Pick the right platform and start selling your products
How we can support your marketplace integration
An integration is quick to describe and rarely quick to build. In practice it depends on categories, mandatory fields and where your stock is managed.
- We check which platforms fit your range and factor in the commission for each category.
- We connect your system: via Base.com, via ChannelEngine, via Mirakl Connect or directly through the marketplace API.
- Offers, stock and prices flow one way, orders and shipping confirmations flow back. You stop maintaining data twice, and an item is either available everywhere or nowhere.
- We build the catalogue for each platform: categories, mandatory attributes, images and translations. What each platform requires is set out under Content and rich media.
- We then run your account on an ongoing basis: metrics, deadlines and suspensions, plus pricing and advertising.
Four routes to marketplace integration
The right route comes down to three questions: where your stock sits today, how many channels you want to add and how strict the target platform is about its catalogue.
| Route | What it is built for | What you should know |
|---|---|---|
| Base.com | A Polish multichannel system that brings stock, offers and orders from several channels into one place. | Over 2000 integrations, around 30,000 companies, 14 countries. Since 2026 the system has cost PLN 279 net a month (around €65) plus PLN 0.99 per order, with up to 100 orders a month free of charge. |
| ChannelEngine | An integrator that connects shop and ERP systems to European marketplaces. | It makes sense when you publish to several countries at once from a single system. Operators such as OBI name it as a connection route. |
| Mirakl Connect | A network linking sellers with the marketplaces that run on Mirakl. | One account, several operators, plus FastTrack onboarding. Empik, a major Polish marketplace, handles its seller onboarding this way. More on this: Mirakl Connect und What is Mirakl. |
| Direct API integration and ERP | Amazon SP-API, Allegro API, Mirakl API, connected to your ERP or PIM. | Worth it at volume, with your own pricing rules or when the ERP has to remain the single source of truth. In Poland, ERP connections to Subiekt, Comarch, WAPRO or enova usually run through SellIntegro. |
Factor the cost of the tool into your numbers. Base.com has raised its prices three times since late 2024: a seller with 1000 orders a month now pays PLN 1,269 (EUR 290.83) instead of PLN 689 (EUR 157.91) in mid-2024. That is still less than half a salary, but it belongs in the calculation before you switch on a fifth channel.
Sources: Base.com, price list and figures on integrations and reach, as of 2026; Mirakl Connect and Empik onboarding, as of September 2026; ChannelEngine, vendor information 2026; SellIntegro as the connector for Polish ERP systems.
Which marketplace should you choose?
Marketplaces can be grouped by several criteria: product type, business model, target audience or the region they cover. The choice also decides the technology: Mirakl marketplaces require a catalogue per category, while Amazon and Allegro work through their own interfaces.
Vertical and horizontal marketplaces
Vertical and horizontal marketplaces differ mainly in the breadth and type of their range.
They focus on one type of product. The marketplace then sells only sports equipment, only fashion or only home accessories. This focus usually means more expertise and higher quality within the niche. Product information is more detailed and buying advice is better. Shoppers looking for specialist products return to the same marketplace, which builds loyalty. In Europe, examples include Zalando for fashion, home24 and XXXLutz for furniture and Decathlon for sport.
They carry a broad range across many categories. Instead of concentrating on one product group, they cover very different needs. Horizontal marketplaces work like an online shopping centre, with electronics, clothing and household goods side by side. The audience is just as mixed. Examples are Amazon, Kaufland and, in Poland, Allegro.
B2B and B2C marketplaces
The two models differ mainly in who they serve and how transactions work.
B2B marketplaces handle trade between businesses, so the users are companies rather than consumers. The range usually covers industrial and wholesale goods, raw materials, production components, specialist equipment and services. B2B transactions are more complex and larger than in B2C. They often involve long-term contracts, negotiated prices and different delivery terms. The focus is on a lasting business relationship, which is why personal contact and advice are part of the sales process.
B2C marketplaces sell directly to consumers. Their range runs from electronics and clothing to household items. B2C transactions are simpler and faster than in B2B. The focus is on a one-off purchase, where convenience, delivery speed and a smooth checkout decide. The priority is to win and satisfy the customer in the short term, often through marketing and promotions.
Global and local marketplaces
Global cross-border marketplaces make it possible to trade across national borders. Local marketplaces focus on one region or country.
Global cross-border marketplaces cover many countries and let sellers and buyers trade internationally. They give access to a wide range from different regions and attract a correspondingly mixed international audience. They also demand sophisticated logistics: international shipping, customs and multiple currencies. On top of that come the legal and tax requirements of each individual country. Cultural and language differences matter here too and shape both marketing and communication.
