Marketplaces are no longer one channel among others. However, many brands still relegate them to a peripheral role, even avoid them, for fear of cannibalization, brand dilution or price war. A major strategic error, at a time when Amazon, Walmart, Shein or Tiktok Shop redefine the rules of the game.
A channel that has become strategic
Marketplace is not a simple distribution channel. It is a Integrated growth platformcombining:
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- Massive customer acquisition (via the Search, the media retail, trusted badges);
- proven logistics infrastructure (FBA, Fulfilled by Walmart, etc.);
- Instant access to international markets ;
- Immediate land return via research, conversion and product reviews.
A fact often ignored: more than 70 % of research on Amazon is unmarked. Consumers are not looking for a brand, but a solution. This structural bias gives a Decisive advantage to the best positioned products in visibility and conversion. A brand absent from these results mechanically leaves its place to a better optimized competitor.
The illusion of cannibalization
The question of the moment: is the Marketplace accreditive or can it cannibalize DTC sales? Yes, there is a channel trip. But the total market widens. The argument is simple: a customer located outside of urban areas does not have access to a physical shop. The marketplace gives it access to the brand. Visibility becomes geographic, no longer promotional.
Another point often underestimated: Sales on Amazon stimulate Google researchand vice versa. Ignore Amazon amounts to creating a blind area in the purchasing course.
A logistics architecture cut for speed
Unlike the traditional retail model, based on Orders and POs (Purchase Orders) forecaststhe marketplace operates in Real time request. This requires a deep logistical adaptation: short cycles, more dynamic stock management, permanent pricing adaptation.
Actors like Zara or Shein have just built their dominance by mastering this logic. The marketplace is not just a sales channel: it is A method of production-distributioncontrolled by data.
The organization of the organization in silo
At many brands, Marketplace and DTC teams do not collaborate. They pursue different objectives, sometimes competitive. Result: absence of unified strategy, fragmented customer vision, dissonant messages.
An integrated approach supposes of Think the marketplace as a coherent extension of CRM and brand policyand not as an independent or competing entity.
Retail media and ia: the marketplace becomes media
The rise of retail mediaespecially at Amazon, still transforms the situation. With Amazon DSP, Video Prime, Thursday Night Football and now Shop for BrandsAmazon becomes a leading advertising actor. It is no longer just a question of selling products, but of capturing attention, creating preference, monetizing data.
The introduction of RufusAmazon AI assistant, marks an additional turning point: he answers the questions that consumers are asking about the product sheet, and offers them a personalized experience. There Product sheet becomes a conversational interfaceand the ability to provide clear, fast and reassuring responses becomes a competitive advantage.
The right time is now
“It’s not too late. In reality, the real change is just beginning. »The Marketplace model is in Accelerated restructuringcarried by AI, geopolitical tensions, and new uses (Tiktok Shop, Instagram shopping).
Brands that come now can still Place the foundations for a long -term strategywithout undergoing past errors. Those who wait take the risk of becoming invisible in the digital purchasing course.
What to remember
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| The cannibalise marketplace for DTC sales | It widens the addressable market and strengthens the omnichannel presence |
| It’s a channel like any other | It is a logistics, marketing, data, growth and image lever |
| It is too late to enter | The paradigm change is just beginning |
| He dilutes the brand image | He exposes the brand to the right times in the purchasing course |
| It’s just a point of sale | It is also a media, an advertising engine and a source of feedback |
