The study was conducted in the following countries:Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE, UK & USA.
Citation formats
Leading channels for product search worldwide 2025
In 2025, leading marketplaces were the primary source for starting to search for products online worldwide, along with search engines. According to a survey, roughly ***percent of*online shoppers searched for products through these channels. Online supermarkets and grocers followed, with ***percent of respondents.
Popularity contest
Online shopping has become increasingly popular globally. In various countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and many others, consumers have stated that they prefer to shop online rather than in-store. On a weekly basis, however, in European countries, offline shopping is still more popular among consumers. Germany had the largest share of weekly online shoppers, with ** percent of consumers. The preference for online shopping also depends on the product category and shopping events occurring at the time. Over ** percent of consumers prefer to use the internet over in-store shopping to complete their holiday and entertainment purchases.
It is a preference
While marketplaces are the primary source for consumers to search for products online, they are also the leading source for online shopping inspiration in 2024. Around ** percent of global consumers expressed their preference for marketplaces over any other online channel as a source of inspiration for their upcoming purchases. Consumers in different regions in the world tend to prefer different marketplaces, with consumers in Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom preferring to use Amazon. The most visited marketplace in China was Taobao, Alibaba's B2C e-commerce platform. In Latin America, consumers use the local online marketplace Mercado Libre.Â
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VML. (October 3, 2025). Leading channels for product search worldwide in 2025 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from /statistics/1034209/global-product-search-online-sources/
VML. "Leading channels for product search worldwide in 2025." Chart. October 3, 2025. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 21, 2026. /statistics/1034209/global-product-search-online-sources/
VML. (2025). Leading channels for product search worldwide in 2025. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 21, 2026. /statistics/1034209/global-product-search-online-sources/
VML. "Leading Channels for Product Search Worldwide in 2025." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 3 Oct 2025, /statistics/1034209/global-product-search-online-sources/
VML, Leading channels for product search worldwide in 2025 ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/1034209/global-product-search-online-sources/ (last visited July 21, 2026)
Leading channels for product search worldwide in 2025 [Graph], VML, October 3, 2025. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1034209/global-product-search-online-sources/