In 2024, offering your products exclusively through your e-commerce site is by far the most profitable option. In a rapidly changing digital landscape, using other levers to generate revenue opens the way to new business opportunities .
So, selling your products or services on marketplaces such as Leboncoin, Vinted or Shein is an excellent way to stay competitive . What is the interest of a marketplace for third-party sellers, BtoB or BtoC? The answers right away.
1- Marketplace: increased visibility
According to the Fevad barometer for the second quarter of 2023, more than 57% of the French population uses Amazon every month, or 36.6 million unique visitors. In France or elsewhere, the notoriety of this multinational is no longer in doubt.
Thus, the presence on a marketplace like Alibaba.com or Cdiscount allows e-retailers to reach a wider audience . Each seller benefits from the popularity of these platforms to increase their online visibility and turnover.
2- Targeted and broader offers
Marketplaces appeal to a wide range of players, from startups to SMEs, service providers and major brands. By creating a dynamic ecosystem, they manage to offer a wide range of products from various merchants.
Each platform specializes in particular sectors of activity :
- Generalist: Amazon, Alibaba, eBay ;
- High-tech products and household appliances: Darty, Cdiscount, Boulanger;
- Clothing and shoes: Zalando, Spartoo, Sarenza;
- Home and furniture: IKEA, Wayfair, ManoMano ;
- Books and Media: Rakuten France, Chapitre.com , etc.
3- Well proven rapid growth
In 2017, more than 30% of e-retailers' business volume was generated on marketplaces. In the 3rd quarter of 2023, they generated a turnover of 38 billion euros, an increase of 10% compared to the previous year (source: Fevad ).
This gradual evolution is explained by the pooling of product offers from marketplaces in order to attract a large number of consumers. These platforms therefore constitute a real growth driver for brands and independent sellers.
4- Higher margins thanks to marketplaces
Selling through marketplaces such as Fnac or Decathlon significantly reduces retailers' marketing expenses. This cost reduction directly contributes to increasing sellers' profit margins .
Rather than dedicating significant resources to creating and promoting their own online store, they take advantage of the reputation of these platforms. Each seller thus benefits from instant visibility and access to an already established customer base .
5- A practical and complete management interface
Easy to use, marketplace platforms do not require any special IT knowledge . Sellers have an intuitive and unified interface designed to facilitate the online publication of their products in just a few clicks.
The entire transactional and logistics process is centralized within a single interface . This approach simplifies the management of inventory, orders and sales, especially for players who operate on several marketplaces.
Ready to get started?
In addition to a well-oiled marketing strategy, you need the right tools to sell through a marketplace. Among the best business management software, Odoo ensures an optimal user experience . This open-source application suite makes it easy to manage your inventory, orders, and other sales-related processes.
