Article

Ecommerce Stores Vs Marketplaces: Decoding the Optimal D2C Strategy

Inc42 Free Intermediate India

A more analytical breakdown of the actual margin and CAC trade-offs between running your own store versus selling through marketplaces, from India's most consistent D2C trade publication.

  • D2C offers full margin but demands heavy upfront CAC and logistics investment
  • Marketplace fees compress margin but convert against ready, high-intent demand
  • The right mix depends heavily on category and where your buyer already shops
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The question it answers

  1. What's the real trade-off between D2C margin/data and marketplace reach?

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  2. A deliberately contrarian global take arguing CPG brands over-index on pure-DTC, worth reading precisely because it pushes back... SmashBrand Article Why CPG Brands Should Take an Omnichannel Approach, Not DTC SmashBrand
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