers to reach customers worldwide, while its fulfillment network supports fast delivery and competitive pricing. 

Combined with Prime membership and a vast product catalog, this infrastructure makes Amazon difficult to compete with on breadth and convenience alone, especially as Amazon’s biggest competitor often changes by region or category.