Number of sellers on marketplaces in Russia has grown by nearly one third
The Russian online retail market continues to grow, and platform-based entrepreneurship remains one of the key drivers of business development on the internet. This is confirmed by a joint study conducted by RWB and the analytical service Kontur.Focus, which examined the dynamics of online trade in the regions of Russia from March 2024 to March 2026.
According to the study, Moscow and the Moscow Region maintain their leadership in terms of the number of online retail participants — approximately 130,000 entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, and companies. At the same time, the online retail market in the capital region has grown by an additional 11%.
The highest growth rates were observed in the regions. The leader was the Republic of Dagestan, where the number of online retail participants increased by 66%. The Rostov Region grew by 16%, and the Nizhny Novgorod Region by 19%.
Experts note that marketplaces continue to attract new entrepreneurs due to the low barrier to entry. Starting does not require an own online store or large investments — sellers gain access to a multi-million audience as soon as they launch.
Another important trend is the growing number of larger players. According to Anton Lomovsky, head of the Kontur.Focus project, the share of legal entities is increasing, indicating a gradual maturing of the market.
According to RWB analysts, the number of sellers on marketplaces in Moscow and the Moscow Region increased by 28% compared to March 2024. In Dagestan, growth amounted to 60%, in the Nizhny Novgorod Region — 36%, and in the Rostov Region — 34%.
Other regions also showed active growth:
— Krasnodar Krai — +33%
— Sverdlovsk Region — +32%
— Chelyabinsk Region — +31%
— Novosibirsk Region — +29%
An interesting situation is observed in Tatarstan and Saint Petersburg: despite more moderate growth in the overall online retail market, the number of platform-based entrepreneurs increased by 29%.
The study confirms the main trend of recent years: marketplaces remain one of the fastest-growing entry points into business, and competition among sellers continues to intensify.