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Now that a range of products and services can be accessed at the click of a button, e-commerce and online selling apps continue to see success.
The increase in the industry has seen major brands aim to take a piece of the action, like Meta with its Facebook Marketplace which launched several years ago in 2016 but has risen in popularity and TikTok with its shopping feature.
The amount of apps out there has made it easier than ever to sell unwanted items, buy sustainably, and trade with others.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the very best online-selling apps for 2024 and beyond.
8 of the best online selling apps in the United States
Facebook Marketplace
According to statistics from Capital One Shopping Research, over a billion shoppers visit Facebook Marketplace monthly. It’s become one of the key go-to destinations for buying and selling from other people in the local area.
The data suggests that 16% of Facebook users regularly shop or buy items from the digital marketplace.
spectacular things happening on facebook marketplace pic.twitter.com/tPgJMUMGQT
— wren loves her girlfriend (@wiltingwheels) December 17, 2024
While some businesses do list items on the platform, it’s primarily for the everyday person.
Etsy
From January 2015 to June 2024, the Etsy app has been downloaded more than 70 million times in the US.
It was founded in 2005 and is now known for being a space where people can sell more unique products, including handcrafted pieces. Unlike Facebook Marketplace, it’s not known for selling second-hand items but for new goods from independent sellers and crafters.
The mobile app downloads suggest the United States is the leading market for Etsy, followed by the United Kingdom.
eBay
More milestones 🤝 more fire cards
This week? Steph Curry reached 24,000 career points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander marked 2,000 career assists, 🔥 It’s bidding time: https://t.co/Q6ugNKOxfE
— eBay (@eBay) December 4, 2024
eBay continues to be a tried and trusted classic, with it having launched in 1995 – before the internet was even a common fixture in households.
The website was the first in its kind and whilst it launched primarily as an auction forum, it has evolved over the years. It’s the second most visited shopping website among US buyers, behind Amazon.
In quarter one of 2024 alone, the company reported revenue of $2.556 billion. The same quarter saw 132 million active buyers on the platform, maintaining the same number of active buyers from the previous year.
Its most popular categories include smartphone accessories, clothing, fashion, and home decor.
TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop has taken the online shopping world by storm since its inception. Over 150 million people use the app in the United States, with the ‘Shop’ being easy to see and reach on the main homepage.
The US TikTok Shop opened in September of 2023 and while it’s not a selling platform for getting rid of unwanted items, it has become a major revenue stream for small and medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, and creators.
The brand has hosted several live shopping events, including features from popular celebrities like Nicki Minaj and the D’Amelio family as they promote their products.
Some brands have hit new records and earned $1 million in sales in one day, with L’Oreal Paris securing more than $1M in sales on TikTok Shop’s Super Brand Day.
Craigslist
The wackiness of Craigslist continues to live on, with at least 60 million monthly users in the US.
I will never get over this Craigslist ad. pic.twitter.com/9juAFZCShh
— Nancy French (@NancyAFrench) October 4, 2023
It’s often been dubbed as the website and app where you can buy absolutely anything that crosses your mind. It does look fairly basic, especially compared to the others, but it does the job.
Founded in 1995, the platform is still being used widely with new listings being seen on a consistent basis.
Poshmark
Poshmark is a leading social marketplace that focuses on new and secondhand fashion for women, men, kids, pets, and homes.
It has over 80 million community members across the US, Canada, and Australia and 200 million items for sale.
Like the others, it works by users snapping images of their unwanted items and then placing them on the platform. Although it has a large market for most things, the designer and on-trend pieces tend to perform well.
The RealReal
Unlike the other online selling apps already listed, The RealReal focuses solely on the resale of luxury goods. It’s not for stores though, but for individuals who wish to sell on pieces they have previously loved but not gotten enough wear out of.
Started with a U-haul and 13 years later The RealReal’s first employee Rati Sahi Levesque is now CEO 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/9jc9tfbsf9
— The RealReal (@therealreal) October 29, 2024
It aims to give new life to luxury items, with the company including hundreds of experts and a proprietary algorithm to evaluate thousands of items daily.
Over 37M members are signed up to The RealReal, with 77,778 metric tons of carbon saved due to its sustainable approach in tackling the fashion industry which is one of the most wasteful.
ThredUP
ThredUP is another fashion-based resale marketplace. It’s not luxury-focused, but it does lean towards high-quality pieces and it features premium and designer categories.
In an interview with Vogue Business, the secondhand platform stated the resale market will be worth $350 billion by 2027 as it’s expected to be boosted by Gen Z consumers,
“Gen Z is a digitally native generation. Their communication, entertainment and shopping habits are all mobile-first so it makes sense that this generation is leading the growth of the market,” says Thredup president Anthony Marino.
In data released by the company, brands like Patagonia, Lululemon, Reformation, North Face, and Vuori are amongst the most popular in the market.
Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram
