Multichannel ecommerce in 2025: the complete marketplace selling guide

This year, experts predict that global online sales will hit U.S. $6.8 trillion, making 21% of all retail transactions—and the fastest-growing slice of that pie is happening on third-party marketplaces. 

For ambitious growing retailers, multichannel ecommerce is now the shortest path to new buyers and higher profit margins.

Yet running listings, inventory and orders across half a dozen storefronts is anything but simple. Logistical hurdles like duplicate SKUs, oversells, out-of-sync pricing, and siloed analytics can quickly erode profit margins and customer trust.

🔍 In this guide, we’ll show you how to win the multichannel ecommerce game in 2025. We dive deep into:

• Marketplace heat-map: where shoppers (and your competitors) are flocking this year
• Regional deep dives: the quirks of the U.S., German and Chinese ecosystems
• Emerging vs. established platforms: spotting the next TikTok Shop before it explodes
• Operational playbook: proven tech stacks and workflows for growing ecommerce retailers that make scaling seamless and pain-free

Top global marketplaces to watch in 2025

Here’s a quick overview of the three most popular regions growing multi-channel ecommerce retailers are expanding to.

• The United States still commands the deepest GMV pool and the most mature fulfillment infrastructure, with Amazon alone capturing almost 40% of all U.S. ecommerce sales. This makes Amazon one of the top U.S. online marketplaces
• Germany, meanwhile, offers a tech-savvy, cross-border-friendly audience of roughly 58 million online shoppers, over half of whom already buy from foreign sites.
• China remains the largest single ecommerce market worldwide, making retailers particularly interested in China’s marketplaces. Its soaring middle class pushes online retail toward the US $1.8 trillion mark (even with only ~38 % of the population shopping online).

Together these three regions set the pace for marketplace growth—but each has distinct buyer expectations, regulatory hurdles, and platform pecking orders that sellers must navigate.

Region-by-region comparison

Region	Market size / growth signal	Shopper expectations & quirks	Leading marketplaces	Seller watch-outs
United States	US ecommerce on track for US $1.7T by 2027	Prime-speed delivery, aggressive price competition	Amazon Walmart eBay	High FBA/WFS fees, marketplace ad spend needed
Germany	58M online shoppers; cross-border friendly	Returns culture (up to 70% in fashion), preference for invoice & PayPal payments	Amazon.de OTTO Zalando	Localized listings & CS in German; strict eco-packaging norms
China	World’s largest ecommerce economy; > US $1.8T	Same-day/low-cost delivery, live-stream commerce	Tmall/Taobao JD.com Pinduoduo/Temu	Bonded-warehouse logistics, complex entry fees/approvals

Established anchors vs. rising stars

Think of your multichannel ecommerce strategy as a barbell: on one end sit the proven volume-drivers—Amazon (US/DE), Walmart, Tmall, and JD.com—channels with built-in trust, traffic, and turnkey fulfillment. 

On the other end are high-growth bets such as TikTok Shop, Temu, Pinduoduo, Allegro, Target Plus, and Wayfair, where early movers can capture outsized ROI before competition catches up. 

Keep your core catalogue on the anchors for steady revenue, then allocate 10-15% of SKUs (and ad spend) to the challengers; just make sure your ops stack—inventory sync, automated order routing, flexible returns—can scale smoothly as your multi-channel ecommerce footprint grows.

Next we’ll dive into each US, German and Chinese marketplace—fees, fulfillment models and optimization playbooks—to help you refine your broader multi-channel ecommerce strategy for 2025.

Platform deep dives & how to win on each

Below you’ll find a quick-hit playbook for the major ecommerce channels to sell on.

eBay: global reach for auctions, collectibles, and refurb goods

eBay remains the go-to marketplace for collectibles, electronics, automotive parts, and other niche items, pairing auction-style listings with fixed-price options and a large international buyer base.

