Marketplaces, ecosystems, and digital sales models – retail is constantly evolving. As TESCO turns to Mirakl and new platform strategies emerge in retail, recent studies by BCG and others show how significantly value creation and customer access are shifting. It is also becoming clear in B2B: those who want to be successful in the future must become part of a larger digital ecosystem. For over 15 years, Comsysto Reply has been implementing complex e-commerce solutions for clients across all industries. At the same time, we track and analyze relevant trends in our e-Commerce Lab to be ready for tomorrow's challenges today. We share our insights here – every other Tuesday!
📊 Agentic Commerce is changing the rules of the game
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) describes in its latest study “Agentic Commerce is Redefining Retail – Here's How to Respond” (BCG), that purchasing behavior is undergoing a fundamental shift. AI-powered systems are increasingly taking over parts of the customer journey – from product search to final decision.
„More than half of consumers expect to use AI shopping assistants by the end of 2025.“
This means brands and retailers must make themselves visible in new ecosystems – wherever decisions are being algorithmically prepared. Those who master these interfaces will remain relevant to their customer base.
🛠️ Digital marketplaces as a strategic lever
A key driver of this development: the rise of marketplace models. They create reach, data access, and flexibility – and they continue to grow in importance. Most retailers are already active on six or more marketplaces (Ecommerce News). The competition for visibility is therefore shifting from individual shops to entire platform networks.
An example currently making headlines: Tesco. The British retail giant has switched its marketplace technology – moving away from Marketplacer and towards Mirakl (Tambo). Tesco expects this move to primarily deliver greater scalability and better integration into existing systems. For sellers on the platform, this means new tools, more automation, and a better opportunity to benefit from Tesco's reach.
🔧 From retail to aftersales: How platform logic creates added value
It is interesting to note that marketplace solutions like Mirakl are now also taking hold outside of traditional retail.
In a recent blog post , Mirakl describes why aftersales and the spare parts business are ideal for digital platform models – keywords: availability, automation, and process integration.
The case study with Toyota Material Handlingis particularly impressive: dealers and distributors were connected via a Mirakl-based marketplace – with measurable success. Toyota reports a 220% increase in revenue from digital parts sales within one year.
Such models demonstrate that platforms are no longer just points of sale, but strategic infrastructure that manufacturers and retailers can use to digitally expand their networks.
⚙️ The next stage of evolution: from retail to industry
Many of these developments are still heavily influenced by retail – but they demonstrate principles that are transferable:
- Platform-ready systems,
- data-driven offer logic,
- automated integration of partners and resellers,
- and the ability to build new business models on existing infrastructure.
In the manufacturing sector and B2B sales, this is becoming increasingly important: companies that open up their sales ecosystems create new access to customer groups and secure their relevance in an increasingly connected market.
That’s it for today – and here is what’s next
In the coming issues, we will pick up exactly where we left off: How can the mindset of increasingly integrated systems from retail be applied to B2B sales? What structures and technologies are needed for this? And what opportunities arise when manufacturers become platform providers themselves?
Stay tuned!
See you in two weeks!
Christian & the Comsysto Reply e-Commerce Lab