Why are e-commerce marketplaces important for D2C and B2B businesses?

Digital marketplaces account for a large majority of global e-commerce sales, giving Direct-to-Consumer brands significant reach that can be hard to achieve through an independent website alone. For B2B suppliers, marketplaces and Procure-to-Pay platforms similarly offer access to new buyer communities, making them a key channel for market penetration alongside a business's own sales channels.

Why is data security compliance a growing challenge for businesses selling on marketplaces?

As marketplaces handle increasing volumes of personal and financial data, they are introducing stricter terms around how Personally Identifiable Information can be shared with third parties such as logistics or EDI providers. Businesses need to audit who has access to customer data and confirm the policies, certifications or accreditations their service providers hold to stay compliant and avoid restrictions on order fulfilment.

How can dropship operations help a business extend its online product range?

Dropshipping lets a business list and sell a wider range of products online without holding the stock itself, as orders are routed to a supplier or fulfilment partner to pick, pack and ship directly. This allows businesses to test and expand their product range with lower upfront investment and less warehousing risk.

How can B2B suppliers make the most of Procure-to-Pay platform marketplaces?

B2B suppliers get the most value from Procure-to-Pay platforms by listing across all the marketplaces relevant to their industries and business types, rather than relying on just one. Maximising these connections increases visibility to buyer communities and gives suppliers more opportunities to win new business, provided the onboarding and back office processes behind each connection are handled efficiently.

← All articlesReports

A report from Transalis: The rise of e-commerce marketplaces

E-commerce is almost central to any retail business capitalising on changing buyer habits. But how can businesses effectively manage and grow their online sales? We provide some innovative insights…

Transalis21 August 2023Updated 23 September 2026

Download your free copy

Get the full report as a PDF: free, no sign-up required.

Download my free copy

Key takeaways

This report looks at how organisations can realise the full potential of e-commerce marketplaces as they take on a growing share of overall online sales.
It covers compliant data security as marketplace requirements around Personally Identifiable Information become stricter, and what this means for businesses and their service providers.
It explores how extending product range through dropship operations can help businesses grow online without holding additional stock themselves.
It also looks at how B2B suppliers can maximise their connections to Procure-to-Pay platforms to expand market coverage and reach new buyers.
Each chapter draws on independent insight, trusted industry sources and client case studies, and the report is free to download as part of a regular series of whitepapers.

What does the Transalis report on e-commerce marketplaces cover?

The report, The rise of e-commerce marketplaces: realising the full potential of online business, covers three areas: keeping data security compliant as marketplace rules around personal data tighten, extending product range through dropship operations without holding extra stock, and maximising a B2B supplier's connections to Procure-to-Pay platforms. Each area is illustrated with independent industry sources and client case studies, and the report is free to download.

E-commerce has become almost central to most B2C and even B2B businesses. E-commerce marketplaces are a key tool these organisations rely upon to drive market penetration with Direct-to-Consumer sales. However, there are significant challenges that these businesses must overcome for continued success with their online sales strategies...

For many, a central challenge of managing Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) online sales is maintaining an efficient order cycle alongside other sales channels. Keeping control of costs, supporting scalability, and expanding market reach all need to be priorities as online purchases are forecast to continue to grow to a quarter of global sales by 2025.*

“Digital marketplaces now account for 67% of global e-commerce sales, leaving just 33% of transactions taking place on D2C brand websites.” Gartner**

Organisations must now consider innovative ways to tackle these points to future-proof their online business. For most, this will involve strategic investment in technology and automation solutions that can relieve the pressures and inefficiencies in the supply chain.

In this report, The rise of e-commerce marketplaces: realising the full potential of online business, we outline the three key areas that organisations should consider:

Compliant data security with increasing marketplace requirements
Extended product range within dropship operations
Maximised Procure-to-Pay platform connections for B2B

Each of the topics above forms a detailed chapter in the report, where we have included our independent insights, trusted industry sources, and client case studies. As with all of our quarterly whitepapers, this report is entirely free to access by downloading a copy.

Frequently asked questions

Why are e-commerce marketplaces important for D2C and B2B businesses?: Digital marketplaces account for a large majority of global e-commerce sales, giving Direct-to-Consumer brands significant reach that can be hard to achieve through an independent website alone. For B2B suppliers, marketplaces and Procure-to-Pay platforms similarly offer access to new buyer communities, making them a key channel for market penetration alongside a business's own sales channels.
Why is data security compliance a growing challenge for businesses selling on marketplaces?: As marketplaces handle increasing volumes of personal and financial data, they are introducing stricter terms around how Personally Identifiable Information can be shared with third parties such as logistics or EDI providers. Businesses need to audit who has access to customer data and confirm the policies, certifications or accreditations their service providers hold to stay compliant and avoid restrictions on order fulfilment.
How can dropship operations help a business extend its online product range?: Dropshipping lets a business list and sell a wider range of products online without holding the stock itself, as orders are routed to a supplier or fulfilment partner to pick, pack and ship directly. This allows businesses to test and expand their product range with lower upfront investment and less warehousing risk.
How can B2B suppliers make the most of Procure-to-Pay platform marketplaces?: B2B suppliers get the most value from Procure-to-Pay platforms by listing across all the marketplaces relevant to their industries and business types, rather than relying on just one. Maximising these connections increases visibility to buyer communities and gives suppliers more opportunities to win new business, provided the onboarding and back office processes behind each connection are handled efficiently.

Ready to discuss more?

Talk to our specialised team who will work with you to find the best solution to meet your business needs and future-proof your supply chain. Book a meeting, give us a call, or email us directly.

Book a meeting 0800 054 8059(UK)+44 1978 369 343(Int’l)sales@transalis.com

Want this applied to your supply chain?

We will look at how you trade today and show you where the report's findings would change things for you.

Download your free copy

Frequently asked questions

Ready to discuss more?

Read next

Want this applied to your supply chain?