Thailand’s eCommerce market is set to grow much in the coming years and will only be behind Indonesia’s. Everything from cosmetics, food & beverages, clothes, and DIY products is in high demand here.
Over the years, we’ve also seen many eCommerce companies entering the market.
In this article, we review the most popular eCommerce marketplaces in Thailand. We review their unique features and why these sites have managed to become leading forces in the market.
1. Shopee
Shopee is the biggest eCommerce platform in Southeast Asia in terms of monthly users. Originally founded in 2015, the marketplace has gained much traction thanks to its competitive shipping services.
The benefits of using Shopee are also the many discounts and free shipping all over Thailand.
By offering these benefits, it’s not strange why Shopee has sprung up and become a major platform, fighting head-to-head with companies like Lazada and Amazon.
Worth mentioning is also that cross-border sellers have no issues getting paid overseas, thanks to integrations with Payoneer.
Besides, despite not being as encouraged as Fulfillment-By-Lazada, Shopee has its own in-house fulfillment solution.
Referred to as Fulfillment-By-Shopee (FBS), it’s a service that can be used by top sellers or brands with capacity issues.
Countries
Shopee is available in the following countries:
- Singapore (Shopee.sg)
- Malaysia (Shopee.com.my)
- Thailand (Shopee.co.th)
- Vietnam (Shopee.vn)
- Indonesia (Shopee.co.id)
- Philippines (Shopee.ph)
- Taiwan (Shopee.tw)
- Korea (shopee.kr)
Shopee has also expanded outside of Asia and will soon open its first marketplace in South America, starting with Brazil.
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- Selling on Tmall & Lazada
- Logistics & fulfillment options
- Payment gateways
- Incorporation & trademarks
2. Lazada
Lazada is one of the biggest eCommerce marketplaces in all Southeast Asian countries and is owned by the large conglomerate, Alibaba Group.
The marketplace was originally started by Rocket Internet in 2012 and later acquired by Alibaba.
Lazada has some of the largest product assortments and is well-known for its advanced cross-border shipping solutions.
As mentioned, Fulfillment-By-Lazada (FBL) is the service used by cross-border sellers who want to reach 6 markets from Hong Kong.
Here, Lazada has its fulfillment center, managed by Timeslogistics. In addition to FBL, you use Lazada-Global-Shipping (LGS) to manage the deliveries to each country.
The rates are competitive and Lazada has advanced return systems, allowing the products to circulate for up to 2 weeks, before being sent back.
Contrary to Shopee, Lazada charges a commission of 1% – 4% for cross-border sales, depending on the product. If you sell on LazMall, the commissions can go up to 5%.
LazMall vs LazGlobal
LazMall is similar to the domestic version of Tmall.com, which requires that you import the products first. Thus, you cannot sell products cross-border on LazMall.
Having said that, there are plenty of benefits of selling on LazMall. First, LazMall guarantees that products are authentic. This gives peace of mind to buyers, particularly for more expensive items.
If you are a LazMall seller, you can also enjoy benefits such as:
- “Brand image” with the tag “LazMall”
- Be included in the exclusive channel/ sales campaign of Lazada
- Higher chance of being on top of search result
- Free promotion (to be on top of the search result) at a limited time per week/ month
- Dedicated customer service. An exclusive BD executive where needed
- Be invited to exclusive campaigns/ events of Lazada
3. JIB
With around 1.5 million visits a month, JIB is another leading eCommerce marketplace in Thailand. The website focuses on selling different kinds of IT products, desktop computers, laptops, and more.
While Shopee and Lazada are available in several Southeast Asian countries, JIB generates almost all of its revenues from the Thai market.
As you can see from the website, it resembles that of Lazada’s, but with fewer product categories. Yet, you can enjoy similar promotions as other marketplaces. For more information, I recommend you check the website directly.
Selling cross-border on JIB isn’t as easy as on Shopee or Lazada. Due to the limited product categories, JIB will most likely not be the main option among most foreign sellers.
4. JD Central
JD Central is Jingdong’s Thai-operated marketplace and a joint venture with Central Group. JD Central has around USD 500 million in funding and is undoubtedly one of the biggest players in the eCommerce market.
Jingdong Central has a wide product assortment, including everything from clothes, food and beverages, home and DIY products, health and supplement products, and more.
Jingdong Central is well-known for its many campaigns and superior shipping services. If you plan to sell in Thailand, you should have a look at this growing marketplace.
Interestingly, one of the biggest tech companies in China, Tencent, is a majority shareholder in JD and has a large share in Shopee as well. Alibaba, on the other hand, owns both Tmall and Lazada.
The companies fight head-to-head, not only in China but also in other Asian markets.
5. Kaidee
Kaidee is a local eCommerce marketplace where you can buy everything from IT products, houses, cars, used cars, mobile phones, fashion, clothes, and more.
Unfortunately, the website is only available in Thai and you cannot sell cross-border on the website.
As a result, I won’t go into greater details regarding Kaidee in this article. In 2020, EMPG had officially acquired Kaidee and currently manages its operations.
6. Amazon
While Amazon isn’t available in countries like Vietnam and China, it’s become the main alternative in countries like Thailand and the Philippines.
The same as in other markets, sellers can use Fulfillment-By-Amazon (FBA), which has become a popular option. If you are an existing Amazon seller, it can make sense to use the platform also in Thailand.
Amazon isn’t as popular as Shopee and Lazada in Thailand. Therefore, we won’t go into greater details about the marketplace in this article.
7. HomePro
HomePro is a local marketplace that focuses on selling home products. You can find everything from toilets, refrigerators, shower handles, and doorknobs on the website.
Examples of brands sold on the website include LG, Samsung, Electrolux, Hitachi, and Xiaomi.
The company was founded in 1995 with an initial registered capital of THB 150 million, being a joint venture of Land and Houses Group, an American company.
While the company has an online presence, it originally started offline only.
The company has 24 branches and another 58 branches in other provinces.
As you cannot sell cross-border on the website, it’s not a recommended option if that’s how you wish to sell the products.
Besides, the product categories are somewhat limited, excluding food and beverages, cosmetics, clothing products, and more.
