DTC or marketplaces: which model to choose

DTC (direct-to-consumer, selling directly through your own website) and marketplaces aren't mutually exclusive, but each comes with its own trade-offs — worth understanding before launch, not after the first disappointments.

Marketplace: ready-made traffic, someone else's rules

A marketplace's main advantage is a ready audience and logistics: you don't have to bring in cold traffic or arrange delivery yourself. The flip side is that you play by someone else's algorithms, the commission eats a noticeable share of the margin, and customer data (who they are, what else they buy) barely belongs to you.

DTC: full control, full responsibility

Your own website gives you full control over price, branding and your customer base — you see who buys from you and can build long-term relationships with them directly. The price of that control is having to handle everything a marketplace takes care of: attracting traffic, logistics, returns, website support.

How most brands choose in practice

What usually works isn't an either/or choice but a sequence: a marketplace at launch — to test demand quickly without investing in your own infrastructure — and a DTC channel once you've built a base of loyal customers and it makes sense to have a direct relationship with them without a middleman.