"A marketplace can be a ticking time bomb"

US DIY expert Jim Inglis has taken a very critical look at the phenomenon of online marketplaces. The international DIY association Edra/Ghin invited him to give an online lecture. Inglis gave a clear answer to the key question "The marketplace - smart merchandising or not so much?" An online marketplace under the brand of stationary DIY store operators is, if there are no fixed guard rails, "a ticking time bomb that in the long run could have very serous negative effects on your brand image". The reason, in his view, is that the retailer has no control over the quality, production conditions and prices of the products that are offered via the so-called third-party sellers. Because e-commerce relies on the long-tail business to offer the widest possible selection, even less profitable products end up on the website. According to the retail expert, it is important for a retailer not to overwhelm the customer with an oversupply (and thus damage brand perception), but to make the right product selection.