Sellers on Russian Marketplaces Are Losing Ground: What to Do?
Decrease in Seller Activity on Marketplaces
In recent weeks, Russian marketplaces have faced a noticeable outflow of sellers. According to data, from February to December 2025, the number of active sellers decreased by almost 6.9%, and the number of new entrepreneurs dropped by 17.8%, reaching 149.7 thousand. The problem lies in the significant rise in costs: marketplace commissions increased by 58-63% over three years, while logistics costs rose by 33-89%.
Source: adindex.ru
Key factors influencing the decrease in activity:
- Increase in marketplace commissions.
- Rise in logistics prices.
- High costs of advertising and product returns.
As a result, sellers’ total expenses on marketplaces, including commissions, logistics, storage, advertising, and returns, reach 50-70% of their revenue. This creates serious financial difficulties for many market participants.
Source: bfm.ru
What This Means for Sellers
The situation requires sellers to be flexible and adapt to new conditions. Here are some practical tips:
- Reevaluate your strategy. Consider transferring some customers to your own websites to avoid high marketplace commissions. This can help reduce costs and increase profits.
- Optimize logistics. Explore alternative delivery and storage options to minimize logistics expenses.
- Use analytical tools. For example, the HelpTools extension can help you analyze reviews, assess demand, and download photos/videos without watermarks, significantly simplifying your work.
Despite complaints from entrepreneurs, the situation with high commissions and unequal competition conditions with foreign sellers fundamentally remains unchanged. Therefore, it is important to stay updated on the latest trends and adapt to market changes.
Conclusions: Sellers should be prepared for changes and seek new ways to enhance their competitiveness in the Russian market. This is especially relevant in the context of rising costs and a decreasing number of active players.