☑️ How to win on eBay

• Play to eBay’s fee advantage. Lower final-value fees and 250 free listings per month mean you can test SKUs with minimal risk.
• Maximize search visibility. Cassini favors accurate item specifics, competitive shipping, and strong seller ratings—use Promoted Listings to climb results pages.
• Excel at service & fulfillment. Because eBay lacks an FBA-style network, fast dispatch times and responsive messaging are critical to maintaining Top Rated Seller status.

Learn more: How to start selling on eBay successfully

Tiktok shop

More than 70% of global TikTok shoppers buy immediately after spotting an item in their feed or a live stream, and one in two Gen-Z consumers now uses TikTok as a search engine. Multichannel ecommerce sellers targeting younger audiences are finding TikTok Shop to be an increasingly vital channel.

☑️ How to win

• When selling on TikTok shop, run short-form videos that end on a friction-free in-app checkout.
• Keep real-time inventory buffers in place; viral spikes will expose stock-level delays fast.
• Pair every product drop with creator or affiliate campaigns to widen reach.

Learn more: TikTok Shop inventory management

Etsy (and alternatives)

Etsy remains the de-facto storefront for handmade and vintage goods, thanks to its household name recognition and built-in craft-loving traffic. Sellers benefit from an easy onboarding flow, storytelling-friendly product pages, and fees that are lower than mass-market giants.

But Etsy isn’t built for every multichannel ecommerce retailer. Strict anti-reselling rules and caps on mass-produced inventory can block brands that are trying to scale, while limited access to customer data makes advanced marketing tough. 

When those constraints bite, diversifying into Etsy alternatives like Amazon Handmade, Shopify, or Folksy starts to make sense.

☑️ How to win

• Own the Etsy crowd first. Optimize titles, tags and photos for search inside Etsy’s marketplace, and lean into storytelling to justify handmade price points.
• Safeguard one-of-a-kind inventory. Sync stock levels across channels to avoid oversells if you cross-list rare items.
• Scale beyond Etsy when volume or data needs grow. Cross-list your best sellers on Amazon Handmade or launch a branded Shopify store—our Etsy alternatives guide walks through fees, audiences and setup tips.
• Keep control of email and loyalty. Use packaging inserts or post-purchase messages (within Etsy’s rules) to steer repeat buyers to your own site, where you can collect first-party data freely.

Learn more: Best Etsy alternatives for handmade goods

Decathlon

Decathlon—the world’s largest sports retailer—launched its invite-only marketplace in 2020 and has since expanded across nine European countries. The invite-only model reduces competition and rewards niche inventory (cycling, trail, water sports) Decathlon Marketplace. It has since become part of many sellers’ broader multi-channel ecommerce approach.

☑️ How to win

• Lead with performance specs and sustainability creds (big buying triggers for Decathlon’s core users).
• Leverage the dedicated account manager to surface category gaps early.

Learn more: Decathlon Marketplace seller guide

Walmart marketplace

Many mid-market multichannel ecommerce brands rely on Walmart for a significant share of online sales—but juggling stock, price, and 2-day-ship promises gets complex fast.

☑️ How to win

• Enroll high-velocity SKUs in Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) to snag “Pro Seller” badges.
• Use an inventory app that bulk-edits listings and syncs orders to avoid duplicate work.
• Test sponsor-product ads; CPCs remain lower than Amazon.

Learn more: Top Walmart inventory management apps

Amazon

Amazon still captures nearly 40% of all U.S. ecommerce sales, and its FBA network gives multichannel ecommerce retailers access to Prime shipping, warehousing and customer service at scale.

☑️ How to win on Amazon

• Own your product detail page. Inject high-intent keywords, professional imagery, and A+ Content to boost search rank and conversion.
• Chase (and keep) the Buy Box. Competitive pricing, stellar seller metrics, and always-in-stock inventory are the core levers—reinforce them with Sponsored Products ads and an automated repricer.
• Leverage FBA—but watch your costs. Use Amazon’s fee previews and aged-inventory reports to stay profitable on bulky or slow-moving SKUs.

