The 7 Secrets to Securing Your Marketplace’s Future

Par Charlotte Journo-Baur, fondatrice de WISHIBAM, classée parmi les 0,1 % experts retail les plus influents d’Europe.

Does the marketplace still have a future?

Ask this question to any retail chain’s sales director in 2024, and you’ll likely get an awkward silence, followed by a hesitant answer. The subject is uncomfortable: it questions the ability of traditional players to regain digital control, after platforms have rewritten the rules of commerce.

The marketplace now represents over 62 % of global e-commerce sales according to Digital Commerce 360. This figure speaks volumes, but behind it lies a more complex reality: not all marketplaces thrive, not all strategies win. The future belongs to those who understand these platforms—and know how to leverage them without being dominated.

In this article, I share what I’ve witnessed at the heart of European retail: what makes a marketplace succeed, the errors to avoid, and the levers to build a sustainable online sales platform. Whether you’re selecting a marketplace, optimizing an existing platform, or rethinking your model, you’ll find actionable answers here.

Understanding how a marketplace works

Definition and basic principles

A marketplace is, first, a promise of intermediation: a digital space where sellers and buyers connect, without the platform owning the products. The model is centuries old—what’s changed is the scale and speed.

The platform acts as a trusted third party, aggregates multiple sellers’ offers, ensures a consistent shopper experience, manages financial flows, and collects a commission. Sellers, in return, access an established audience and technical infrastructure, gaining instant credibility.

This model relies on the network effect: more sellers drive more buyers, and vice versa. It’s virtuous—until critical mass isn’t met.

• Horizontal marketplaces (all sectors: Amazon, Cdiscount)
• Vertical marketplaces (single sector: fashion, DIY, food)
• Local/territorial marketplaces (anchored in geography and proximity)

This distinction is not just academic: it determines your acquisition, economic model, seller relation, and consumer promise. At WISHIBAM, we specialize in the local/territorial segment, helping retailers build platforms rooted in their region.

Differences between a marketplace and Amazon

Amazon is the behemoth everyone thinks of—erroneously—as the archetypal marketplace. With 300 million+ accounts and over 37% e-commerce market share in the US, Amazon is an exception: global infrastructure, proprietary logistics (FBA), ads system, private labels, and vast data resources.

Selling on Amazon means entering a playing field where you don’t set the rules. Algorithms change, fees rise, and your sales data can fuel Amazon’s rival products. The EC’s 2022 report details these risks.

Independent marketplaces—sectorial, territorial, branded—offer another power dynamic:

• Customer data: Yours on independent platforms; Amazon’s if you use theirs.
• Customer relationship: Personalized and direct, vs. standardized by Amazon.
• Commissions: Negotiable on some; always set by Amazon.
• Visibility: Controllable vs. opaque, ad-driven algorithms.
• Internal competition: Absent on independents; a real threat on Amazon (e.g. Amazon Basics).

Advantages of online sales platforms

Why join or create a marketplace instead of betting it all on your e-commerce site? One word: traffic.

Building an audience from scratch is hard and costly; a marketplace brings pre-established traffic, habitual shoppers, and trusted infrastructure.

The extra perks of a solid marketplace:

• Broaden product offer without inventory risk
• Test new geographies/categories at low cost
• Earn commissions from third-party sales
• Collect behavioral data on shopper habits
• Increase loyalty by being a go-to platform for diverse needs

This last point is key. A marketplace is also a customer intelligence asset. As third-party cookies disappear, owning first-party data becomes gold for retailers.

Strategies to optimize your marketplace

Choosing the best marketplace for selling

How to choose the right marketplace? Define first what you don’t want.

Too many rely on brand recognition or traffic claims—mistake! The best marketplace is the one matching your brand, your clientele, and your strategy, not necessarily the one with the biggest numbers.