Local marketplaces focus on one country or region and serve buyers there. They usually run in one language and one currency, which is enough for their home market. Logistics and delivery are simpler because every transaction takes place within one country. In return, they understand local customers better, and both the range and the marketing are tailored to them. In Poland these are Allegro, Empik and eMAG. Allegro plays the role there that Amazon plays on your market.
Latest articles on marketplaces
Why sell through marketplaces
Selling on marketplaces such as Amazon, Kaufland or eMAG is an efficient way to grow your e-commerce business. These platforms bring millions of active users looking for all kinds of products, from fashion and footwear to electronics, household appliances, home and garden. Being present there gives you instant access to a wide audience without first building your own sales infrastructure.
With the platforms’ marketing and analytics tools you manage your range, adjust prices and track real buying behaviour. Their logistics networks enable fast, reliable delivery, and that is exactly what keeps customers satisfied.
Marketplaces such as Amazon and eMAG also make it easier to enter foreign markets, extending your reach and building brand awareness abroad. The platforms support translations, multiple currencies and local payment methods, so adapting to each market takes less effort.
As competition in e-commerce grows, marketplace presence has become a fixed part of sales strategy. Whatever your size or sector, be it fashion on Zalando, electronics on Amazon or everyday goods on Kaufland.de, these platforms open up new customer segments and additional revenue.
When you combine marketplace sales with your existing channels, you get an omnichannel strategy and your business becomes more competitive. It is a chance to sell more, strengthen your market position and keep pace with changing buying habits.
The scale: German e-commerce turned over around €83.1 billion in 2025, up 3.2%. Marketplaces accounted for 56% of this, or €46.2 billion. For 2026 the bevh, the German e-commerce association, expects growth of 3.8%.
In marketplace GMV for 2024, Amazon.de leads with €52.0 billion, followed by eBay with 8.7, OTTO with 7.1 and Zalando with €4.1 billion. If you sell through marketplaces in Germany, you sell on Amazon first and everywhere else after that.
Sources: bevh, figures on German e-commerce 2025 and forecast for 2026 (January 2026); EHI and ECDB, marketplace GMV 2024 (September 2025).
What international expansion through marketplaces brings
International expansion through marketplaces is a strategic step for companies that want to grow their presence in global e-commerce. These platforms put millions of customers within reach and lower the barriers to entering a new market. Selling on global marketplaces increases revenue and visibility without investing in local infrastructure or complex logistics.
The platforms support multilingual service, payments in several currencies and international distribution. This makes it easier to adapt your offer to each market. Fulfilment services go a step further and give you access to the marketplace’s own logistics.
Buying habits and preferences differ markedly from market to market. Adapting your own shop to local expectations, such as preferred payment methods, delivery options and service standards, is expensive and slow. Marketplaces are already tuned to their markets, with familiar payment methods and an interface that follows local habits. This saves both implementation costs and adaptation work.
They also offer analytics and marketing tools tailored to each local market. These make it easier to understand what customers need and shape your range accordingly. Being present on these platforms also builds credibility, because buyers trust the platforms they already know.
The catch is the obligations that come with every market. VAT via OSS covers distance sales, but it does not replace local registration where your goods are physically stored. A warehouse in Germany, including via FBA, means a German VAT number and monthly returns.
Then there are the registrations: LUCID under the German Packaging Act (VerpackG), checked by marketplaces since 1 July 2022, WEEE with stiftung ear, the BattDG since 7 October 2025 and the GPSR since 13 December 2024. Without an EPR number, platforms block your offers. We tell you which registrations apply to you and guide you through the paperwork. We are not a law firm.
Sources: VerpackG and LUCID register, marketplace verification duty since 1 July 2022; ElektroG and stiftung ear; BattDG since 7 October 2025; GPSR since 13 December 2024; Amazon Seller Central on VAT obligations when storing goods in Germany, as of September 2026.
More on selling through marketplaces
With us, you sell everywhere
You generate the most revenue when several channels work together. We build every part of a working online sales operation with you and then keep running it for as long as you want.
We run accounts on Allegro, the largest marketplace in Poland, as well as on Amazon, Kaufland, Empik, eMAG, Erli, Zalando, Modivo, Media Expert, MediaMarkt, Super-Pharm, Douglas, Decathlon, Castorama, Leroy Merlin, OBI, XXXLutz, home24, Black Red White, bol.com, Temu and TikTok Shop.
Work out what a channel has to bring in before it pays for itself in our ROI calculator.
See also
EUR conversions: NBP rate of 18 September 2026 (table 182/A/NBP/2026), EUR 1 = PLN 4.3633.
