In this episode the focus is on data: Ingrid speaks with Friedrich Schwandt, co-founder of ECDB, about current developments in the global marketplace landscape. At the centre are new insights into market concentration, the growth of 3P models, and shifting dynamics among leading platforms.

They discuss why 84% of global e-commerce revenue now flows through marketplaces and how power structures within the top players are evolving – driven by the rapid growth of platforms like Temu, Shein or TikTok Shop.

At the same time, they take a closer look at regional champions and category specialists, analysing how to identify whether a marketplace model is being built strategically or merely “running on the side.” The conversation also covers new transparency around 1P and 3P shares, the role of data modelling and estimation, and why 3P has become the central growth driver in e-commerce.

Pricing on marketplaces is no longer just an operational lever. In this episode, Ingrid talks to Alexander Ioffe (Dimax Group) and Mateusz Wrobel (base) about the reality behind repricing and automation.

It becomes clear that prices are shaped by a combination of factors: competition, platform logic, availability, margins and strategic goals - and often also by dynamics within a brand’s own distribution network. When multiple partners sell the same brand, different calculations collide and can trigger self-reinforcing price spirals.

They explain why automation is necessary, but does not replace strategy. Repricing tools react faster, but they don’t decide why prices should be adjusted. This is where the work shifts: away from operational maintenance towards clearly defined price boundaries and strategic control.

An episode about control, responsibility and the question of how much you should really leave to automation.

Note from the sponsor Channable:

Incomplete or inaccurate product data quickly costs visibility and margin in the marketplace business. This is especially true in the DIY segment, where a single centimetre can make a huge difference. Because here, it’s not about “Do I like it?”, but whether a product actually fits, works, and is correctly classified. Channable sees this every day. The integrator works with product feeds across multiple categories and marketplaces – and has a clear view of where data does not align with platform logic. What’s interesting is that the issues are often not that complex. More on how to improve product data can be found in this LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/valerie-dichtl_2-m-instead-of-200-cm-and-your-product-share-7448286365009666049-hxVb?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAdsMEUB4XWtREmwGDN_WBf1ZK4QGlwZlME

Note from the sponsor Front Row

If you work with marketplaces, you probably know this situation: your Amazon team optimizes retail media, your D2C team looks at CRM and lifetime value, and your performance team focuses on ROAS. But the customer doesn’t experience your brand in separate channels. From the customer’s perspective, it’s all one journey - from discovery on social media to research on marketplaces and finally to purchase. And that’s exactly what the new Connected Commerce Guide by Front Row is about. The guide explains how brands can connect Amazon, D2C, retail media and CRM into one system instead of optimizing each channel individually. It shows why focusing only on short-term metrics like ROAS often hides the real impact marketplaces have on the overall customer lifetime value. You can download the Connected Commerce Guide by Front Row for free here: https://www.frontrowgroup.de/insight/connected-commerce-guide/

Kaufland is often seen as a price-driven marketplace - and that is exactly why many brands underestimate it. In this episode, Ingrid and Valerie talk to Jan Weiß from Sleeping and Markus Anstotz from Kaufland Global Marketplace about how brands actually succeed on Kaufland - beyond the usual assumptions.

At the core is the question of where brand building really happens on such a marketplace. Visibility is largely driven by price, title, and image - the real differentiation begins after the click. They explain why content is not just a conversion driver, but a central lever for brand control, especially for products that require explanation.

The conversation also dives into the operational reality of Retail Media on Kaufland: why a structured campaign setup is critical, what role top sellers play, and why not every product should be treated the same. Another focus is on how to measure success - and why classic KPIs like ACOS or ROAS often fall short. Instead, they discuss how brands should evaluate the share of marketing in total revenue, and why this is the key question for sustainable growth.

Note from the sponsor base:

Repricing is a persistent challenge on marketplaces: On the one hand, prices have to keep up with intense competitive pressure. On the other, they shouldn’t put your margins at risk. At the same time, effective repricing is almost impossible to manage manually when prices change multiple times a day - especially across hundreds of products. This is where repricing tools like the one from Base come in:

They use intelligent algorithms to adjust prices based on predefined rules. How this works in practice will be shown by Alexander Ioffe from Dimax International and Mateusz Wrobel from Base in podcast episode 148 next week. Don’t miss it!