To be honest - the answer might surprise you. Because it's not as simple as it seems at first glance. It's 2025, and the e-commerce market is more competitive than ever. Large players such as Zalando, About You and the manufacturers themselves dominate many product categories. They can often offer significantly cheaper prices because they buy in huge quantities, know their margins inside out and reduce their costs through highly optimised logistics chains. At the same time, marketplaces such as Amazon offer enormous reach, but leave many retailers competing against each other in a merciless price war. Without clear differentiation and a strong brand message, things can quickly become tight here.
The fallacy of easy shop success
Sure, it sounds tempting: a little Shopify, a few good ads and the orders start rolling in. But it's not that simple. If you want to sell branded products (regardless of the segment) as an intermediary, you are immediately in direct competition with the giants. Not only do they have better purchasing conditions, they also have stronger brands and often significantly larger marketing budgets.
The opportunity for real brands
But there is light at the end of the tunnel: if you sell your own products or are active in a clearly defined niche, you can realise significantly higher margins. You control the entire brand perception, can flexibly adjust your prices and have direct contact with your customers. This allows you to build long-term trust and develop a loyal community.
Why it can still be worthwhile:
- Branding and independence: Full control over your brand and your prices.
- Data is power: You get direct insights into the behaviour of your customers - from the first clicks to repeat purchases.
- Higher margins for own products: If you sell your own products, you have full price control and do not have to pay any marketplace fees.
- Flexibility and creativity: You can customise your brand, launch your own promotions and flexibly adapt your offer without being restricted by the rules of a marketplace.
But be careful:
- High competition: Without clear differentiation, it can be difficult to prevail against the giants.
- Marketing costs: Traffic doesn't come by itself. Without ads, good SEO and clever content strategies, your shop will quickly become a digital ghost town.
By the way: You don't just have to sell your own brand on your own shop. Large marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay or specialised platforms such as Etsy also offer a huge reach and can be an important part of your strategy. Here you can present your brand, generate initial sales and collect valuable data at the same time - perfect for optimising your range in your own shop later on. You can find out more in our article: "Own shop vs. marketplace - which is better for your business?"
The challenge - also for new brands
Even those who sell their own products don't always have it easy. The market is more transparent than ever before. Thanks to detailed product comparisons, narrow filter options and targeted long-tail searches, customers can now shop with extreme precision. Anyone who has ever googled "laptop under 1000 euros with 16 GB RAM and good battery life" knows how specific the results can be.
And the major marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and even the Google Shopping Network also offer such filter options directly in their results.
This means that even if you have an innovative niche brand, you have to hold your own against direct competitors who often have similar products. Branding is therefore more important than ever.
Conclusion - When it pays to have your own shop:
Having your own online shop can be absolutely worthwhile - but only if you approach it cleverly and don't get lost in daydreams. The right niche, a strong brand concept and, above all, an eye on the right data make all the difference.
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