Table of Content



1. OVERVIEW
1.1. Catalyst
1.2. Summary

2. NEW BUSINESS MODELS ARE RISING TO TAKE ON AMAZON
2.1. Amazon revolutionized the marketplace model by competing aggressively as a retailer alongside its third-party sellers
2.2. More traditional marketplace models are still going strong
2.3. Social marketplaces could be the next big disruptors

3. AMAZON’S SERIAL DISRUPTION HAS GIVEN IT A BAD REPUTATION
3.1. The key strength of Amazon.com is its aggression towards its sellers
3.2. Amazon’s ecommerce strategy is rapidly moving away from a marketplace-driven model
3.3. Amazon’s aggression is also a weakness, and leads to outside threats
3.3.1. Weakening of its third-party seller base is a threat as well as an opportunity
3.3.2. The threat of regulation in Amazon’s biggest markets has intensified in 2020
3.3.3. Geographical expansion could face hostility in emerging markets

4. EBAY IS WELL-POSITIONED TO MARKET ITSELF AS AN AMAZON ALTERNATIVE
4.1. Unlike Amazon, eBay’s strength is its hands-off business model
4.2. eBay has abundant opportunities for growth
4.2.1. Support for local businesses and green goals in 2020
4.2.2. Taking control of payments and improving automation

5. FACEBOOK IS BUILDING DIVERSE SOCIAL MARKETPLACES THAT DRIVE AD REVENUE
5.1. Facebook has multiple integrated ecommerce channels
5.2. Facebook Marketplace and Shops take sellers beyond ads and followings
5.2.1. Apparent weaknesses belie Facebook Marketplace’s potential
5.2.2. Shops will become far more than a well-timed PR move

6. APPENDIX
6.1. Abbreviations and acronyms
6.2. Further reading

7. ASK THE ANALYST

8. ABOUT MARKETLINE



List of Figures


Figure 1: Q3 2020 revenues and margins of eBay and Amazon ($bn, %)
Figure 2: Facebook Marketplace’s monthly visits versus Craigslist, July 2017-June 2018
Figure 3: Facebook’s ad-driven social marketplaces


List of Tables


Table 1: Top ten online marketplaces globally, by estimated monthly visits in February 2020.