The online marketplace nurtures its community of buyers and sellers
Implications - In an effort to strengthen the relationships between buyers, sellers and the marketplaces themselves, the online marketplace industry has seen a surplus of programs, events and social media initiatives that allow each member in this online micro-chain to better understand one another. This shift reveals that those who play in the online marketplace seek to be part of a true community, beyond transactions.
Workshop Question - How could your company better support others within your industry?
Trend Themes
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Online Marketplace Community-building — Online marketplaces are creating programs, events and social media initiatives to strengthen the relationships between buyers, sellers and the marketplaces themselves, revealing a need for an online community beyond transactions.
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Increased Collaboration and Partnership Opportunities — Digital platforms are partnering with other e-commerce sites and retailers (such as Tumblr with Etsy, Nordstrom and West Elm with Etsy) to offer more collaborative and diversified services and products for their customers.
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Empowering Events and Educational Networking Opportunities — E-commerce companies are hosting events such as Shopify's Beyond the Code to uplift women in tech and eBay's resource-sharing events for sellers to offer educational opportunities and networking strategies beyond online selling.
Industry Implications
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E-commerce — These trends indicate opportunities for e-commerce platforms to create a stronger sense of community and offer diversified, collaborative services and products.
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Retail — Partnerships between digital platforms and retailers such as Nordstrom and West Elm offer retail businesses more opportunities to expand their product offerings through online marketplaces.
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Technology — By hosting tech events to celebrate and empower women in tech and offering resource-sharing events for sellers, e-commerce companies are providing opportunities for tech industries to diversify and expand opportunities for underrepresented groups.
