Shopping Discussion

Stores turned online "marketplaces" in Canada

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Sr. Member
Aug 21, 2011
854 posts
232 upvotes

Stores turned online "marketplaces" in Canada

I was wondering what the thoughts of other RFD'ers was on these online "marketplaces". The biggest and most successful here is by far Amazon, it's clear how many others are trying to borrow a page from their books. Once traditional online retailers like Walmart, Bestbuy, Newegg have been letting no name third party vendors sell through their online store, we've even had laughable attempts like shop.ca to invade this market.

The problem I've always found with these online "marketplaces" is that there's too little transparency about where the products is from, shipping methods, etc. I've seen too many that just dropship from Chinese stores, I might as well just order from the usual Chinese online stores, at least then I know what i'm getting into for shipping and returns. The main retailers themselves tend to be perfectly fine to order from but they always keep trying to blur the difference between ordering through them and ordering through someone else. It doesn't always matter but for many purchases I'd care not to be buying from some literal who that got them from who knows where.

Is this positive change for our online shopping in Canada or is it just a rat race between online retailers.
8 replies
Deal Addict
Nov 29, 2017
1883 posts
4598 upvotes
FHill
The marketplace in Walmart.ca is too invasive! Incredibly high prices mixed in with Walmart’s own offerings creates an even more frustrating archaic shopping site failing to copy amazon
Deal Guru
Nov 15, 2008
12993 posts
8360 upvotes
The most memorable feature of shop.ca was not just the coupons but the screwed up billing that allowed you to get stuff for free, and outside of Amazon I'd say other marketplaces suffer from the same issue of keeping the billing straight through so many entities. So in this sense I am for marketplaces ;)

I have been turned on to a few smaller retailers through marketplaces. E.g., Superdave's Superstore for sports badges and pins, but they are cheaper on Amazon than through their own website. But then I can use Amazon GC's. Another place I think I found through Best Buy or something was Grand Crayon, an office supply store that had the best prices on some stuff I was after. These are credible stores but very small operations (but Canadian!) and I am happy to have discovered them.

So I say not generally opposed, no.
Deal Expert
Jun 30, 2006
21132 posts
9788 upvotes
Toronto
Omakase wrote: The marketplace in Walmart.ca is too invasive! Incredibly high prices mixed in with Walmart’s own offerings creates an even more frustrating archaic shopping site failing to copy amazon
+1. Marketplace prices are just whack from Walmart. I don't see many people ordering from them.
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Jan 9, 2011
19733 posts
28614 upvotes
Vancouver
BestBuy.ca is another one. They have watches available online only. Every watch seems to be identical to what sells on the US site jomashop.com, with a 33% markup after converting to Canadian dollars. I can save the markup by ordering on jomashop directly.
Deal Guru
Aug 14, 2007
12807 posts
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596722 wrote: I was wondering what the thoughts of other RFD'ers was on these online "marketplaces". The biggest and most successful here is by far Amazon, it's clear how many others are trying to borrow a page from their books. Once traditional online retailers like Walmart, Bestbuy, Newegg have been letting no name third party vendors sell through their online store, we've even had laughable attempts like shop.ca to invade this market.

The problem I've always found with these online "marketplaces" is that there's too little transparency about where the products is from, shipping methods, etc. I've seen too many that just dropship from Chinese stores, I might as well just order from the usual Chinese online stores, at least then I know what i'm getting into for shipping and returns. The main retailers themselves tend to be perfectly fine to order from but they always keep trying to blur the difference between ordering through them and ordering through someone else. It doesn't always matter but for many purchases I'd care not to be buying from some literal who that got them from who knows where.

Is this positive change for our online shopping in Canada or is it just a rat race between online retailers.
Other than amazon, I see it as a sign they are struggling, why else would they do this other than fees? You could argue that if the fees are making them a decent amount of money then why wouldn’t they?

I don’t like buying from 3rd party sellers on any site (amazon exempt from that but even then I only really buy from what amazon sells) for warranty or other reason already stated on this thread and don’t like when i see something in stock online only only to find out it’s a third party seller.
Deal Expert
Mar 23, 2004
35606 posts
18999 upvotes
Omakase wrote: The marketplace in Walmart.ca is too invasive! Incredibly high prices mixed in with Walmart’s own offerings creates an even more frustrating archaic shopping site failing to copy amazon
carmaster wrote: +1. Marketplace prices are just whack from Walmart. I don't see many people ordering from them.
Walmart seems to be a haven for people laundering money.

Apart from the illicit and illegal schemes supported by these "marketplaces" the other thing I don't get is, aren't they harmful to the reputation of these companies? I mean a lot of people just don't understand the difference between marketplace sellers and the retailer whose website they are visiting. Order problems such as not shipping things on time, not shipping things at all, defective merchandise, counterfeit merchandise, etc.? A lot of times that falls back into reviews for that particular retailer meaning Walmart or Best Lie are liable for a lot of negative reviews that don't even have much to do with them other than the fact that they let these 3rd parties list on their site. Doesn't make that much sense to me but I guess when they're getting fees and a cut of anything sold, it doesn't matter to them to risk their reputation on what might be unscrupulous businesses.
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Feb 28, 2005
3167 posts
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Montreal
IMO,

creating a marketplace dilutes the retailer's reputation. When there's 1000% hiked prices, shipping from god-knows-where, different return policies, it's bound to screw with people's expectations.
How many time have I heard "Amazon sells it for 100$ more than everyone else!! it's crazy"

I think there's a place for third-party retailers on Amazon or BestBuy.ca, etc, but they should go thru a vetting process to accept only the best ones.
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Aug 20, 2009
9827 posts
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I really dislike all of the third party marketplace stuff on those sites, there doesn't seem to be any real due diligence with it. Filtering it out is more difficult, if you can do it at all and dealing with customer service can be that much more annoying. If I wanted to deal with that sort of thing I would use eBay :(

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