What is a Multi-Vendor
A multi-vendor is an e-commerce store or marketplace where many sellers come together to sell their products or services. Classically there are two types of vendors, a single vendor, and multiple vendor marketplaces.
A multiple vendors marketplace has three (3) sets: a website administrator (owner), vendor, and customer. Customers can buy products from different sellers or brands. Examples of such marketplaces are eBay, Amazon, Alibaba, etc
Single-vendor vs. multi-vendor for owners
Financial risks: From the owner's view, operating a multi-vendor store is financially less risky instead of sticking to just one niche, some owners can diversify their offerings by including other parties in the picture. Moreso, having multiple sellers means owners do not store any inventory, which becomes a seller’s responsibility, as such reducing financial risk.
With Multi-Vendor You Will Have Access To
Admin(Site Administrator):
The Administrator controls the entire system with the following functions:
- Customize Entire Site
- Registration of Users (Vendors)
- Confirmation of All Payments
Users(Vendor)
The Vendor here has the following functions:
- Uploads of Products and Services
- Edit Products and Services
- View and Validate Orders
- Process Shipping Detail
- Customize User Dashboard
Customers (Guest)
The Customer here has the following functions:
- Browser Through Available Products and Services
- Select One or More Products/services
- Add To Cart, Checkout
- Update Orders and Shipping Details
- Track Shipping
- Contact Support