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Neither direct-to-consumer (D2C) nor marketplace selling is automatically the better starting point for a new consumer brand. D2C offers more control over the storefront and customer interaction, but the brand must attract visitors and manage the buying experience. Marketplaces can put products in an established shopping environment, but their fees, rules and customer experience shape the economics. Choose based on where your customers shop, the contribution margin each channel leaves after all costs, and what your team can reliably operate. The channels can also work together.
What D2C and marketplace selling mean
D2C means selling to customers through a channel the brand operates, such as its own ecommerce site, rather than relying on a retailer or marketplace for that transaction. A marketplace is a third-party platform where customers shop across products and sellers. These are sales channels, not mutually exclusive business identities: a brand can operate its own site and list products on a marketplace.
Shopify’s comparison describes channel differences in areas such as distribution, brand control, customer insight, personalization and speed. Those are useful decision dimensions, not evidence that one model performs better for every brand. See Shopify’s B2C vs. D2C comparison and its D2C vs. wholesale overview for additional framing.
How the channels differ for a new brand
| Decision factor | D2C storefront | Marketplace |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and acquisition | The brand must attract and convert visitors through its own site. | Products appear in the platform’s shopping environment, where customers may already be searching. |
| Brand and experience control | The brand has greater control over its storefront presentation and customer interactions. | The platform controls more of the shopping environment and customer relationship. |
| Customer insight | Direct transactions can support first-party customer data collection, subject to applicable privacy rules and consent. | Access to customer information depends on the platform and its rules; it is not accurate to assume sellers receive none. |
| Costs and margin | Costs can include customer acquisition, ecommerce operations, payment processing, fulfillment, packaging, support and returns. | Costs can include plan fees, referral fees, fulfillment or shipping, advertising, returns and other program charges. |
| Operating responsibility | The brand runs the site and is responsible for traffic, fulfillment, service and returns. | The brand operates within the platform’s selling tools, policies and fee structure; fulfillment responsibilities vary by method. |
Compare the full economics, not one fee
A platform commission is not a fair comparison with a D2C subscription fee. Calculate contribution margin by SKU and channel: start with the revenue from a sale, then subtract the costs attributable to making and completing that sale. Include acquisition, fulfillment, service, returns and channel charges; where relevant, account for repeat purchases using the brand’s observed data rather than assuming they will happen.
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- D2C: Include traffic acquisition, ecommerce operations, payment processing, packaging, fulfillment, customer support and returns.
- Marketplace: Include the selling plan, category referral fee, fulfillment or shipping, advertising, returns and any category- or program-specific charges.
- Both: Use actual product costs and channel-specific assumptions. Compare net contribution alongside acquisition, repeat purchase, return rates and the operational load required to earn it.
For the United States, Amazon’s official pricing page lists the Individual plan at $0.99 per item sold and the Professional plan at $39.99 per month, both plus selling fees. Amazon says referral fees vary by category and are calculated as a percentage of the total price or a minimum amount, whichever is greater; its examples include 15% for Home and Kitchen and 15% for Sports and Outdoors. Customer-facing store categories and fee categories may differ. These are US-specific figures and can change. Check the current Amazon seller pricing page and US fee schedule for the product’s category and current terms.
Amazon’s Revenue Calculator can estimate costs for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and a seller’s own fulfillment method. Enter the product, dimensions, price and fulfillment assumptions that match the planned offer; an estimate is only as useful as its inputs.
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Discovery does not guarantee cheaper customers
A marketplace can expose a product to shoppers in a buying context, while a standalone site requires the brand to build or acquire traffic. That difference does not establish a universal acquisition-cost winner: costs depend on the category, audience, brand, repeat behavior and marketing spend.
Amazon’s pricing page reproduces a testimonial from Dewar Gaines, identified there as Founder & CEO: “There’s no question Amazon is the most efficient place in the world to reach new customers. It’s more than 50% cheaper for us to acquire a new customer through Amazon than it is elsewhere.” This is Gaines’s individual seller testimonial hosted by Amazon, not an independent benchmark for new brands generally.
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Match the channel to the brand’s priorities and capacity
D2C may fit when direct relationships matter
An owned storefront can suit a brand that needs more control over presentation, storytelling and customer interactions, or wants to develop first-party insight from its direct buyers. That control comes with work: the brand must bring in visitors, run the ecommerce operation, deliver orders, support buyers and handle returns.
A marketplace may fit when its shoppers and economics align
A marketplace may be worth considering when its shopping audience fits the product and the sale can absorb referral, fulfillment, advertising and other costs. Sellers also need to work within platform tools and policies. Check that the team can maintain accurate inventory, meet shipping promises, support buyers and process returns under the chosen fulfillment arrangement.
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A hybrid can give each channel a distinct job
D2C and marketplace sales can coexist, but the mix needs a reason and operational discipline. Set processes for inventory, pricing, product content, fulfillment and returns so that adding a channel does not create avoidable conflicts. Amazon announced Seller Central multichannel tools for connecting Amazon, eBay, Shopify, TikTok and Walmart accounts and managing listings, orders, fulfillment and profitability reporting. The announcement described a gradual US rollout; check Amazon’s announcement and Seller Central for current availability and capabilities.
A practical way to decide
- Map customer behavior. Identify where customers in the category search, discover and buy, rather than assuming a channel’s general reach applies to your product.
- Model contribution by SKU and channel. Use actual fees and costs, including acquisition, fulfillment, service and returns. For marketplace estimates, enter the exact product and fulfillment assumptions into the relevant calculator.
- Choose the strategic value you need. Decide how important direct interaction, brand storytelling and first-party customer insight are to the business model.
- Check operational readiness. Assess whether the team can run the storefront, acquire traffic, keep inventory accurate, ship reliably, support customers and manage returns.
- Test where the answer is uncertain. Run a limited channel mix for a defined period and compare net contribution, new-customer acquisition, repeat purchasing, returns and operational load.
Use market figures as context, not a forecast for your brand
Shopify’s 2026 D2C comparison reports an eMarketer estimate of $240 billion and an eMarketer forecast that D2C would account for 19% of total US retail ecommerce sales in 2025, published in May 2025. These are broad market context, not projections of sales or profitability for an individual new brand. Shopify also reports Amazon’s statement that independent sellers account for more than 60% of sales in Amazon’s store; that is an Amazon company-published figure, not evidence that marketplace selling outperforms D2C. See Shopify’s comparison for its reporting and attribution.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