Learn more: How to list products on Amazon to maximize profits

📌Pro tip: Selling toys and games on Amazon can be extremely profitable when done right. Read our full guide for category-specific sourcing, pricing, and compliance tips.

While we’re on the subject of Amazon, let’s take a closer look at Amazon-specific success strategies that growing retailers can apply.

Managing inventory and fulfillment via FBA or FBM

Amazon sellers have two primary models for fulfilling orders: Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM). Choosing the right strategy depends on factors like cost, control and product type.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) 

With FBA, sellers ship their inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Amazon then handles the storage, packing, shipping and customer service for those products. This is especially advantageous for multi-channel ecommerce businesses seeking fast fulfillment and national reach.

• ✅Pros of FBA:
  • Products become eligible for Amazon Prime’s free, fast shipping, which can increase visibility and sales.
  • Amazon manages the logistics of picking, packing, and shipping orders, which reduces the seller’s workload.
  • FBA listings are often favored by Amazon’s algorithm, improving their chances of winning the Buy Box.
• ❌Cons of FBA:
  • Sellers incur fees for storage and fulfillment, which can be high for slow-moving or oversized items.
  • Amazon’s Inventory Performance Index (IPI) can restrict the amount of stock a seller can send to fulfillment centers.
  • Sellers have less direct control over their inventory, as Amazon may move it between different warehouses.

Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) 

With FBM, the seller is responsible for all aspects of storage, packing, and shipping, either from their own facilities or through a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. This model offers more control for multichannel ecommerce brands managing complex or oversized inventory.

• ✅Pros of FBM:
  • Sellers retain full control over their inventory and fulfillment processes.
  • It can be more cost-effective for products with slow turnover or for oversized items, as it avoids FBA storage fees.
  • FBM inventory is not subject to Amazon’s IPI restock limits.
• ❌Cons of FBM:
  • Products do not automatically qualify for Prime shipping. Sellers must meet strict performance requirements to qualify for the Seller-Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program.
  • The seller is responsible for all warehousing, logistics, and customer service, which requires more operational effort.
  • FBM listings may have a disadvantage in competing for the Buy Box compared to FBA listings.

Hybrid approach 

Many sellers adopt a hybrid strategy, using both FBA and FBM to optimize costs and efficiency. This often involves using FBA for fast-selling products to leverage Prime eligibility, while using FBM for slower-moving or larger items to avoid storage fees. This is particularly effective for multi-channel ecommerce businesses balancing speed and margin across platforms.

Learn more: How to Manage Amazon Inventory in 2025: A Complete Seller’s Guide

How Amazon custom opens up personalization options

Amazon Custom is a feature that allows sellers to offer personalized and make-on-demand products. This gives customers the ability to add a personal touch to their purchases, turning an average gift into something unique. Sellers who use Amazon Custom are responsible for fulfilling the orders themselves, as customized products are not eligible for FBA.

Benefits of Amazon Custom:

• Increased Reach: It opens up product offerings to a larger audience of customers looking for custom items.
• Higher Average Order Value: The perceived value of a product increases when customers can personalize it, which encourages higher spending.
• Increased Revenue: Unique offerings and upsell opportunities can generate more revenue.

Customization Types: Sellers can offer three main types of customization:

1. Text: Customers can add text to products using fonts and colors specified by the seller. This is used for printing, engraving, and embroidery.
2. Image: Customers can upload their own images or graphics, scale them on the product, and add text.
3. Product Configuration: Sellers can create a drop-down menu of options that allows shoppers to build their own product. This can also be used to charge extra for certain customizations.

To start using this feature, sellers must have a Professional Seller account, which costs $39.99 per month plus selling fees.

