A marketplace is a virtual hub where merchants sell their products or services. Typically, a business does not operate its own store on the marketplace site; instead, it pays a fee to accept bookings or sales through the platform and then passes the revenue onto the merchant who sold the product or service. Some examples of online marketplaces are Amazon, Ebay and Etsy.

Facebook Marketplace is an example of a C2C or consumer-to-consumer marketplace. It allows Facebook users 18 years old and older to post pictures of garage sale or yard sale items for sale on their social network and browse items from other people in their area.

The success of a marketplace depends largely on the quality of goods and delivery services offered to buyers. To ensure a high-quality experience, the marketplace owner must maintain strict control over who can sell on their platform and get rid of irresponsible sellers. In addition, the marketplace may impose seller requirements that ensure only high-quality brands are allowed to sell on their platform.

The most successful marketplaces offer a clear value proposition to both sellers and buyers. Often, the value is economic in nature, such as increased revenues or convenience. For example, Expedia makes it easy to book hotels on the platform; Instacart offers a convenient grocery delivery service, which saves buyers time and gas money; and Snaptravel lets travelers find and compare hotel rates quickly on one platform. marketplace