Implementation · Ecommerce platforms
Use marketplace as a scalable sales model, not just another channel
We design marketplace models as part of the sales strategy, so they support growth without adding unnecessary complexity.
When is it worth it?
- You want to sell through existing marketplaces or build your own.
- Your offer can scale through external sellers or wider product ranges.
- You need integrations and processes for multi-vendor operations.
What do we do?
- Implement sales on existing marketplaces and manage integrations.
- Build own multi-vendor marketplace platforms.
- Design business models, commissions, logistics and seller onboarding.
- Optimise offer management and sales processes.
What do you gain?
- New revenue streams and broader sales channels.
- Scalable offer growth without owning all stock.
- More control over the sales ecosystem.
Marketplace model
Scale the offer through marketplace without losing control
A marketplace can be a growth channel or an owned platform model. We help decide when it makes sense to sell on existing marketplaces, when to build your own marketplace and how to design operations around sellers, offers, logistics and data.
At Strix, we assess which scenario makes greater business sense. Sometimes the best step is to sell through existing marketplaces to quickly test a market, category or demand. In other cases, it is worth building an owned marketplace if the company has a strong brand, access to suppliers, a broad product category or wants to scale the offer without expanding its own stock.
We do not treat marketplace as an additional channel added on the side. We design it as part of the sales model: with seller onboarding, offer rules, commissions, logistics, integration, data governance and customer experience.
Existing marketplaces
This is a good direction when a company wants to increase reach quickly, test a new market or check the potential of a category without immediately building its own platform. Existing marketplaces provide access to a large customer base, ready sales infrastructure and trust mechanisms, but they require control over pricing, margin, data quality and operations.
When does it make sense?
- when you want to enter a new market or channel quickly
- when you are testing demand for selected products or categories
- when you need faster reach without a large technology investment
- when your products fit existing sales platforms well
- when you already have product data, logistics and order handling processes in place
What should you watch out for?
- price pressure and competition within the same category
- commissions, regulations and limited control over customer experience
- risk of cannibalising your own ecommerce
- the need to maintain consistent data, stock, prices and descriptions
- dependence on the rules and algorithms of an external platform
Business result:
The company can increase sales and reach faster while checking which products, markets and categories have the greatest potential for further development.
Own marketplace platform
An owned marketplace makes sense when a company wants not only to sell products, but to manage the whole offer ecosystem. It is a direction for organisations that can attract sellers, partners or suppliers and build value around broad choice, category specialisation, B2B relationships, industry expertise or a strong brand.
When does it make sense?
- when you have a strong position in a category or industry
- when you want to scale the offer without owning all stock
- when you can invite producers, distributors or partners into the ecosystem
- when you want to earn not only from sales, but also from commissions, services or a partner model
- when control over customer experience and data is strategically important
What needs to be designed?
- business model: commissions, fees and cooperation terms
- seller onboarding and offer quality management
- catalogue structure, product data and content standards
- order, settlement, complaint and return processes
- user roles: operator, seller, customer and support team
- integrations with ERP, PIM, payments, logistics and partner systems
Business result:
The company can develop a scalable sales model, broaden the offer and build its own ecosystem instead of competing only on price on external platforms.
Operations and integrations
The greatest risk appears when marketplace grows without a clear role in the overall sales ecosystem. It can start competing with owned ecommerce, retail, B2B or partner sales. That is why we help define how marketplace should cooperate with other channels instead of cannibalising them.
What do we organise?
- the role of marketplace in the sales channel architecture
- the relationship between owned ecommerce, marketplace, retail, B2B and partners
- pricing, promotion, availability and assortment policy
- rules for catalogue and product data management
- operational processes: orders, payments, fulfilment, returns and service
- growth roadmap: test, MVP, scaling and automation
Business result:
Marketplace becomes a consciously designed growth element — with a clear goal, risk control and a model that supports sales instead of creating additional operational chaos.
Related insights
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who we are
Your Ecommerce Partner for Growth
We’re a team of over 200 ecommerce experts working across Europe — with offices in Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Our clients are industry leaders, digital pioneers, and future-focused brands who see ecommerce as a strategic growth driver.
We partner with businesses that want more than just a platform — they want transformation. Together, we build scalable ecosystems, empower internal teams, and deliver measurable business outcomes.
Our expertise covers:
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