Commerce
Stage
Function
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Faire
1 Plenty for usersWholesale marketplace connecting independent brands with independent retailers; net-60 payment terms and free returns lower the barrier for small shops, though take rates remain substantial.
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Amazon
3 Cashing inDominant marketplace: Prime lock-in, ad load in search results, and third-party seller fees show clear tilt toward extraction.
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eBay
3 Cashing inMature marketplace leaning on promoted listings, managed payments, and seller standards that favour scale over hobbyists.
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Etsy
3 Cashing inCraft marketplace with rising fees, offsite ads, and pressure on sellers to absorb marketing and transaction costs.
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Shopify
2 Hard to leaveMerchant platform still oriented toward independence, though app ecosystem, payments, and enterprise upsells add lock-in over time.