Marketplace and Platform Models

Named models built around a platform, exchange or price-discovery mechanism that connects multiple independent buyers, sellers or participants, including a general online marketplace, a platform business connecting distinct user groups, price set through competitive bidding upward or downward, buyers pooling volume for a discount, and a catalog strategy that profits from many low-demand items rather than a few bestsellers. Belongs here: any model whose defining act is facilitating exchange or discovery among many independent parties rather than the operator selling its own inventory directly. Does not belong here: a company selling its own goods through a fixed channel with no independent third-party participants, grouped under Direct Sales and Distribution Channels.