Neteven have launched a new “My Marketplace” module designed to allow brands to sell on retailers websites regardless of platform.
Many retailers wish to sell inventory on their website which they may not necessarily wish to purchase, hold in stock and then ship. There are many reasons for this, cash flow, warehouse space, logistics, lack of sales history leading to under or over stocks etc. That’s why we’ve seen retailers such as Tesco, Game and Halfords open marketplaces alongside their ecommerce websites.
Brands are catching on to marketplaces too, many years ago they wouldn’t have given eBay and Amazon the time of day, but nowadays the biggest brands in the world are muscling in and wanting a piece of the action.
Not all retailers want to run a marketplace however but brands still want exposure on their sites. Running a marketplace requires an investment in marketplace software, legal agreements drafting, back office arrangements not to mention brand reputation if anything goes wrong. That’s where Neteven’s “My Marketplace” comes in.
With My Marketplace, brands publish XML feeds of their stock, availability, pricing and product details to Neteven. This can then be fed to the retailers website who in turn provides a feed to integrate orders into Neteven which the brand picks up and drop ships the product.
Unlike a marketplace, there’s no need for the retailer to say that a product is “Sold by” a different company. It’s also not unusual for high street retailers to get manufactures to drop ship large products for delivery. What Neteven are doing is taking standard retail practise and making it simple for brands and retailers to work together online.
There are big benefits for both retailers and brands. Neteven offers brands the opportunity to grow their online revenue with limited resources and without the need for investment in several back offices. Brands can also adapt their listings and pricing strategy to each sales channel, thereby extending the lifecycle of their products.
Retailers can supplement their wholesale purchase and improve their product offering by selecting an assortment of products among a brand’s best-selling and long tail items. Thanks to the drop-ship model, retailers don’t need to stock the extra products and can expand abroad regardless of international shipping requirements.
If you’re a retailer or a brand who would like to find out more about My Marketplace, you can contact Neteven through their website or on 0203 356 2722.
One Response
Anyone used them ?