Whoever hears the term marketplace in the field of E-Commerce often thinks of providers such as Amazon, Ebay and Co. However, the topic has taken on an ever greater role in E-Commerce in recent years, so that more and more marketplace operators are sprouting from the ground and recognizing the opportunities for themselves.
The term online marketplace , also often referred to as digital marketplace, virtual marketplace or electronic marketplace (EMP), comes from the field of e-business and represents a virtual point of sale where supply and demand for a good – usually physical products, but also services – meet and the market price is determined without the operator of the marketplace acquiring ownership of the goods.
These business transactions can be supported by the marketplace operator by offering value-added activities in the form of information.
Digital marketplaces play an important role above all in the area of business-to-business B2B and consumer-to-consumer C2C – such as the online platform Etsy – but sales by retailers or manufacturers via platforms to private end customers (business-to-consumer B2C) are also increasing more and more (see Zalando or About You).