Ulta Beauty’s highly-anticipated digital marketplace, called the UB Marketplace, has officially launched. “Internally, we call it the second floor of the E-comm store, [or] a digital mezzanine,” Josh Friedman, svp of e-commerce and digital at Ulta Beauty, told Glossy. “[It’s filled with] the things you would expect or hope you would find on ulta.com that we typically haven’t carried before [due to space constraints].” 

The marketing funnel is no longer an easy road paved with gold. These days, it can feel like a bumpy ride in a city cab—potholes and all. When the customer journey is choppy, it can become a real issue for marketers tasked with creating and managing a brand, generating awareness, and driving sales-qualified leads. Instead of a smooth, clear path that reinforces loyalty, you get a bunch of lost, would-be customers who quickly lose interest.

Amazon continues to add international marketplaces, but most sellers aren’t following them across borders. Despite Amazon’s efforts to make global selling easier, nearly 70% of sellers remain active in just one marketplace. According to Marketplace Pulse research, 69% of Amazon sellers operate in a single marketplace, while less than 1% are truly global – selling in 11 or more countries. Even among the more ambitious sellers, only 6% have expanded to six or more marketplaces.

Amazon revolutionized retail. What one thing has made Amazon a digital superpower? It isn’t their vast selection of goods – even as a small online bookstore, they were disrupting retail by transforming the way we buy and consume media. It isn’t their reliable delivery – customers expect this of any retailer. It isn’t their customer service – while it excels in the eyes of consumers and has a positive impact on Amazon’s bottom line, it’s nothing that most other retailers can’t mimic or even surpass.

Discover how the rise of online marketplaces is transforming the retail landscape in 2025. Explore emerging trends, consumer behavior, and strategies for retailers to thrive in this evolving marketplace. As we settle into 2025, the transformative role of online marketplaces is becoming increasingly prominent in the retail sector. Marketplaces have transitioned from being an alternative sales channel to a primary driver of business growth. Their influence is reshaping consumer behaviour and the way businesses interact with customers. In this article, we explore the latest trends surrounding digital marketplaces and their implications for retailers in today’s economy.

If you’re thinking of creating a B2B marketplace, you’re in good company.  Gartner estimates that 80% of B2B sales will occur digitally in 2025. As digital channels continue become more and more popular for B2B, marketplaces play an important role in the growing landscape.In fact, B2B marketplaces are the fastest-growing digital sales channel in distribution, with 100% year-over-year growth. This article walks through the basics of B2B marketplaces, how they work, and how to launch one. 

Building on the previous three years reports into the burgeoning and blossoming European marketplace sector, the ChannelX Europe’s Marketplaces 2024 report takes a performance led approach to analysing the market across Europe. Outlining the overall performance of the sector across Europe, the report assesses how marketplace trading as a whole has changed since 2023, focussing on both the sectors using marketplaces and the regions where marketplace use has changed.

Year after year, Amazon continues to revolutionize the way we shop and sell online. With its ever-growing global reach and customer base, Amazon is an essential platform for any brand. Amazon’s net sales reached an impressive $450 billion in 2024 through Q3, marking a significant milestone for the company. In fact, Q3 sales hit the second-highest total in Amazon’s history, underscoring its continued dominance in global ecommerce and remaining a key player for any seller looking to scale in the competitive ecommerce space.