Learn more: How to set up an Amazon Custom profile and be successful

Best practices for Amazon order management

Amazon order management is the entire process of handling an order from placement to post-purchase customer service. An efficient order management system leads to faster delivery, fewer errors, and greater customer satisfaction.

The same principles apply across multi-channel ecommerce operations where accuracy, speed and communication are critical.

Key Strategies and Best Practices:

• Utilize Amazon’s Tools: Use the “Manage Orders” tool in Seller Central to view and update orders and download reports for analysis.
• Maintain Accurate Inventory: Keep inventory levels accurate and updated across all sales channels to prevent canceling orders due to stock unavailability.
• Prioritize Customer Communication: Proactively inform customers about any delays or issues with their order to prevent negative feedback.
• Monitor Seller Metrics: Regularly review key performance metrics like order defect rate, pre-fulfillment cancel rate and late shipment rate to identify areas for improvement.
• Automate Where Possible: Use software to automate tasks such as updating tracking information, sending follow-up emails or adjusting prices.

Learn more: Amazon order management: How to master it for optimal efficiency

Effectively managing a single marketplace like Amazon is a significant achievement. However, for most growing brands, the next step is expanding to multiple channels like eBay, Etsy or Walmart. Expanding to multiple platforms introduces new operational hurdles that require a more centralized approach to maintain efficiency and control.

Centralizing your multi-channel ecommerce operations

Selling on multiple channels increases your reach, but it also exponentially increases your operational complexity. To scale successfully, you need to centralize your operations to maintain efficiency, avoid errors and keep customers happy.

📶 Why operational efficiency is critical to scale across platforms

Without a centralized system, managing a multi-channel ecommerce business quickly becomes chaotic. Sellers often find themselves struggling to coordinate inventory, which can lead to overselling and scrambling to find missing items. 

Manually copy-pasting data between platforms is not only time-consuming but also a recipe for errors that can lead to disappointed customers. 

As a business grows, it must manage platform-specific policies for returns, shipping, and customer service, which adds another layer of complexity.

🔁 How marketplace integrations enable real-time syncing and reduce errors

A marketplace integration is a system that connects your online business to digital marketplaces like Amazon, eBay or Etsy, allowing you to manage inventory and orders seamlessly. 

This connection works by synchronizing data between your ecommerce platform and the various marketplaces. When a channel is enabled, the platform can communicate with it to download orders and send stock updates.

This automation is key to reducing errors. When an order is received on any channel, the integration ensures the order is reflected in your central inventory automatically, so you don’t have to remember to update the system manually. You eliminate the risk of overselling and ensure your stock levels are always accurate across all platforms.

Learn more: Do you need marketplace integrations for your ecommerce business?

Make multi-channel ecommerce your competitive advantage

For ambitious brands, the path to growth in 2025 is clear: expand across a strategic mix of platforms as part of your multi-channel ecommerce strategy. Success requires balancing established anchors like Amazon and Walmart with rising stars like TikTok Shop to reach new buyers where they are shopping. 

However, winning isn’t just about listing products; it’s about mastering the operational complexity that comes with multi-channel ecommerce. Without a centralized system, issues like overselling, out-of-sync inventory, and fulfillment errors can quickly undermine your expansion efforts.

This is where Linnworks transforms multichannel complexity into a competitive advantage. Instead of juggling dozens of platforms in your multi-channel ecommerce mix, Linnworks provides a single, intuitive dashboard to give you complete control over your entire ecommerce operation. 

Key to this is real-time inventory management that automatically syncs stock levels across every channel, eliminating costly stockouts and oversells. From order creation to shipping, automated workflows streamline every step to reduce errors and ensure customers get their orders quickly and accurately.

With seamless integrations connecting you to hundreds of global marketplaces, D2C platforms, and 3PLs, Linnworks provides the power to scale effortlessly and improve your bottom line.

Curious to see how Linnworks can help streamline your multi-channel ecommerce operations? Request your free demo today, or reach out to our team.