Mayank Patel
Oct 7, 2025
5 min read
Last updated Oct 7, 2025
One of the most effective ways to scale your B2B ecommerce business is by adopting a marketplace model. Unlike a single-vendor online store, a marketplace brings together multiple sellers under one platform.
But not all marketplaces are created equal. Choosing the right model is critical: the wrong fi t can dilute your brand, create logistical headaches, or limit your ability to grow, while the right fi t can accelerate expansion into new markets, industries, and geographies with reduced risk.
In this guide, we’ll break down the main types of B2B marketplaces—horizontal vs. vertical, regional vs. global, auction vs. fixed-price, product vs. service, and more—so you can determine which structure best aligns with your business goals and long-term strategy.
Unlike a traditional single-vendor online store, a marketplace is an e-commerce platform where multiple third-party sellers off er products or services to buyers.
This multi-vendor setup means you, as the marketplace operator, can off er a far wider selection of products than your own inventory alone (without investing capital in those additional product lines.)
A marketplace can unlock new revenue streams and customer segments. By aggregating third-party offerings, you can attract more buyers with a one-stop shop value proposition, earning commissions or fees on sales.
Marketplaces also let you test new markets and product categories with lower risk, since suppliers shoulder the inventory costs. That said, not all marketplaces are alike. The term “marketplace” can refer to a variety of models, each with different structures, participant roles, and strategic purposes.
Also Read: What is a B2B Marketplace?
Marketplaces can be categorized in several ways. Here we’ll explore the major types of marketplaces relevant to B2B commerce, including how they diff er in scope, focus, and operational model.
Scope of offerings is a fundamental way that marketplaces diff er. Broadly, a marketplace can be horizontal (cross-industry) or vertical (industry-specific):
These platforms serve many industries and product categories at once. A horizontal B2B marketplace aggregates diverse products across sectors. For example, Amazon Business or eBay Business are horizontal marketplaces; they carry everything from office supplies to industrial equipment on the same site.
The appeal of horizontal marketplaces is maximum exposure. They off er access to a large, multi-industry buyer network and high traffic, which is ideal if you want to reach as many customers as possible.
They also typically have established infrastructure and trust. However, the drawback is high competition; with so many sellers and products, it can be harder for your offerings to stand out. If your goal is to test new markets or move standard, widely-used products in bulk, horizontal marketplaces can provide volume and visibility.
These are industry-specific or niche-focused marketplaces, like specialized trade shows that run online 24/7. A vertical B2B marketplace concentrates on a particular sector or product category.
Examples include ThomasNet for industrial manufacturing, Medline for healthcare supplies, or fashion wholesale platforms for apparel. Vertical marketplaces deliver highly qualified buyers who understand your industry, need technical product specifications, or have specific compliance requirements.
Vertical marketplaces are best if your products are specialized, complex, or cater to a particular professional audience. They allow you to connect with buyers who are actively seeking what you off er, without the noise of a broad marketplace.
B2B trade can be local, national, or international, and marketplaces often target specific regions:
These platforms focus on a particular country or local region, tailoring the experience to local business practices, language, currency, and regulations. For example, TradeIndia serves the Indian market, Mercateo focuses on Europe, and EC21 covers parts of Asia.
Regional B2B marketplaces are great for small to mid-sized businesses or those selling products that are heavy, fragile, or subject to complex shipping when sent far away. They off er easier logistics and customer service.
Shipping is cheaper and faster, time zones align, and you can provide support in the local language. They also ensure compliance with local laws and standards. Use regional marketplaces if your immediate goal is to strengthen your presence in a specific market or if your product (and internal capacity) isn’t ready for the complexities of global distribution.
These serve international markets, connecting buyers and sellers across continents on one platform. Think of Alibaba.com or Global Sources; they allow suppliers from one country to sell to businesses worldwide.
Global marketplaces handle challenges like multi-currency payments and cross-border logistics to create worldwide commerce opportunities. The obvious advantage is vast market access: you tap into a worldwide customer base.
However, with that comes greater complexity. You’ll face international shipping costs, longer delivery times, customs and regulatory compliance, not to mention language and cultural barriers in marketing. Global marketplaces also expose you to global competition, and you must manage currency exchange risks.
Marketplaces can also diff er in how transactions are priced and conducted. Two classic models are auction-based marketplaces versus fixed-price marketplaces:
In an auction model, the marketplace aids competitive bidding among buyers. Products or lots are listed, and buyers bid against each other, with the highest bid winning the sale when the auction period ends.
This dynamic pricing is akin to a digital auction house. Auction marketplaces (for example, the auction format on eBay Business, Liquidation.com, or B-Stock for surplus goods) let market demand determine the price.
The benefit is you might achieve a higher price when demand is strong (useful for selling surplus inventory, one-of-a-kind items, or commodities prone to price swings.) However, auctions mean unpredictable revenue. You’re never sure what price you’ll get.
