Marketplace sellers are scaling quickly across platforms, but many are still stuck in manual workflows that drag down growth and profit, according to new data from integration platform ChannelEngine.
The survey of 470 ecommerce leaders across the United States and Europe found sellers are now active on an average of six marketplaces, with more than a third (34%) selling on seven or more. Yet 52% still manage listings and inventory with spreadsheets or internal tools. And teams spend an average of 36% of their week — two full days — on repetitive marketplace updates.
“These inefficiencies are a year-round issue but become especially costly during the holiday season when high volumes mean every lost hour equals missed sales,” the report said.
While Amazon continues to dominate globally, regional leaders such as Walmart in the U.S. and Bol in the Netherlands remain strong, and TikTok Shop has surged into the top five marketplaces in both the U.K. and U.S.
Manual work weighing down online marketplaces
But growth comes with mounting complexity. Close to half (45%) of sellers still update content and pricing manually, and 29% cite pricing and visibility as their toughest challenges. One in five sellers spend half their work week fixing listings, adjusting prices or correcting data errors.
“Sellers can’t afford to waste two days a week on manual fixes while marketplaces move faster than ever,” said Bart Verschoor, chief operating officer at ChannelEngine. “Every hour lost to spreadsheets is an hour competitors use to win the buy box or launch new products. Automation isn’t optional anymore — it’s essential.”
The report confirms that marketplaces are now the default shopping destination. Nearly half (47%) of consumers start product searches on marketplaces — twice as many as on Google — and 63% prefer to buy through marketplaces rather than brand sites. Shoppers describe marketplaces as fast (72%) and easy to use (68%), setting the standard for ecommerce experiences across all channels.
“If your products aren’t visible at the right time, they may never be seen,” the report warned.
The data shows a clear shift toward automation and smarter tools. Among sellers spending more than half their week on manual work, 78% are considering switching to new integration or automation providers, compared with just 53% of more efficient sellers.
91% of respondents say automation is now business critical. More than a third expect AI shopping assistants — tools that can compare prices, recommend products and even complete purchases — to transform marketplace commerce within two years, a trend many call the rise of “agentic commerce.”
“The sellers who automate fastest will be the ones who scale fastest,” Verschoor said.
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