Gameseek, a long established online game and toy retailer has opted to use the Mirakl marketplace platform to develop a consumer marketplace for gaming, electronics, books, clothing and toys/gadgets. Gameseek has millions of customers and a highly engaged social network and has devised the marketplace to be able to bring new category offerings to its audience.
As founder Stephen Staley explained “Taking a marketplace approach has always been in our grand plan as the way to become a central hub where consumers want to shop. We’ve been watching the market and believe we can utilise our vast experience, talents and technology in a way that is meaningful to consumers and fair to our partners on the marketplace. Any supplier will be able to “win” the Buy Box on GameSeek if they have the right offer, regardless of our own stock levels of the item. Equally, regardless of whichever supplier the customer buys from, they will earn the same points as part of a new loyalty scheme. We want everyone to be a winner.”
Because a marketplace was always on the agenda for GameSeek, it was simply a case of whether to build it in-house or invest in an established platform technology. In the end deciding to take the latter route it has gained rapid time to market at a lower overall cost together with expertise and assistance in developing its offering. This end to end approach lowers the risks for marketplace owners, decreases time to market, and ensures that the marketplace is as friction free as possible, retaining and gaining momentum after launch.
Staley added “We’ll be able to work with new categories that we would not have experimented with in the past such as Sports or Hobbies and Crafts, because it will be low risk and cost for us as the retailers, whilst creating a new outlet for marketplace partners.” For new selling partners there will be no set-up fees pr monthly membership fees.
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