Top e-Commerce Sites in Ireland 2018

Here is a list of the top e-commerce websites receiving traffic from Ireland in May/June 2018. The data is sourced from Amazon’s Alexa.com website traffic information service and is based on analysis of the top 500 websites by traffic in Ireland. A website is considered to be “e-commerce” if it’s primary revenue model is processing transactions including the sale of products or services  or the transfer of funds.

1. Amazon – the world’s largest marketplace and direct seller  in multiple categories. Top site in spite of not having a .ie domain or provide Prime services in this market.
2. Netflix – a new entrant right at the top, Netflix provides access via subscription to TV shows, movies, documentaries on nearly any Internet-connected device.
3. Aib.ie – the website of Ireland’s largest bank that facilitates Internet banking, Apple and Google pay for its customers.
4. IrishTimes.com – while the vast majority of users are still consuming news for free, the Irish Times is increasingly focused on driving subscriptions for access to news.
5. LinkedIn.com – a mostly free service but with a strong subscription business model and proposition for recruiters and professionals.
6. IMDB.com – the Internet Movie Database is now owned by Amazon and generates subscription revenues from the general public and industry players.
7. Ebay – the largest peer-to-peer sales and auction marketplace in the western hemisphere. Has a .ie domain but in mid-2017 it shut down it’s Irish operations.
8. 365online.com – the online banking portal of Bank of Ireland, the country’s second largest bank facilitating money transfers and bill payments.
9. Paypal.com – with over 200 million customers worldwide and 7 million merchants, Paypal is still the world’s largest payment processor and money transfer provider.
10. Eir.ie – is the largest fixed-line and mobile telecommunications provider in Ireland and their e-commerce site provides access to purchase all offerings online.
11. Booking.com – one of the largest hotel booking sites across the globe. Unlike TripAdvisor, Booking.com allows direct booking with accommodation providers.
12. Open24.ie – this is the online banking service of Permanent TSB that provides everyday banking and now account access to third parties via the PSDII protocol.
13. Aliexpress.com – owned by Alibaba, China’s largest online retailer, AliExpress is a marketplace of mostly Chinese merchants seeking to compete globally.
14. Ryanair.com – the Irish “low cost” airline and Europe’s first truly Internet-only player is now amongst the world’s largest airlines.
15. Argos.ie – Argos is the British home and general merchandise catalogue retailer with 40 stores across Ireland. This is the leading multi-channel retailer here.
16. Spotify.com – the Swedish company that claims to have over 35m songs available to stream for free; generates most revenues from premium subscriptions.
17. Apple.com – the home of iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Mac computers, Apple TVs, music store, app store and much more.
18. Asos.com – the website of the UK online fashion retailer which sells over 850 brands plus it’s own clothing line, targeting twenty-somethings.
19. Airbnb – the website of the US accommodation marketplace that makes it easy for people to lease or rent short-term lodgings. Has a .ie domain and ops centre here.
20. Soundcloud – the audio recording / podcast platform makes it easy for the widest range of people to publish audio online and share in the revenues.
21. WordPress – the longstanding website and blog publishing tool, generates revenues from business and individuals purchasing subscriptions services.
22. Ticketmaster.ie – the Irish site of the ticketing behemoth which is part of Live Nation Entertainment Inc, selling tickets for theatre, concerts and sports events.
23. Three.ie – the website of Ireland’s second largest mobile operator that enables users to purchase devices and subscriptions online.
24. Dropbox.com – the first of the innovators in file sharing, this US company provides premium services via subscription to both individuals and businesses.
25. Aerlingus.com – Ireland’s second airline which was truly disrupted by the shift to online but survived and is now part of IAG which own BA and Iberia.
26. Just-eat.ie – the local operation of the UK-founded company that facilitates ordering and delivery from a range of local takeaway outlets.
27. Sky.com – a subsidiary of the UK company, Sky Ireland operates as a TV and broadband provider coupled with its exclusive entertainment content.
28. Roblox.com – an online gaming platform that allows users to design their own games. It sells virtual currencies and shares revenue with independent developers.
29. Solocheck.ie – an online service which allows anyone carry out ‘one-off’ checks on any Irish companies. Differs from competitors by not forcing subscriptions.
30. Ros.ie – the transactional site of the Irish Revenue Commissioners where individuals and businesses can manage and pay their taxes.
31. Lottery.ie – now the leading gambling site in the country providing access to all standard lottery games plus a range of online-only games.
32. Vodafone.ie – the largest mobile phone operator and also provides a wide range of telecom services to individuals and businesses.
33. Irishrail.ie – the online ticketing platform of the national train service. Seat reservation is strong USP of the online service.
34. Studyclix.ie – a business founded by teachers that makes Junior and Leaving Cert questions, answers and marking schemes available from €35 per annum.
35. Ikea.com – the online catalogue of the Swedish home and office furnishing giant that facilitates home delivery via the online platform.
36. Tesco.ie – one of only two grocery home delivery players in the Irish market and the longest established.
37. Sportsdirect.com – a large British sports retailer with a retail presence in Ireland having acquired the Heatons chain in 2016. Doesn’t do click and collect here.
38. Littlewoodsireland.ie – part of the UK Shops Direct Group, the Irish site is a true online department store with product lines across fashion, electronics and jewellry.
39. Bet365 – a British online betting company that claims to be the world’s largest online betting company.
40. Ulsterbankanytimebanking.ie – the online banking arm of Ulster Bank that facilitates banking transactions and payments to third parties.

We first ran this analysis of top e-commerce sites in Ireland in 2010 and quite a lot has changed since then. There are many new entrants and some site’s that have fallen off the top list or don’t exist anymore, including; PartyPoker.com (was 4th), O2Online.ie (5th), Meteor.ie (13th), Hotels.com (17th), PaddyPower.com (19th), WPTpoker.com (20th), Zynga.com (21st), GoIreland.com (22nd), Buy4Now.ie (24th) and eBookers.ie (25th).

In such a rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape, what does all this mean for the future of e-commerce on the island. Check out our discussion here on the e-commerce landscape in Ireland and let us know your own thoughts.