B2B2C eCommerce Model
Reading about business models of online/offline businesses, you will be surprised by the long chains of letters denoting the logic of interaction between market players: B2B2C, B2B2B, C2B2B, B2C2B, and others.
This diversity is a fruit of businesses to find and apply innovative business models. Each acronym we discuss here – specifically, B2B2C – describes the go-to-market (GTM) strategy, pricing policy, stakeholder engagement of that model, distribution channels, products supplied, and finance movement. Thus, B2B2C combines business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) into a single online trading model for a complete product or service transaction.
What is B2B2C eCommerce?
Let us disclose B2B2C meaning. Business-to-Business-to-Consumer (B2B2C) is the term used to describe the eCommerce model wherein Business "A" and Business "B" engage in collaborative business deals and development exercises whereby Business "A" pays Business "B" for the ability to offer Business "A’s" product or service to Business "B’s" consumer customer channel for selling online.

How Does B2B2C eCommerce Work?
The B2B2C business model has three members. Business “A” establishes a mutually beneficial business deal with Business “B” to bring a better choice of products to “Consumers” and provide a higher level of customer experience at Business “B’s” ecommerce website. Here is the reason for each party in this chain.
B2B2C Meaning: First “B” Is Business "A" in B2B2C
This means an original business that enters the B2B2C collaboration and has a hope to acquire more consumer customers.
In the classical market model of channel partnership, Business "A" has to find a wholesale buyer, such as a distributor or a retail chain, and establish trade relations with them to sell Business “A’s” goods to retail buyers at the last stage of the sales channel.
The advantage of B2B2C model in ecommerce is that Business “A’s” products immediately fall into the view of Business “B’s” customers at Business “B’s” ecommerce website, bypassing the intermediate stage of wholesale, resale between companies, and other intermediate stages. Moreover, orders placed online in Business “B’s” online store can be delivered to consumers directly from Business "A", i.e., Business "A" could have direct access to customers if it is allowed by an agreement with Business “B”.
This model is especially effective for the small biz niche and emerging brands that can take advantage of Business “B’s” popularity and reputation.

B2B2C Meaning: Second “B” Is Business "B" in B2B2C
An intermediate Business “B” can have several possible motives to participate in the B2B2C model. On the one hand, it might just be commercial considerations; for example, the second “B” might get the sales commission that is funnelled through it. But often the middle “B” doesn't make too much money in this chain.
Therefore, there must be other motives as well. Some of these involve providing value to Business "B" customers by giving them better (or more convenient) buying options. In some cases, such as buying a school uniform, middle “B” is likely to want to ensure that all of their customers buy a standardized product.