• Brand fit: Discount platforms don’t suit premium brands, traffic or not.
• Audience quality: 100,000 qualified visitors can be better than 2 million unmotivated visitors.
• Contractuals: Look at fees, exclusivity, data control.
• Tools: Catalogs, logistics, support, reporting.
• Marketplace growth: Is the platform rising or stagnating?

Consider specialist and local/territorial marketplaces, mostly for their conversion potential. WISHIBAM’s forte lies in powering such projects, with conversion rates often outstripping industry averages.

Techniques to attract and retain customers

Acquiring customers is one thing. Keeping them is another—and that’s where many fail.

The chief error: confusing acquisition for retention. Big ad budgets might drive traffic, but if post-purchase experience is lacking, repurchase rates will disappoint. Retention starts at the order confirmation, not after.

• Personalize experiences: Use purchase history for recommendations, targeted offers. 76% of consumers expect true personalization (Salesforce).
• Loyalty programs: Don’t need to be complex. Recognize and reward returning shoppers, simply and clearly.
• Customer service: Consistency across sellers is a challenge—but a major differentiator if you get it right.
• Content: Producing guides, comparisons, advice fosters trust and engagement.
• Community: Reviews, forums and sharing spaces turn your marketplace into a destination in itself.

Where to buy is no longer about price or stock alone. Consumers now look for identification, shared values, and a sense of belonging. Marketplace loyalty is emotional as much as rational.

Integration of e-commerce and marketplaces

Should you see your proprietary e-commerce and marketplace as rivals or teammates? Teammates—if you define their roles.

Your own e-commerce is your turf: full control, full data, deep relationships. The marketplace is a tool for audience expansion, reaching those who wouldn’t have thought of you.

• Use the marketplace as an acquisition lever, then bring shoppers back to your brand’s site if legally allowed
• Centralize product, inventory, and order management
• Leverage PIMs and marketplace connectors to streamline flows

WISHIBAM’s dedicated tools simplify this, especially for chains mixing physical points of sale, their own e-shops, and various marketplaces. But the hardest bit is organizational: who drives the project? Who manages third-party relations? Success comes from cross-team collaboration.

Ensuring your marketplace’s sustainability

Innovations and trends to follow

Retail doesn’t forgive stagnation—especially in marketplaces. The next two to three years will be crucial. What to watch:

• Generative AI: Changing consumer experience via chatbots, custom assistants, auto-generated product copy
• Social commerce: TikTok Shop, Instagram Shopping, and “live commerce” blending social platforms with marketplaces
• Sustainability: Environmental filters, responsible sellers, low-carbon delivery. 46% of European consumers have changed online habits for ecological reasons (PwC 2023)
• B2B marketplaces: Still under-tapped in Europe, but with strong growth potential for platforms catering to business needs

Effective management of information and data

Data management is too often the Achilles’ heel of marketplace projects—despite its immense value when harnessed right.

• Product data: Conversion is linked directly to the quality of your product listings. Homogeneity across hundreds of sellers is a challenge, but onboarding, automated controls, and clear rules help.
• Behavioral data: Every click, search, and cart abandonment is useful. The best marketplaces use this for personalization and conversion gains.
• GDPR compliance and transparency: Platforms that explain data usage and share analytics with sellers foster trust and stronger relationships.

At WISHIBAM, data mastery is fundamental: our clients own their data to build loyalty and personalization strategies beyond the platform.

Successful case studies and lessons learned

These cases prove success isn’t technological. It is about execution, relationships, and trust with both sellers and buyers.

Conclusion

Does the marketplace still have a future? Yes—if. If you understand its mechanisms, go beyond the “Amazon model,” and commit to ongoing innovation.

Winning retailers have grasped the essential: a marketplace is not just a new sales channel. It’s an ecosystem. And like any ecosystem, it requires care, patience, and a truly long-term vision.

• Understand fundamentals
• Differentiate from Amazon
• Leverage marketplace advantages
• Choose the right marketplace
• Retain customers with intelligence
• Integrate e-commerce and marketplace
• Rigorous data management

More than recipes, these are pillars for building sustainable online commerce. The next step is yours.