Q&A: How Three Marketplace Sellers Drive ECommerce Growth

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, where marketplace and dropship platform growth has surged at six times the pace of traditional eCommerce, the world of commerce is rapidly shifting. Third-party vendor platforms have become a pivotal avenue for growth. But what does that really mean for B2B and B2C businesses? 

To uncover the real impact, we asked platform sellers from both sectors who are navigating this evolving space. They shared why they’re diving into marketplace selling, the strategies fueling their success, and how they’re leveraging the Mirakl Connect platform to streamline operations and expand their reach. Their insights pave a bold path forward, challenging you to rethink your approach, embrace new strategies, and invest in the right tools to fuel success. This will not only set you apart from the competition but also help you win in this growing market.

Specialty Food Partners

Specialty Food Partners, or SFP, collaborates with some of the world's largest companies to source, organize and manage their supplier relationships, using its proprietary digital supply chain technology to speed fast moving, unique and trending brands onto retailers' shelves in minimum time and at the lowest possible cost. Tony Lee, Founder of SFP, shares his insights on marketplaces.

Why is it important to start selling on marketplaces now? 

TL: Marketplaces have evolved to the point in B2B where they represent a terrific new source of sales for small to medium sized vendors who do not have the marketing and sales infrastructure to reach the buyers one finds on Mirakl marketplaces. Here, vendors can reach thousands of pre-approved customers of some of the largest companies in the world who are looking for exactly the kind of products they sell. And we get paid on time and in full by large and reputable companies, avoiding all the hassles of having to credit check buyers and wait for payment. All in all, a total win-win for the vendor, the buyer and Mirakl's marketplace client!

Which features in the Mirakl Platform have been most beneficial to your marketplace strategy? 

TL: Mirakl's platform is remarkedly intuitive, easy to use and navigate, and is well laid out. The API in particular - for products, offers, orders, etc. - helps you effortlessly manage every part of the product set up and order process. We especially like the customer messaging feature if we need to contact the buyer about an order.

How do you see the future of B2B sales evolving with the growth of online marketplaces?

TL: Online marketplaces are the next frontier of eCommerce; retailers and distributors that could only ever sell what's in their stores or warehouses can now integrate a marketplace platform into their eCommerce site and suddenly they're able to sell their existing customers a never ending assortment of everything those customers may need from an infinite number of vendors. Marketplaces are going to become the prime impetus behind expanding B2B sales in the future, and the future is now!

How do you measure success and performance on different marketplaces? 

TL: We measure success through engagement, sales, and repeat business. We also try to expand our own assortments to offer more products on more marketplaces, at better prices, and therefore closely track the number of individual items that might be taken up by buyers on each marketplace. When we see a marketplace order for a new category, we expand that category as quickly as possible to satisfy demand.  

Hope & Henry

Hope & Henry is a fashion retailer that was born from the belief that beautiful, high quality clothing can be affordable to all without sacrificing the well-being of our people and our planet. Marshall McCauley, CEO of Hope & Henry, shares his perspective on marketplaces for B2C.

Why did Hope & Henry decide to start selling on marketplaces?

MM: Hope & Henry looked to marketplaces because it was such a unique opportunity to partner with well-established brands that had built a legacy with their customer base. We saw marketplaces as a chance to further our mission of bringing high-quality organic apparel to everyone.

Why is it important to diversify and go beyond large, generalized marketplaces?

MM: For Hope & Henry it has been important to be where the customer is – we have found that the customers interested in Hope & Henry have found us on many different platforms of vastly varying sizes. A large number who have purchased Hope & Henry have done so from more than one marketplace and we feel good about being an option wherever people shop.

What role does Mirakl Connect play in your marketplace strategy?

MM: Mirakl Connect is a huge part of our marketplace strategy in bringing us to brands that share our focus on serving customers. It is a huge benefit to have discussions with potential partners knowing they are on a platform we have gone live with many times and can bring immediate benefit to the customer and each other.

How has selling on marketplaces enhanced your eCommerce strategy?

MM: Selling on marketplaces allows us to tell the Hope & Henry story to a broad audience and then back it up with amazing product, delivery and service enabled by Mirakl. We are very invested in the Mirakl Marketplace network as a strategy to ensure that connecting with Hope & Henry is easy for anyone meeting us for the first time or returning often.

Everyday Goods

Everyday Goods accelerates the advancement of retail and wholesales marketplaces through access to an endless aisle of quality, branded products with compelling value. We spoke with Will Safrin, Co-Founder and CEO of Everyday Goods, to learn more about their marketplace strategy. 

As a B2B seller, what do you look for in a technology partner?

WS: As a B2B seller, we look for scalability and reliability in a technology partner. A partner’s ability to allow us to manage tens of thousands of listings seamlessly without API limit issues is paramount.  

What role does Mirakl Connect play in your marketplace strategy?

WS: Mirakl Connect has been a welcome addition into our ecosystem. Having a single integration spec that allows us to partner with many different marketplaces allows us to move fast. We are confident that listings and order APIs will always work for Marketplaces that have chosen Mirakl as their provider. 

Has the Connect networking tool helped you find new B2B opportunities? If so, have you been able to establish any new B2B partnerships?

WS: Whether networking independently or through the Mirakl Connect networking tool, we have found value in vetting potential marketplace partners simply through the fact that they operate their marketplace on Mirakl. 

What advice would you give to new B2B sellers looking to enter the marketplace space?

WS: Find the right partners that will allow you to scale fast across all marketplaces. For example, working with Mirakl gives Everyday Goods access to over 10 marketplaces instantly.

Start Your Marketplace Journey Today

For B2B and B2C businesses, marketplaces offer a critical path to growth. Insights from seasoned platform sellers illustrate the power of leveraging tools such as Mirakl Connect to streamline operations and expand market reach. By adopting innovative strategies and embracing these advanced tools, businesses can not only differentiate themselves from the competition but also thrive in this dynamic and rapidly evolving market. Now is the time to rethink your approach and invest in the future of commerce.

Interested in learning more? Hear from Eskander Matta, founder of Tasharina Corporation, about their experience as a seller within the Mirakl Connect ecosystem. Watch now