С Buyers in Business-to-Business-to-Consumer eCommerce
As with any successful trading business model, there must be all parties to the beneficiaries. Consumers are the ultimate purchaser of Business “A’s” products and they benefit from easy access to them through Business “B’s” sales channels.
Often, Business “B” negotiates reduced prices, marketing promotions, bonuses, and welcome gifts for buyers of Business “A’s” products. Consumers respond positively to such promotions, placing more orders and thus Business “B” makes more revenue through commissions and cross-selling of its own goods as well.
Why are B2B Businesses Expanding to B2B2C and Is This Model Successful?
The essence of the B2B2C model is based on partnership and successful business deals. Such a model is viable if the products of Business "A" do not compete, but complement the products of Business "B". In general, B2B2C model products coming from Business "A" usually expand the functionality of Business “B’s” products or help them be used more effectively.
As an example, consider Business “B”, which sells premium footwear, and Business “A” as a furniture factory. In this case, Business “A” can offer Business “B’s” wealthy clientele its nice-looking oak shelves to store shoes in home dressing rooms.
Advantages of B2B2C When Selling Online
B2B2C belongs to a win-win-win model in which all parties benefit. Business “A” gets access to Business “B’s” customer base at their ecommerce website and thus increases its sales volume. Business “B” is expanding its range of products offered to the market, can run more cross-sell campaigns, and get commissions from Business “A” for orders made on its online store.
Consumers can buy Business “A’s” products in their usual sales channel owned by Business “B”. In addition, consumers often benefit from marketing promotions, especially in the first months when Business “A” joins the B2B2C model.
Disadvantages of B2B2C
Quite often, for Business “A”, the conditions for joining the model are similar to the rules of marketplaces. This means they receive no access to the contact data of the consumers. Accordingly, Business “A” cannot grow its customer base in this way. For example, many analysts classify Amazon as a B2B2C model giant, where small business sellers do not get access to Amazon’s customers and cannot run analytics on such customers. In other words, customer ownership for Business “A” is often not supported in the B2B2C model.
Business “A” can also incur large commissions that go into Business “B’s” pocket. For example, mobile app stores, such as the App Store and its rival Google Play, also work under the B2B2C model, taking up to 30% of the revenue of applications sold there and also charging a fee for joining their mobile app store.
There is a threat of removing an app from the App Store and/or Google Play at any time, and this is a big risk for the development teams. Given the monopoly nature of the App Store and Google Play, any removal of mobile applications results in the loss or total ruin of numerous Business “A” members who host applications in the App Store and/or Google Play.
B2B2C Marketing
In the B2B2C model, Business “A” can join Business “B’s” marketing programs, which are usually held on national holidays and events, but could also be personalized (e.g., on the birthday of every person in the client database). This also imposes obligations on Business “A” to get well prepared for sales events and create a sufficient stock of goods in their warehouse to meet the peak demand during sales.
Marketing cooperation between Business “A” and Business “B” provides great opportunities that must be used flexibly and effectively. But Business “A” shouldn't rely on the B2B2C model as its only sales channel and needs to develop its own client base and customer communications. Otherwise, as mentioned above in the section on B2B2C model disadvantages, the cooperation could suddenly stop because of a Business “B” decision, and Business “A” must be prepared for such a risk.
B2B2C eCommerce Platform Examples
Any case when a consumer uses one business to order a product or service from the online store of another business is an example of a B2B2C model in action. Amazon, Alibaba, the App Store, and Google Play are good examples of B2B2C models.
However, large marketplaces implement other sales models along with B2B2C. For example, since other businesses can shop on Amazon along with consumers, the B2B2B model is being implemented. Interestingly, consumers can also place their goods on such marketplaces; therefore, C2B2C and C2B2B models are implemented there as well.
Summary
B2B2C is a mutually beneficial relationship that offers Business "A" the benefit of introducing its products and/or services to a new range of potential customers. B2B2C also simultaneously generates a new revenue stream for Business "B", as well as positions Business "B" to present its customers with new and relevant products and/or services. The consumer customer base also benefits as a consequence of being the recipient of Business "B’s" expanded products and/or services diversification.
For small manufacturers and startups, the B2B2C ecommerce model offers good opportunities for business development budget savings. This is a way to expand sales - not only in local markets, but also to establish your presence in other markets in which Business “B” operates.
FAQs
Does B2B2C make sense for all B2B ecommerce businesses?
For example, if company “A” produces washer fluid for car wipers and supplies it to car factories in barrels and tank trucks, then it makes sense to make small packages and sell through gas station chains, which will act as Businesses “B” in this model.
What is the difference between B2B and B2B2C?
What is the difference between B2C and B2B2C?
Are the White Label model and B2B2C the same?
Which ecommerce platforms are best for B2B2C?
If we talk about the architecture of the ecommerce platform for B2B2C, it should be a composable and headless platform with support for microservices and cloud-ready deployment.
What are the characteristics of B2B2C ecommerce?
How would you do marketing for a B2B2C ecommerce business?
How do you build B2B2C manufacturing relationships?
The most understandable example is when Business “A” specializes in producing cases for mobile phones, finds out in advance the roadmap for the release of new phones and their sizes, and immediately offers covers for them.
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