In B2B, auction marketplaces are best suited if you deal in liquidations, highly customized or rare items, or commodities where price discovery by bidding can sometimes yield better results than a set price.
These operate more like traditional online stores, where each product has a pre-determined list price (with possible volume discounts, but not an open bid). Transactions are straightforward: buyers add to cart and purchase at the stated price.
Fixed-price models are common for everyday B2B procurement needs; for instance, Amazon Business often uses fixed prices for its vast catalog, and industrial suppliers like Grainger or McMaster-Carr run marketplace-like platforms with set pricing.
Marketplaces aren’t only for physical products; they can also support services or even act as procurement hubs. It’s worth distinguishing these models, even if your primary business is product-based, to make sure you’re considering every type of marketplace:
This is the classic model where the marketplace connects buyers and sellers of physical goods or tangible products. As a B2B ecommerce owner selling your own SKUs, this is the space you’re already in. Product marketplaces can be horizontal or vertical (as discussed earlier) but their common trait is focusing on items in inventory.
Instead of goods, these marketplaces connect businesses with service providers or contractors. This could mean freelance marketplaces (like Upwork, where companies hire professionals for projects) or industry-specific service platforms (for example, Freightos, a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with freight and logistics services).
Service marketplaces typically feature listings of providers, profiles, and the ability to request quotes or bookings for services. While service marketplaces are slightly outside the scope of a product seller’s immediate needs, they represent another way to scale a business, for instance, if at some point you off er services around your products (consulting, maintenance, etc.), a service marketplace could be relevant.
A special subtype in B2B is the procurement or RFQ (Request for Quote) marketplace. This is essentially a reverse marketplace model: instead of sellers listing products for sale, buyers post their purchasing needs or project requirements, and then suppliers bid or quote to fulfill those needs.
This model is common in large-scale industrial procurement or any scenario where each order is highly customized (e.g. a manufacturer needs a custom component, or a company needs a bespoke service project). Platforms like ThomasNet operate this way, a buyer might request a quote for a custom part, and multiple vetted suppliers will off er bids.
It’s a bit difficult to manage (features needed include quote management, bid comparison, and possibly reverse auctions for competitive bidding), but it delivers great value in markets where standard catalog listings don’t suit every transaction.
Also Read: What Happens When AI Takes Over B2B Negotiation?
Finally, consider the ownership and access model of the marketplace:
A private marketplace is one that is owned or sponsored by a specific company and is closed to the general public. Only approved buyers and suppliers can participate, usually by invitation or via a qualification process. This model is very common in B2B.
For example, a large enterprise might set up a private marketplace to connect its network of suppliers with its franchisees or buyers. It’s similar to an Amazon or Etsy style platform in functionality, but access is restricted to vetted participants.
The advantages are significant: the marketplace owner (sometimes called the “sponsor”) can aggregate demand among all participants to negotiate better pricing (e.g., bulk shipping rates, volume discounts from suppliers) and create new margins.
The owner also has control to ensure quality and compliance. Buyers enjoy a one-stop shop for approved products, and suppliers get digital access to a ready customer base under the sponsor’s umbrella. This can strengthen relationships and loyalty, as well as protect your brand and data.
A partner marketplace is a specific kind of private marketplace that uses channel partners (distributors, dealers, resellers) to reach end customers. In this model, a B2B company (often a manufacturer or a brand owner) creates a marketplace where its certified partners can sell the company’s products directly to customers.
The marketplace owner manages the product catalog and overall site, but hands off actual sales and fulfillment to the network of partners. This model is growing popular for manufacturers who have traditionally sold through dealers. It brings the channel online in a coordinated way.
The benefit is reducing channel conflict while increasing oversight: the manufacturer can ensure consistent product data, pricing, and brand experience on the marketplace, yet partners maintain the customer relationship and complete the sale. It also gives the manufacturer visibility into end-customer demand that they normally wouldn’t have when sales happen only through offline distributors.
An example of a partner marketplace is the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, where Microsoft allows verified software partners to off er solutions that complement Azure. If your B2B business relies on dealers or franchisees, a partner marketplace could be the right model to bring your channel online without cutting them out, thus scaling sales while keeping partners happy.
Just be mindful that in some partner marketplaces, once a lead is passed to the partner, the partner might complete some deals off -platform, and you could lose visibility or commission on those extras. Clear rules and incentives are needed to keep the activity on the marketplace.
Also Read: How Modern B2B Marketplaces Drive Sales Without Adding Complexity
If you primarily sell to other businesses (B2B), stick with B2B-focused marketplaces or wholesale sections of marketplaces; these support the bulk ordering, net payment terms, and account management that business buyers expect.
If you see an opportunity to also sell to consumers (B2C) (for example, your product could be used by end-users or small businesses), you might explore a D2C marketplace approach in parallel, but be cautious about channel conflict with any distributors.